Comparisons Of The IRL And Champ Car Problems
Written by George Katinger · September 18, 2005
With little news coming forth from Champ Cars, and the recent announcement of the IRL’s condensed schedule next year, is there any hope for either series in the next few years?
openwheelracers.com: Two Series, One Major Problem: Is There An Answer?
Jim Nice, staff writer for OPENWHEELRACERS.com has a well thought out summary of both series pros and cons. I think it’s well written because he never hints at any predisposed favoritism for either series. He accurately portrays the problems of both and proposes a solution.
You may not agree with the conclusion, but it’s difficult to disagree with the assessment.
Comments
5 Responses to “Comparisons Of The IRL And Champ Car Problems”
Got something to say?
You must be logged in to post a comment.
Champ cars are the only true racers,only a pocket book below F1. IRL was just formed as a polital device to try to force the price of the winners circle and champ cars in general down.IRL tried and did a pretty good job for a while but they had a lot of help from Cart management.
The IRL circle racers will always be a sub culture to champ cars. Although I thought i saw a road coarse advertised, that would help them greatly. There is not much excitment in watching the same old thing every week. Champ cars are so much more versital and fast they will come back.
George, how can you post about this article here? Jim Nice clearly favors the IRL and NASCAR over Champ Car. He states “these [Champ Car] events are predestined snoozers compared to the IRL ovals or NASCAR.”
One cannot write a honest assessment of the problems in today’s Open Wheel racing world when they start by stating their preference for one or the other. Jim Nice’s article doesn’t deserve an ounce of recognition!
For what it’s worth, I’ve been a big league Open Wheel racing fan for 30 years. Well before CART’s peak in the early 90s. The problem facing open wheel today is a continued focus on the past. In that past, the Indy 500 was great, only one big time open wheel organization existed, and 100k plus fans attended every race despite marketing budgets of zero.
There are two solutions in which both can survive. Both solutions require forgetting the past first:
1. Focus on developing your own identity. Forget about the existence of the “other” series and promote yourself and your product as if the “other” series doesn’t exist. This will allow both series to develop a stronger marketable image and a stronger fan base; but, growth will likely never return to a level many would like to see.
2. Start cooperating with each other. The result would look something like this: IRL focus on oval racing. Champ Car focus on street and road course racing. Drop the Indy 500 as an IRL points race and make it a combinded IRL / Champ Car “spectacle.” Start a Open Wheel Race of Champions 4 race series, 1 short oval, 1 speedway, 1 street race, 1 road course featuring the to 10 in points from each series. Champion gets a $1 million prize fund. Top this off by bringing both series under one “Open Wheel” organization with a “Oval Racing Division” and a “Road Racing Division.” This solution may result in growth and may bring back the interest of the American fan.
George:
I don’t know how you can state “I think it’s well written because he never hints at any predisposed favoritism for either series.”
Jim Nice obviously is biased towards the IRL. It’s undeniable.
Yes, there are problems with both series. This would have never happened if Tony George wouldn’t have came up with his stupid concept of CART II. Fortunately, KK and the boys have much better business sense than the geniuses at the Irrelevant Racing League.
Now fellows, take it easy. I am an ardent Champ Car fan as well as a follower of the IRL races. The plan as described by Jason is a brilliant approach, lacking in only one thing; the cooperation of one Tony George. And TG has begun trying to coopt road-street racing because he finally recognizes that an all oval series is doomed to failure, and he sees it as a way of finishing off OWRS. If you can’t beat them, steal their product and events, witness the LGBP and Montreal poach attempts.
I have always stated that two thriving healthy series would be the ideal, more racing for us fans to appreciate. But the article fairly points out all of the problems of both series. And I cross referenced it under our IRL page as well.
Sorry if the truth hurts, but I thought it was an accurate description of the current state of both series.
Jason wrote:
“One cannot write a honest assessment of the problems in today’s Open Wheel racing world when they start by stating their preference for one or the other”
Why not? It hasn’t stopped in the past!!!! Ha ha ha
I’m sorry Jason I could not resist.