The next time a friend of the family dies tragically in a car crash, personally send a card of condolence to the other victim’s family and acknowledge the tragedy personally, not by a third -party lawyer a year later and much of the the internet “diatribe” could be avoided….
In case you haven’t heard, Google has changed the world of communication…and the forum is not owned by Marco’s friends only…

My Engrish suffers but I try…..too much Honda in my environmnent; (Since my daughter was killed in a brand new Honda Civic in 2005….)

AS far as new fans,,,,young drivers on the street need to be reminded that SPEED Kills. Scott Dixon is a great role model for racing BTW…my comment about men in their underwear is regarding equality on the racetrack….Danika has made the mistake of marketing herself as a “girl next door” and really for the girls who idolize her and want to drive fast and “act up” …that is not good for the young driving spectators. I wonder if the people at NASCAr willl be “open and accepting.” Girly men and kinky messaging are really not so good for our youngsters watching,,,,obviously some people in the racing industry must know that superficially.
Also, Ryan Hunter Rey with his Macy Izod commercial really makes an effort to speak to the young crowd and he should be applauded for making that effort…very classy and it separates the SPEED factor and excentuates the Sport factor. As someone who has lost a child to SPEED on the Highway by a racing SPEED fanatic, I hope IRL continues with Ryan’s Izod endeavor because he is the face of responsibility and could be the spokesperson for our kids watching these races. It is a brilliant advertisement for the Sport but another tag-line for safety
(on the merchandise or at the end of the commercial) wouldn’t hurt.
Had my daughter lived, she would probably be one of those kids watching because she was an athlete and athletes love speed. SPEED on the highways kill, and young drivers need to know that their friends…and typically jealous teenage rivals are watching…..Thinking of Doug Herbert and his 2 boys also…BRAKES is a great concept but it is not advertised on the race track….since Driver’s Edge is almost a non-profit joke…..all the power to Ryan and Izod.
The commercial is very artistic and again it speaks “Sports and Responsibility” Thank you Ryan and I don’t mind buying Izod now and since I have paid a HUGE price I have earned the right to be a critic.
It is incredible how we live in a beautiful, free country …so full of liberty and the ones who have aquired the most don’t understand their personal responsibility! Young drivers are watching and they are looking to their favorite athletes. The pro’s must know that automobile racing is not really accessible to the general public who are watching them, it is a competition for the very wealthy… Since they pull down the $$$$ they must speak to the issues and I applaud Ryan again for his commercial because it really has started a pathway that says “American Sports demand Accountability”. It is a beginning at least.
Next to the other raunchy commercials, Macy’s Izod may seem to clean and collegiate but maybe the adults in the sport will step up and support “Clean and Collegiate” and someday actually put the words on the page or actually speak the “clean and collegiate” message out loud…..”Go to college and get an education if you can…Drive safely, Speed can Kill…don’t drive your Honda Civic beyond the regulations on the Highway.” Extend the vocabulary so that the kids understand that vehicular homicide comes with a jail sentence and possibly their own life…(Just like cigaretts and alcohol come with tag-lines and warnings.)

Our children are dying dailey in the streets of Florida and other racing venues and the racers are in a great position to speak up. Also want to say that Scott Dixon is a great role model and he is great to watch, although some may find him boring….if you are going to race, clean living is the road to be on and the road to advertise to our kids on.
MTV, SEX, and Texting on Boost Mobile (or any other cellular) really don’t mingle well on the roads in America. Maybe this will be the year for some vocal articulation, since Danika and crew are moving on.

“Sorry for your loss” is very shallow so please just move forward.
MARS

Agreed. I had thoughtthat George or a commented would have advocated that we should recruit new fans to view MindyCar races on TV or in-person. But these days the ‘on track product’ isn’t exciting enough for me to exhort someone, “You’ve got to try this!” And not everyone gets Versus on Dish Network or via cable… The Indy 500 is a different animal, as mentioned — product and distribution.

Getting back to George’s point about welcoming new fans, I think IndyCar fans will. However, the series needs to do a better job of finding those fans because from the perspective of an outsider, not much is being done other than, “Here’s a race, come watch it.”

2) I agree: sports fans typically happen young. My father wasn’t much into sports, but we watched the Indy 500 every year together. It was a bonding experience. One of the main things I’d concentrate on, if I were in charge of the IRL/Indycar/etc, is aim at families and making it as accessible to parents and children as possible.

Most people I know, particularly motor racing fans, tell me they have it common with their dads. You may not be able to talk about politics, religion, or his new wife, but you can still talk about the race.

That’s all stuff that IndyCar needs to avoid at any cost. What people can sniff out is when they’re being duped. That’s why fans are are appearing more and more at NASCAR races disguised as aluminum benches and why their TV ratings are dropping. IndyCar needs to get some new eyes on the series, and then don’t treat the new fans like they’re morons.