I have a few serious questions

**jcmark611** · 05-07-2012 05:02 PM

How does IndyCar decide on it's partners? Baltimore has had two promoters bite the dust and now has to find another. This mess is likely to hurt ticket sales for what was the best event on the 2011 schedule.

Then there was promoter for Milwaukee last year. Add those two together and it just makes you wonder what the vetting process is for promoters.

While I will not be attending China, why can't I find a way to order tickets to the race?

Where did all these teams come up with the money to pay for Chevy and Honda leases? Chevy and Honda have already said that if they add more cars, those cars will have to a much higher lease price. Last years, the owners all said no to aerokits because they were too expensive. What's going on here? If these small teams can afford this, then why couldn't we just have a more expensive package from the beginning?

What's up with Izod? There's no IndyCar commercial, the trophy girl didn't show up to LA, and now they aren't throwing any parties before the 500.

What's the long term goal of the series? I'm sorry to say, but when you add together everything I've discussed, it almost seems like it's all about "cash now, worry later." I understand there's a ton of people trying to make this work, but it just almost seems like it's one step forward-two steps back.

**THE BEAR** · 05-07-2012 05:14 PM

It sort of comes down to watch what they do; not what they say. The teams always seem to find the money when push comes to shove. It is a little difficult to understand where they are coming from: A high tech development series, or a spec racing series. Neither of which has done much to control costs in the aggregate.

The folks at IndyCar seem to have good in their hearts. The execution of those ambitions has been sadly poor in almost every area. The new car/engine program is a mess. The web site continues to be weak. The schedule won't stand still long enough for any loyalty towards a particular event to develop. Sponsorship is weak, in part because there are no fans--watching or attending. It just seems, as you say, they talke a step forward (like organizing a Baltimore event), and then take two steps backwards (like getting in bed with event promoters who don't have the best interests of the series in their hearts).

It's a mess, and needs to get sorted out soon. Maybe the 500 will get things pointed in the right direction, but even that looks to have holes in it...like car counts, motors, ticket sales and teams struggling to survivie.

**aowzone** · 05-07-2012 05:18 PM

Originally Posted by jcmark611

While I will not be attending China, why can't I find a way to order tickets to the race?

I don't think things have even gotten that far for the China race. We only recently got a circuit design, right?

**TimmyZ1** · 05-07-2012 05:22 PM

The Izod thing is worrisome.

**lotuspoweredbyford** · 05-07-2012 05:26 PM

Originally Posted by TimmyZ1

The Izod thing is worrisome.

We'll see, I believe it's part of a plan.

**bandaidwacker87** · 05-07-2012 05:28 PM

Originally Posted by aowzone

I don't think things have even gotten that far for the China race. We only recently got a circuit design, right?

Did they unveil the circuit plan?

**aowzone** · 05-07-2012 05:32 PM

Originally Posted by bandaidwacker87

Did they unveil the circuit plan?

I've only seen an outline.

**ColdSpiderGT** · 05-07-2012 05:34 PM

these are all very valid questions imo. the IZOD deal does worry me a bit as in years past they have been all over the place. This year we have seen nothing.
And the promoter problem is major as well. i know that no street race will turn a profit in its first year but if a crowd the size of the one in Baltimore couldnt help you pay your bills then nothing will save you.
We have a lot of red warning flags out there for sure. I trust randy but man, I cant help but worry sometimes

**jcmark611** · 05-07-2012 05:35 PM

Originally Posted by lotuspoweredbyford

We'll see, I believe it's part of a plan.

What's the plan?

**Z28** · 05-07-2012 05:43 PM

When it comes to promoters, Randy and staff listen to proposals. They're just regular people not super intelligent aliens masquerading as humans, sometimes they fall for a line of BS from some guy who tells it better than it is. The reason they signed and ended up with the last 2 Milwaukee and 2 Baltimore 'promoters' is because after they heard the grandiose pitches and saw the check get plunked down for the sanctioning fee they were in. Randy and crew wanted those events on the schedule, maybe needed them, and they were made to sound so good it was too good to pass up. Until it came time to see the promotion in Milwaukee and the books at Baltimore.

IZOD is a concern because of the reasons that Mike Kelly stated when they joined the series. They wanted to rebrand their products and company. It's clothing, lifestyle and fashion and that industry doesn't follow the same campaign for very long. Trends and styles are constantly changing and when they sit around the big table and what do we do for next year, someone may say that our INDYCAR campaign has run its' course and we need to reallocate that marketing money in a new direction. And it's not just IZOD, they no doubt have a marketing firm and advertising agency that might have come up with a different campaign that doesn't include INDYCAR.

It has been a one step forward, one step to the side and one step back series for more than a decade and it's not Tony George's fault now. There's another another thread asking where is Dad's root beer? INDYCAR always has a glowing press release about how this new series marketing category has a new partner and everybody applauds. What goes unnoticed is when other partners in those same categories, leave. Is Maker's Mark around? They haven't been at the racetrack with displays of late.

But yes lately making sure the series doesn't lose money has been more important than anything else. That's great for the family but the series hasn't made much headway. All the ISC tracks were dropped, several SMI tracks are out after a long or short stretch mostly because they didn't like the sanctioning fee in the face of knowing what size crowd they could draw. We see street races being added and considered in growing numbers because promoters think they can either get enough money from a city to make a profit or like Baltimore see dollar signs in spite of the expense.

It would be the long term plan to schedule permanent tracks in good markets, and I'll say it-where NASCAR can draw a much bigger crowd to those remote tracks- and work to build a fan base that finds Indycar races worth the effort to attend. But that's not the quick revenue turnaround INDYCAR is willing to spend the time or money on.