Comments on: Long Beach Preview

By: Robin Hiller

Robin Hiller — Sun, 17 Apr 2011 04:04:09 +0000

Come on, man.

St. Pete had 20,000 people tops there this year on race day. They take bleachers away every year.

That race isn’t growing.

Long Beach is a ghost town compared to what it used to be.

You road racing (actually street racing, since many real road racing fans HATE street racing) fans need to realize that street races are money losers that usually go away and that most have fewer fans in attendance then the worst oval race attendance on the Indy Car schedule.

20,000 at St. Pete is considered “great”. 20,000 at Richmond or Phoenix? Got to get it off the schedule.

By: JohnMc

JohnMc — Sun, 17 Apr 2011 02:17:56 +0000

Of course, after qualifying it is apparent that it is Will Power and RHR. The qualifying format is fantastic.

By: JohnMc

JohnMc — Sat, 16 Apr 2011 14:43:51 +0000

Hinchcliffe has definatly caught me eye and it was good to see Briscoe and RHR bounce back.

By: Bent Wickerbill

Bent Wickerbill — Fri, 15 Apr 2011 19:19:02 +0000

I agree, oval fans have been deriding (whining about) road and streets for years, but as each year passes the crowds grow larger and larger at both St. Pete and Barber. Note: I have been attending St. Pete since it’s inception in 2005 and attendance on all days has grown exponentially from what it was in 05….

By: Steve K

Steve K — Fri, 15 Apr 2011 16:55:37 +0000

I made it to Long Beach last year and have to agree with JP on the crowd.

By: JP

JP — Fri, 15 Apr 2011 15:20:19 +0000

George,

I went to Long beach last year and was pleasantly surprised by the level of engagment the fans had with stuff other than the Tecate beer stands. frankly this “Long Beach is nothing but a party” stuff is a bunch of crap put forward by midwestern Oval fans who have to find a way to discredit the street events that draw well to make themselves feel better that their Ovals (other than Indy) have been drawing such pathetic crowds in recent years.

The reserved seating bleacher I sat in was loaded with knowledeable race fans who knew exactly who was in what car, who was racing fair and cleanly and who was in the way. The ALMS Pits, which admission was free, were stuffed full of fans of all ages and knowledge levels wandering through on raceday. I have wondered since then, if for IndyCar the amount of fan connection and fanbase building a free paddock would have would far out weigh the gate revenue they collect from selling access.

The truth is that even for the 500, Carb day and the snake pit are as much a bacchanalean party as long beach. If the argument can be made that Carb day and the snake pit can help build a fan base for the 500 and the sport, then the same argument holds true for the GA attendees of Long Beach.

By: jameso

jameso — Fri, 15 Apr 2011 14:25:41 +0000

I’ll be there today for 1st day of practice. This is the race that’s local to me, the only one I’ve seen live, so I can’t compare it properly against any other. Having seen it both on tv and from the grandstands, I’ll take the former on Sunday. But for being to tour the paddock, see the sites, and generally blow a day off work at the beach instead of my gray fabric-walled office, 1st day of practice is a hoot.

By: Steve K

Steve K — Fri, 15 Apr 2011 13:48:36 +0000

Nice shout out from Cavin in todays IndyStar!

Long Beach is owned by Tracy and Boudais. I doubt either will win in their current equipment, but they both will run well. Power will win it. He had it last year but oddly stalled on the front stretch and gave it away. not this year.

By: redcar

redcar — Fri, 15 Apr 2011 12:42:02 +0000

re: long beach. yeah, it’s a big party. but for all of my formative years, so was the Indy 500.

re: winner. hard to pick against willpower.

By: The Lapper

The Lapper — Fri, 15 Apr 2011 12:01:45 +0000

I am going with Ryan Brisco.