Comments on: Confirm Something For Brazil

By: AZZO45

AZZO45 — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 04:21:52 +0000

DANGIt no edit button

That was Hugo BOSS McLaren & Penske gear

By: AZZO45

AZZO45 — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 04:20:26 +0000

Candy-A$$

Guess we won’t see you wearing Penske or Hugo BOSS designed gear, eh Rich do yourself a favor & Google IZOD & its parent company. They sell plenty of stuff that is in those box stores & non candyass

By: AZZO45

AZZO45 — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 04:16:19 +0000

Also NOT picking on you… I just read top to bottom

By: AZZO45

AZZO45 — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 04:15:00 +0000

Some reports have teams getting $100,000+ a car

By: AZZO45

AZZO45 — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 04:12:54 +0000

Ahhh, I think he was JOKING about opening in Milwaukee Well, unless they attached snow plows to the Dallara Hondas… since opening in March or April in Wisconcin might very well include snow

By: SkipinSC

SkipinSC — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 14:20:24 +0000

I hate to become part of the “doom and gloom” types, but I have serious fear that what is happening with Rio is going to become endemic of the IndyCar Series. There is a total vacuum of leadership in the series, at least to the public eye, and I am almost waiting for the other shoe to drop, that being that the Sisters are going to run Indy and shut the rest of the series down.

I hope I am wrong, but the lack of any action on the TV situation, the constant postponement of “title sponsor” designation, the lack of a “signed deal” between Michael Andretti and Danica long after the deal was announced, and most importantly, the lack of any coherent marketing of the series have me wondering if we aren’t heading for a USFL-type demise.

This brings me to two questions, one of which you have already posed: If the Sisters decide to bail on the series, who’s going to buy it based on the current TV/sponsorship/leadership situation? Sadly, I don’t see an answer to that one, short of it being a consortium of current owners much like what CART did when it split from USAC.

And second, when is the series, if it is to continue, going to find a public “frontman” for the series. One of the blogs, perhaps Cavin’s, suggested that John Andretti might be a good choice for that job. I know, Tony George does not have the most magnetic personailty, but at least when you wanted a public “face,” he was there. (And of course he had to be — it was HIS money.)

I am as devout a fan of IndyCar racing as there is, but the actions of the “powers that be” in the series since George’s ouster have perplexed me to the point of serious anguish at least in the off-track areas.

Anyone want to talk me off the ledge?

By: redd

redd — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 13:03:43 +0000

Well, much like Versus is better than no television, Izod is better than no title sponsor at all, I guess.

By: Rich

Rich — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 01:34:32 +0000

I know I’ll be disappointed, but I hope to God they can find someone other than Izod as a sponsor. Don’t they know you need a big, mass market name that expects significant ROI to your demographic – i.e. men …your big box stores, food, beverage, etc.? You can’t tell me that people will be flocking to department stores to buy Izod just because they sponsor IndyCar. I try to buy from companies who support racing…but I’m not buying any of that overpriced, candyass crap.

By: Edward

Edward — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 01:23:36 +0000

Sorry, Redd, I didn’t realize you were being facetious. I apologize for that.

As for Surfer’s Paradise, there are several issues that I see with getting that race back on the schedule:

1. Timing. F1 has their race in Melbourne in March, and usually the FIA won’t allow races to be held that close together.

2. AVESCO-Australian V Eight Super Car Organization. The sanctioning body for Australia’s #1 motorsport series and an organization IndyCar can learn a lot from about how to run and market a series. AVESCO shares the date at Surfer’s Paradise-some say they and not IndyCar or A1GP are the real headliner of the weekend, If IndyCar wants to have this race, it has to mesh with AVESCO’s schedule. Logistically, it would work well with Japan, but again, this would probably have to be worked out with AVESCO.

3.Money. What everything comes down to. This is an expensive trip. Honda pays for everything when IndyCar goes to Japan. It has to be worthwhile financially for the series to go to Australia as well, and right now, that doesn’t seem to be the case.

By: redd

redd — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 00:56:15 +0000

I guess I should have put one of those smiley face things by my Milwaukee comment.

But I do think they need to work Milwaukee out. This Brazil thing seems pretty desperate–why the rush or why not use the existing F1 track?

And there also seems to be so many people who like Surfer’s Paradise–don’t see why they couldn’t hit that and Japan at the same time.