IRL CEO: "We need to blow up the IRL"

[mountainstar]

Well I can get behind that.

http://www.indystar.com/article/2010...ed-from-series

[nickyf1]

This man is the man! I wonder what DF will have to say about this though

[awrb]

That's great news. Hopefully we can put the past behind us and concentrate on getting the series back to where it should be.

[gttouring]

that is a good and overlooked idea

[jondownunder]

Hear, hear. I'm liking this guy more and more.

[mountainstar]

Well I suspect he is grasping the damage caused by the past 15 years and the fact it is probably easier to get back your core audience from back then first off, before running out and trying to grab the sketchy unpredictable "casual sports fan" instead.

It remains to be seen what he is willing to do or wants to do or how far the hulmangeorge posse will go, but I think to move forward, the family has to acknowledge the disaster they made and to make amends so we can move on and put all this in the history books. At least at the moment, here and in other interviews, Mr. Bernard has recognized what has happened which is in contrast to the "nobodies home" stunned look tony george always carried around, in denial about everything and using fragmented sentences and um's and ah's to speak.

The "indy racing league" always sounded to me like your local bowling league or some other stick and ball nonsense rather than an international motorsport. It always felt like a stupid, backwards name to me. Indycar works.

Going back and watching CART races from the 1990's makes me appreciate what an incredible time that was, maybe something never to be repeated. It's galling to see the pap presented now in it's place.

[cptkablamo]

Couldn't agree with you more mountainstar.

Scrapping the IRL name will be a great move...hopefully they can do it and make a symbolic break with the past and could be the catalyst to move on to bigger and better things.

[JagtechOhio]

All of that presumes there are millions of disenfranchised fans who stopped watching because their feelings were hurt. Nonsense.

Dozens will stand and cheer.

[cptkablamo]

It certainly isn't a cure-all but may help leave the past in the past and provide momentum for the sport to grow in the future. If it is only 'dozens' that cheer, if it is the right people in the right places, that will be incredibly important

[JagtechOhio]

Momentum for the sport was signing a title sponsor who was putting millions on the table and millions more towards co-promotion.

How's that been workin' out?

How many CART fans were watching when that deal caved in? There were very few, some probably accepted IndyCar after unification, some didn't. This changes nothing, just like the trophy deal.

[mountainstar]

Originally Posted by JagtechOhio

Momentum for the sport was signing a title sponsor who was putting millions on the table and millions more towards co-promotion.

How's that been workin' out?

How many CART fans were watching when that deal caved in? There were very few, some probably accepted IndyCar after unification, some didn't. This changes nothing, just like the trophy deal.

Apathy and dissatisfaction among other things slowly drove people away.

You could be 100% right, it might end up amounting to a hill of beans and no one will care.

But in my own life experience, the people that I have seen able to move cleanly into the future are the ones that can make peace and amends with the past. Any type of reconciliation might not count for much, but I think trying to leave it all unsaid and ignored, it will just continue to percolate for years to come.

The hulmangeorge clan started this mess, now it's time for them to finish it.

[NaBUru38]

Originally Posted by JagtechOhio

This changes nothing, just like the trophy deal.

This barely changes the substance, I agree, but it can change our glasses a lot.

My proposals are "Indy Racing Group" (IRG) and "IndyCar Racing Group" (ICRG). I chose "group" for the new word because, as I've said elsewhere, it gives sense of "largeness" and friendship. It's used in many large companies too. I must admit that the former acronym is too similar to IRL, and the latter one sucks because it has four letters.

This is just the sanction body's name. There's no need to wait for new cars or names at any step of the ladder. This new name and the Road to Indy will give Indy car racing in the United States a fresher brand of this unified era.

[mz2k]

Originally Posted by NaBUru38

This barely changes the substance, I agree, but it can change our glasses a lot.

It changes nothing. IMO, the IRL was formed for no other reason than to take control of top level professional AOW racing. Now that they've achieved their goal, they are completely lost.

They have no clue and no checkbook. All that's being done right now are cosmetic. Separate championships for ovals and roadies, name changes, blue ribbon panels, ad naseum.

[JagtechOhio]

mz, that strikes me as an accurate summary. Where all the "momentum" and "new ideas" are heading is going to become very clear after Texas.

[bjohnsonsmith]

Originally Posted by mz2k

It changes nothing. IMO, the IRL was formed for no other reason than to take control of top level professional AOW racing. Now that they've achieved their goal, they are completely lost.

It was directionless when it started.

[cptkablamo]

Title sponsorship is about money and promotion. Re branding the sanctioning body is not about that...As you say, it might come to nought, but it might also have some very positive effects along the way.

[codename_47]

If they really wanted the old fans back, they know what they have to do.

I hope to read "IRL CEO: "We need to blow up the current chasis rules and bring something in that's much more a drivers car"

And its not the laughable Delta Wing either.

There's nothing like a name change to try to wipe the slate clean, but if that's all that's really changed its just wasting time really.

Change the name if you're going to do something different. Don't change it if you're going to keep on doing the same old shiz with a new acronym...

[JagtechOhio]

The series was rebranded the day the title sponsor was named.

Bernard has made two announcements that have no relevance to anyone outside the existing fan base. Neither has any effect, both have raised old arguments that didn't need refreshing. Read comments from pages other than this forum and you'll see what the broader reaction looks like.

This guy was brought in for his track record as a sucessful marketer. That was a day one job, one which wasn't hampered by his naivety about the product. He doesn't know anything about the product, or the expertise to recommend ways to improve it.

[Canada ALMS fan]

Jag, why the negativity towards Bernard? He has taken a lot of good steps thus far having inherited a truly messed up situation. As has been said already he realizes the damage of the split and is targeting disenfranchised fans, a smart move IMO. His true legacy (good or bad) will be the success of the transformation from the current product to the next generation. This is clearly an individual who is looking at the state of Indycar through fresh eyes without all the baggage and bias of existing fans, owners, sponsors, etc. and is attempting to revive the series based on a business model he has successfully implemented once before. I will give him time before I pass judgement but so far I like what I see and he is miles ahead of TG. Having said all this, if moving forward there is only one engine and one chassis, he is dead meat, as is the series.

[wnut]

Originally Posted by codename_47

If they really wanted the old fans back, they know what they have to do.

I hope to read "IRL CEO: "We need to blow up the current chasis rules and bring something in that's much more a drivers car"

And its not the laughable Delta Wing either.

There's nothing like a name change to try to wipe the slate clean, but if that's all that's really changed its just wasting time really.

Change the name if you're going to do something different. Don't change it if you're going to keep on doing the same old shiz with a new acronym...

I am ignorant of IRL matters, but this post would seem to be the right reasoning. True racing along with free to air TV coverage on an international scale and sensibly priced tickets would fix any series.
A good support program on race day also helps get the people to the track.

Many of the posts describe exactly the problems with F1 which seems to be following your series down the same sloppery slope. They have also forgotten how to race, and what a proper race car looks like!
c.f. The Aero conspiracy page in the F1 forum.

Bankers running race series is a recipe for disaster apparently!

All spin and bull and no substance - racing!

[bjohnsonsmith]

Originally Posted by wnut

I am ignorant of IRL matters, but this post would seem to be the right reasoning. True racing along with free to air TV coverage on an international scale and sensibly priced tickets would fix any series.
A good support program on race day also helps get the people to the track.

Many of the posts describe exactly the problems with F1 which seems to be following your series down the same sloppery slope. They have also forgotten how to race, and what a proper race car looks like!
c.f. The Aero conspiracy page in the F1 forum.

Bankers running race series is a recipe for disaster apparently!

All spin and bull and no substance - racing!

Fancy you being on this side of the forum.

There are similar problems to F1, though the biggest problem the IRL has faced is sponsors, particularly series sponsors. I don't know how much of the history you know about the IRL but at one time there was one series called CART/PPG and basicallyTony George of the George Hulman George family, who own Indy, started his own series called the IRL in 1996, which ran alongside CART.

From the outset it never attracted the big sponsors like CART did and this lack of sponsor money has plagued it throughout, though eventually a number of the big CART teams jumped ship and went over to the IRL.

The IRL, which merged with CART's succesor Champcar, finally has a series sponsor, but all the other problems that were never addressed like the new chassis, which is 7 years old are coming back to haunt it.

[mz2k]

Originally Posted by bjohnsonsmith

Fancy you being on this side of the forum.

There are similar problems to F1, though the biggest problem the IRL has faced is sponsors, particularly series sponsors. I don't know how much of the history you know about the IRL but at one time there was one series called CART/PPG and basicallyTony George of the George Hulman George family, who own Indy, started his own series called the IRL in 1996, which ran alongside CART.

From the outset it never attracted the big sponsors like CART did and this lack of sponsor money has plagued it throughout, though eventually a number of the big CART teams jumped ship and went over to the IRL.

The IRL, which merged with CART's succesor Champcar, finally has a series sponsor, but all the other problems that were never addressed like the new chassis, which is 7 years old are coming back to haunt it.

A new chassis is part of the solution to the biggest problem- the lack of competition. The dominance of Ganassi and Penske makes the IRL really boring. I had the same problems with CCWS and NH/Bourdais.

At least with CART in the 80's and 90's, it seemed like there was always a team or two that would come along every couple of years to challenge the leaders and even become leaders themselves.

[cptkablamo]

I said sanctioning body...not series.

The guy has been here for just a few months, lets give him some time. He seems to be doing a good enough job so far.

[climb]

it's just a matter of words; if he likes to do it, well no problem forn anybody , I think. But once said that, all the problems of the series are stil there

[mz2k]

So he wants to "blow up" the IRL by getting rid of the name? What good does that do when the series continues to think that IndyCar racing began in 1996?