So why weren’t we chasing these tracks already?

[Crash]

I don’t mean this in a negative way, just trying to understand. There seems to be interest from several past, terrific Indycar venues. It also seems like Indycar is doing a pretty aggressive job of finding a replacement race. Why did it take China cancelling to go after these events? Was there a reason Indycar wasn’t chasing the likes of RA, Joliet, Pocono, Michigan and such to get some of them on the 2012 schedule?


I am not trying to bash anyone here, just looking to understand.

[OWFANatic]

These tracks are interested in the track rental $$$. They're not nearly as interested in paying a sanctioning fee to host/promote a race.

[Mearsfan53081]

The sanctioning fee is too inconsistant.....which is why Eddie is pissed.

[midtown]

I don’t mean this in a negative way, just trying to understand. There seems to be interest from several past, terrific Indycar venues. It also seems like Indycar is doing a pretty aggressive job of finding a replacement race. Why did it take China cancelling to go after these events? Was there a reason Indycar wasn’t chasing the likes of RA, Joliet, Pocono, Michigan and such to get some of them on the 2012 schedule?


I am not trying to bash anyone here, just looking to understand.

Business. Last year IndyCar was probably looking for a sanctioning fee and promotion from these tracks. Now they need to get to 16 races to meet sponsorship obligations so now they'll do track rentals and IndyCar will promote. No risk to the track.

[JMFVET]

There is a huge difference between saying,
" I am interested in hosting a race. Willing to pay s sanction fee, and capable of promoting and supporting the race."
And
" I am interested in hosting a race now that I know you are desperate to replace the canceled race in China. Since I am " helping you out" I don't think I should have to pay a sanction fee. This would also be an unbudgeted event for me so I expect you to absorb some of the cost of promotion and track operation."

Some of the tracks are legitimately interested in hosting a regular season race in the future. Some are interested in hosting the season ending race this year if it can be done on the cheap. Some just want to get their name in the papers and on the web forums and blogs as a means of self promotion.

[Grizzlor]

It's not simply sanction fees. There's not many openings for these tracks in the schedule of IndyCar vs. their NASCAR schedule. There's also Randy and others being sick of a paltry crowd at these tracks, because frankly, the tracks did little to draw people in. What is happening in Milwaukee is something Randy wants. He wants the street race carnival atmosphere, so that the customer isn't expected to fork over $80 to drive 3 hours to a race that lasts an hour and a half.

[cornutt]

They can't talk to RA until after Milwaukee due to the no-compete clause with Andretti's promotions group. The possibility of racing again at Pocono has only become realistic recently, now that the management there has changed and the track has finally completed some long-needed safety improvements. I think Indycar is concerned that Michigan won't draw; the Detroit area has hugely de-populated since the glory days of CART at Michigan, and the Belle Isle thing this year only happened because Chevy wanted it as a vanity event and was willing to throw a lot of money at Penske to make it happen.

[cornutt]

He wants the street race carnival atmosphere, so that the customer isn't expected to fork over $80 to drive 3 hours to a race that lasts an hour and a half.

That's a great point. Today's sports fan expects to see a festival atmosphere and presentation. Telling the fan "there's a race/baseball game/soccer match/etc.; go watch it" doesn't get the job done anymore. Old-timers like me may be aghast at this, but it's today's reality and we have to deal with it. This is what the popular road/street events are doing well, and it's what the ovals are missing. The ovals need things like amusement rides, trendy food, arcades, shopping, models etc. There needs to be stuff going on all weekend, not just one or two races. And it all needs to be within sight of the track surface, where the fan can go there while keeping tabs on the race -- not behind the front stretch grandstands. Indy has gotten pretty good at this, and Daytona has taken a few steps in this direction. Most of the other ovals, not so much.

[Grizzlor]

Charlotte/Humpy were the mavericks in this area, well before street races. Iowa does a good job as well as Texas. No wonder they are well attended. Many of the ISC tracks, they do little to nothing, and their crowds are shrinking for NASCAR. It's really about poor leadership there.

[midtown]

And this is why you have a concert on Carb Day at Indy and the emphasis on the Snake Pit race day.

[Bullwinkle]

Was there a reason Indycar wasn’t chasing the likes of RA, Joliet, Pocono, Michigan and such to get some of them on the 2012 schedule?


I am not trying to bash anyone here, just looking to understand.

Most of the other tracks are interested in a simple track rental with no sanctioning fee to Indycar. Road America and Texas would be the two exceptions. We all know about Texas. Indycar and Road America have been dancing around a race for some time. Last summer, Road America made an offer to Indycar for an Indycar Race on August 19, which is the ALMS weekend at Road America and would have made for an ALMS-Indycar double header. I understand Road America even had a presenting sponsor.

However, Randy chose China for the same weekend, and offered Road America a different date (might have been after Baltimore).

I heard a while back that the plan for 2013 was to do RA in August and move China to September. Randy and George were seen together at Long Beach, probably discussing 2013.

Anyway, now that August 19 date is open on the Indycar schedule and more or less open at Road America. I am sure they could get 50,000 there with no trouble at all, even at this late date. Many of the people who would go for the ALMS race would extend their stay for an Indycar race Sunday (I would be among them). They would just have to move the Corvette Owners' event to another weekend.

But Randy can't talk to George until Sunday.

[bduddy]

That's a great point. Today's sports fan expects to see a festival atmosphere and presentation. Telling the fan "there's a race/baseball game/soccer match/etc.; go watch it" doesn't get the job done anymore. Old-timers like me may be aghast at this, but it's today's reality and we have to deal with it. This is what the popular road/street events are doing well, and it's what the ovals are missing. The ovals need things like amusement rides, trendy food, arcades, shopping, models etc. There needs to be stuff going on all weekend, not just one or two races. And it all needs to be within sight of the track surface, where the fan can go there while keeping tabs on the race -- not behind the front stretch grandstands. Indy has gotten pretty good at this, and Daytona has taken a few steps in this direction. Most of the other ovals, not so much.

Or, you know, longer races? Most sporting events in the US are 2.5-3 hours. When Indy races are often barely half that, no matter how you frame it it's not going to be much of a value for a lot of people. This is another thing NASCAR has right, no matter what all those journalists out there (who, after all, get in free) would have you believe.

[mesquite]

I don’t mean this in a negative way, just trying to understand.

Understood, but there's nothing really postitive about Indy cancelling China.

There seems to be interest from several past, terrific Indycar venues.

There's interest in Indyar paying them hundreds of thousands of dollars to rent the track out. Not so much interest in actually paying Indycar to host a race.

It also seems like Indycar is doing a pretty aggressive job of finding a replacement race.

It's called desperation. They'll lose IZOD if they don't set-up some cones in the middle of an Iowa corn-field with x number of cars.

Why did it take China cancelling to go after these events?

The cold hard truth: Indycar management's incompetence. Randy did not have the foresight to think China would cancel- while most of the paddock and racing world already knew.

Was there a reason Indycar wasn’t chasing the likes of RA, Joliet, Pocono, Michigan and such to get some of them on the 2012 schedule?

Most of them don't want to pay the $1-$1.5million sanction fee ICS demands. If Randy really turned down RA over the winter, he should be fired as soon as possible.

[BrakeEarly]

Why weren't they chasing these tracks? Look at the Milwaukee stands with no sanction fee. Every oval mentioned is going to be undo able financially. I'd love to make the trip to Michigan, but there's no way it works.