Off Week
Written by Douglas Brown · March 25, 2005
It’s been a rather quiet off-week in the IRL as we eagerly await the St. Petersburg race next weekend and the IRL’s newest foray into street racing.
St. Petersburg Grand Prix: Official Site
We’ve seen many street-based events come and go in Open Wheel history, and St Pete’s seems like an unusual place to hold this new one. The 2003 Champ Car race had less than expected turn-out (sounds a lot like Denver) but they bumped Champs in favor of the IRL for 2005. I’ll be watching carefully to see how the course shapes up and how the Oval drivers fare. A few of the long-timers and/or past CART runners should have an advantage including Carpentier, Castroneves, Franchitti and Herta. Personally, I find most street courses rather dull given the follow-the-leader scenario, but this is a first for the IRL so it should prove to be an interesting weekend.
The other big talk here has been attendance. The Phoenix woes were pretty well documented despite the IRL’s refusal to publish attendance figures. As noted, it is a sadly amazing fact that tracks like Laguna Seca, Road America and Mid-Ohio have no big-series, open-wheeled racing. These are three of the nicest natural-terrain race tracks in the whole country, and I think any one of them should have gotten a F1 deal. We all know Tony has the cash and the brash to make things happen, and instead created a bad and boring course in Indy. The spilt has caused a few more promoters and tracks to fade away, and a few others have now appeared, St. Pete being one of them.
Generally speaking, there has to be more awareness, more exposure and better marketing (The Soprano’s chick in Phoenix? Sorry Jamie, but there have to be some major celebrity available for promotions.) Hopefully we’ll see more seats filled as the season moves on, and perhaps one day we’ll get back to the road course tracks that matter with bigger and better sponsors for both leagues.
Last year, Ganassi threatened to quit the IRL and focus on his stock car team because of the empty seats. This year IRL teams continue to struggle to attract sponsors, even for the Indy 500. I’m not sure what the solution is, given that the IRL seems to be putting out a good product and putting on a good show. My first instinct, of course, is to blame Tony George and the split. There are other reasons, but that’s a different post.
I think you hit the nail right on the head,I have no problems with the Irl drivers,but as long as Tony George is in charge I will not watch the Irl.I myself feel he is the cause of the open wheel struggles & why should I support any of his races or teams.Once some of his teams start bailing out due to the meager attendance ratings & once Chevy & Toyota are gone maybe his eyes will open enough to see those empty stands.I wont watch the StPete race but I would bet that you are correct & either Dario or CastroNeves will come out on top I will read about it the following monday.I dont want my Tv to be counted as one of few % ratings.Ilive out west & use to go every year to Road America & it is sad that track cant attract enough fans to hold a race.
The TV coverage at Phoenix was definitely an improvement, except for the announcers breathless “Everythings Exciting” over the top style. Reminded me of Danny Sullivan.
But the coverage may be the turning point in developing fan interest. As eveyone has acknowledged, the racing is good, and the first step in getting asses in the stands is accquiring eyeballs on the screen. If the product shows well, people will eventually come out to the race.
Relative to Mark’s comments I feel the same way with one major difference. I no longer care that much who wins, I just wish one of the two factions would fold up and go away, and let a single series evolve itself. Then there is a chance open wheel racing will come back. Remember, Bernie Eccelstone is developing a huge marketing effort to promote F1 in the colonies, and may just extinct both the IRL and OWRS. Or team up with TG; they do race at IMS already. With his own woes over control of F1, maybe it will slow down the US effort and give the colonists a chance to work out their problems.