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18 Jul 2003, 12:45 (Ref:664850) | #1 | ||
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CART TV ratings getting better in certain markets
http://www.crash.net/news_detail.asp...4&language_id=
An interesting article in that the traditional home of Indy Car racing is more interested in what is going in CART than they are the guys who race at one of the most important race tracks in the world. In fact, Indy is now CART's #1 TV market in the US. Since CART has been broadcast on CBS for the last 6 races, the ratings for the series has gotten better, especially in Indianapolis, St. Louis, Kansas City, and Memphis. Three of those cities are considered to be IRL strongholds, meaning they hold IRL events. CART is also doing well in their race markets in Columbus, Miami, Denver, and Portland. Now, before everyone starts jumping for joy, the TV numbers are not particlularly great, but they have improved. I attribute a huge part of this to the fact that it is on a cable and terrestrial network that 100% of American homes can see and the superior quality of the CBS broadcast when compared to the ABC broadcast. At least a little encouragement. |
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18 Jul 2003, 13:33 (Ref:664902) | #2 | ||
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well that's good to hear for a start... Obviously it's a long way from where we want to be, but it should bode well for more network TV and help teams with sponsorship for next year.
CBS may not be doing the broadcast part of the race, but IMO they've treated it 10 times better than ABC ever used to. ABC treated it as a commercial between golf and tennis. CBS actually treats it as if it's the main event, and even runs promos for the race during golf and tennis. Possibly some of it has to do with Cart buying the air time, but it's still much better value. I think even when Cart doesn't have to buy airtime, CBS will still do a better job than ABC/ESPN would. |
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18 Jul 2003, 14:52 (Ref:664997) | #3 | ||
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I think this shows that the competition between CART and IRL is not a zero sum game; that growing interest in one series will foster an interest in the other. Have you ever heard of motorsports fans that feel one series is enough for them? (Ok, some NASCAR fans may be the exception.)
This is why we don't need all the nastiness and sniping between the CART and IRL camps. |
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18 Jul 2003, 15:11 (Ref:665002) | #4 | ||
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I've contributed to those ratings, I'm proud to say....
The reason why Indy is so strong is BECAUSE of the fans here, the fact that CART is lacated here, and we follow open-wheeled racing passionately....all forms of open-wheeled racing... We know this form of racing adn we absolutely love it!!! We think that the split is stupid...and we still follow both... A friend of mine who owns his own business travels to all of the races in the U.S. -- if CART and the IRL have conflicting weekends, he picks the event he'll attend based on the venue...not the series...he is a hard-core gear head who doesn't like the politics...just the racing....and he is one of thousands who feel that way... And there are many in the Midwest who are just as passionate about the sport...probably the strongest region in the US for this form of racing.... |
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18 Jul 2003, 15:36 (Ref:665027) | #5 | ||
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You make good points guys... Maybe some form of co-promotion is possible in the future if reunifications is not. Although I think the fans of Cart tend to be more road racing oriented, there are definately a lot of cross over fans. Also, many people still do refer to teh Champcars as 'Indycars'.
I don't see reunification happening any time soon, and I wouldn't want it under the IRL's terms (ie, they call the show), but if open-wheel racing is more popular it should benefit them both in the US. |
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18 Jul 2003, 16:58 (Ref:665085) | #6 | ||
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How are the ratings in Ontario.
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18 Jul 2003, 19:44 (Ref:665216) | #7 | ||
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I don't ever see them coming back together...one series will have to die for the teams in both race in one series...
Why???? TG will want it to be on HIS terms only....and most CART owners and the board won't accept that... I say that both should just move on and define their own special niches in the racing world and do their thing the way that they do it best.... |
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18 Jul 2003, 19:59 (Ref:665222) | #8 | ||
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Agreed!
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19 Jul 2003, 01:23 (Ref:665385) | #9 | ||
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Ditto. And above all try to stop the Deserters from trashing CART every time they open their mouths. They should take the high road like CART drivers do and simply ignore the other guys.
I don't like ovals, so even if all the drivers I like were in the Invisibles, I wouldn't watch them. |
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20 Jul 2003, 15:59 (Ref:666334) | #10 | ||
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The High Road...better known recently as The Road Less Traveled.
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21 Jul 2003, 11:54 (Ref:667005) | #11 | ||
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Maybe we should get our drivers to sing "Take Me Out to the Ball Game" when they win? What was that all about anyway?
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"If we won all the time, we'd be as unpopular as Ferrari, and we want to avoid that. We enjoy being a team that everybody likes." Flavio Briatore |
21 Jul 2003, 12:03 (Ref:667016) | #12 | |
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Why wouldn't CART TV ratings be strong in Indy? Where their headquartered doesn't have anything to do with it. Indy is the heart city of open-wheel racing. I'm sure NASCAR has significant ratings in Charlotte, the heart city of stock-car racing.
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21 Jul 2003, 21:14 (Ref:667659) | #13 | ||
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That was one of many points I made, Indycool...
This town has many thousand "gear heads" who follow "open-wheeled racing"...period...no politics, no garbage...and many of us watch and follow the news in both series very closely... |
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21 Jul 2003, 21:41 (Ref:667693) | #14 | ||
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I wonder how a street race in Indianapolis would do...
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21 Jul 2003, 21:56 (Ref:667706) | #15 | ||
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There would be some awesome possibilities for that one....
I'll think this one out and give you some ideas.... |
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22 Jul 2003, 03:48 (Ref:667901) | #16 | |
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Differ with you on that one, Tim....Indy is a town which already has plenty of racing and is primarily an oval-track town.....I hate to think of the politics which would go on if a street race was proposed here.
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22 Jul 2003, 03:53 (Ref:667904) | #17 | ||
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Might be interesting actually... If we could get 50k on raceday, it'd be worth it. I think we could probably get even more than that though given the ratings. It might make a good alternative to the Speedway for a weekend.
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22 Jul 2003, 19:27 (Ref:668661) | #18 | ||
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It is a good point, Indycool....but it is nice to at least play "what if"
personally, I also love sportscar and prototype racing (ALMS, Le Mans, etc.)... An event I proposed for sportscars would involve Tony G and the IMS... Think about this one.... Take a look at the IMS configuration that shows both the oval and the F-1 course.... Where the F-1 course comes back into the oval at Turn 2...turn left instead of right, and go back through the infield (on Shaw Boulevard, which is plenty wide and well-paved) back toward the north end of the track until you get just past the north end tunnel...then connect Shaw Boulevard with the ned of the North Short Chute to bring the cars onto to oval there.... The result would be a 4.687 mile road course... I would hold an endurance race there (1000 km.=620 miles, 8hr. timed race or 10 hr. timed race)on the weekend date closest to July 4th or over the Labor Day weekend if the F-1 race moves to mid-June...set it up so that the race would end around dusk and do a big fireworks blowout to conclude the program.... This configuration would use all of the permanent seats at Indy, plus give the spectator mounds some great racing action....close the infield to all but VIP and pedestrial traffic...don't use the north gate vehicle entrance.... Couldn't do CART at IMS...hell would freeze over first....but the sportscars sound fun there....Make it a "points race" for either ALMS and LMES to draw teams from around the globe... I'll post a "street race" for CART listing of roads fromthe starting line around and back to the line again for one lap so that you can follow my idea.... Don't know how I would post a picture of it.... |
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22 Jul 2003, 19:51 (Ref:668699) | #19 | |
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Tim, sports cars and endurance racing are, quite frankly, more fun, IMO, than CART or F1 and would produce a good show there. My reference was to street racing in Indy for CART, which ain't gonna happen.
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22 Jul 2003, 20:02 (Ref:668730) | #20 | ||
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I know....too much politics....and too much loyalty to the Speedway for the $$$ it brings to the City 3 times a year to think about ****ing Tony G off...
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22 Jul 2003, 20:05 (Ref:668734) | #21 | ||
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BTW....take a look at that track configuration for sportscars that I described above and let me know what you think for that type of circuit at the IMS....almost all of that pavement exists, except to connect Shaw Blvd. to the North Short Chute....
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22 Jul 2003, 21:08 (Ref:668799) | #22 | |
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I like the idea and that would open the course up quite a bit......
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22 Jul 2003, 21:11 (Ref:668805) | #23 | ||
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Absolutely, and Tonmy could make money off of all of his seats by doing this for Sportscars....it also would make a decent road course, even though it would be a "Roval" type course....both technical portions as well as the fast straights and curves on the original track...
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