Someone called into a radio talk show the other day complaining about how the crowds at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway are down again, even though the Indy 500 has what he termed a "deep and competitive field." Those who know me will attest - I love the Indy 500. It's in my blood as much as IU Basketball or the Colts. But he was stating the obvious, and there's an obvious fix.
First of all, the weather has been terrible, but that's beside the point. I am convinced however, that God does not like the Indianapolis 500 because there's way more rain in May than April, and it's colder. What happened to that April showers and May flowers thing? But secondly, no one cares about watching cars drive around in circles. I know that's cliche', but for a good story, you need drama, and Indy has none. The cars are now very equal, the drivers are largely unknown, and the same 3 teams dominate every race and every season. I love the Indy 500, but something has to change. Earlier this year, the Izod IndyCar Series hired former Professional Rodeo CEO Randy Bernard as its new leader. Mr. Bernard, if I may; allow me to offer a few suggestions.
1) Bring back the turbo charger and pop off valve, and allow speeds to increase. Today, we see very few if any blown engines, and drivers can push as hard as they want to. That leaves almost all of the changes which lead to additional speed to the chassis; and those changes are miniscule at best. The "push to pass" button isn't working. Heck, let pit crews put Nitroglycerine in the fuel tank if necessary. The 4-lap track record at Indianapolis is just over 237 MPH, set by Arie Luyendyk in 1996. Last year's pole speed? 224 MPH by Helio Castroneves. This year? Speeds are almost identical and there have been no significant changes. And people are supposed to come out in droves.......why? People want speed and they want drama. They do not want to watch Sebastian Sevedra drive around at 219 miles per hour.
2) Allow crew chiefs to make their own chassis adjustments and build their own engines. The Indy Racing League was founded to provide opportunity for American race drivers to get into open wheel racing. Guess how many American drivers are currently in the top 20 in the IndyCar points standings? Three. Three drivers. The IRL was also supposed to keep costs down, but every owner we hear from says that's generally not happening, so open it up! Let's try to get back to some of the "old days" when guys arrived in Indy with grease on their hands and a can of gas in the trunk. Build something within general specifications and see how fast it'll go. Who cares if it meets all of the finite markings on a mold? The fans don't. They want speed and they want someone to wreck once in a while. And if the team that wrecks has to borrow parts to fix the car? So be it. These cars are so technologically advanced, drivers are less and less an important part of the equation. Hence, Milka Duno.
3) More chassis and tire manufacturers. I know I'm preaching to the choir and this seems to be on the way; but one maunfacturer of each makes this a boring spec series. Cars are too similar and the teams which can find the most minute detail to change are the fastest. Penske, Ganassi, and Andretti Auto Sport are the 3 dominant teams and have been for a decade. In this "deep and talented field," there are really only 6-8 drivers with a legitimate shot to win; and that's not good enough. I mean really, would anyone put money on anyone but Scott Dixon, Dario Franchitti, Tony Kanaan, Marco Andretti, Ryan Hunter-Reay, Ryan Briscoe, Helio Castroneves, or Will Power? Who's taking Alex Lloyd? Simona DiSilvestro? Sarah Fisher? Townsend Bell? Davey Hamilton? Takuma Sato? Those are some talented race drivers, but no one knows most of them and they really don't have a chance to win the 500. In NASCAR? There are 10-15 cars which can win every single weekend, and they're different depending on the track. Not true in IndyCar; and that's a problem. Marketers know that a lack of drama drives away fans.
4) Get the hell off the streets. Street racing is far and away the most boring and tedious form of "racing," and I use that term loosely. Next time there's a pass for the lead on a street course, wake me up.
5) Figure out a way to get better sponsors. Quick Trim, Dad's Root Beer, and ABC Supply Company don't exactly spell "marketing powerhouse." Bring back beer, liquor, and cigarettes. How many kids don't smoke because they don't see "Marlboro" on the side of Roger Penske's cars? Um..none? Life was better when we had the Coors Light Silver Bullet and the Genessee Beer Wagon. Jim Beam was on the winner's car (Dan Wheldon) just a few years ago. Pitron sponsored Scott Sharp in 2008. Where's Budweiser? Lite Beer? Miller Beer? Kool? Race fans like to drink, smoke, and gamble. They don't care about losing weight or buying HVAC ducts. Feed them, get them drunk, and let them watch their vices go around a track at 230 MPH +.
6) Work with NASCAR to get Tony Stewart, Sam Hornish, and Juan Montoya back here, and give the rest of NASCAR's best a reason to come to Indianapolis. Even for just one season. Let America see how hard it is to master a very light and powerful machine when you're driving 50 MPH faster than they do in Cup racing.
That should get Mr. Bernard started. If someone could get this to him or make sure he reads it, I would appreciate it!
RT Brightman
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