The Current State of IndyCar - Page 11

BSchneiderFan · 5 Jan 2014, 17:46 (Ref:3350624)

Montoya came from winning the Formula 3000 championship, so he was fairly well known.

ptclaus98 · 5 Jan 2014, 18:12 (Ref:3350631)

Quote:

Originally Posted by BSchneiderFan

Montoya came from winning the Formula 3000 championship, so he was fairly well known.

Known by whom?

Paradise City · 6 Jan 2014, 00:35 (Ref:3350740)

Montoya would be known - he kind of came in the wake of Alex Zanardi when Indycar did have an eye out for prospects in Europe more than might otherwise be the case. Norbert Haug parachuted Franchitti in to Paul Hogan so Merc did the business there. Going back a little earlier, there was deFerran as well.

BSchneiderFan · 6 Jan 2014, 12:51 (Ref:3350881)

Carl Hogan, I think!

HJJ · 6 Jan 2014, 13:39 (Ref:3350890)

Quote:

Originally Posted by ptclaus98

Known by whom?

Reynard. They recommended guys to Ganassi who they thought could get the job done. Zanardi, Minassian and Junqueria were others.

Yannick · 7 Jan 2014, 00:32 (Ref:3351052)

Montoya had a bit of a fanbase from his DTM days, just like Franchitti. The 3rd guy amongst their generation of Mercedes youngsters, Jan Magnussen, was promoted to F1, having had the best results of the 3 in DTM. Yet, after having spent time as a McLaren test driver, he got hired by Stewart Grand Prix as teammate to Rubens Barrichello. However, that did not last for many races.Stewart was the works team for Ford at the time, so his Mercedes connection ended there whilst Franchitti's continued.

The next generation of Mercedes junior drivers included Nick Heidfeld and Mark Webber. Isn't it strangely funny how they never actually raced in the main Mercedes powered F1 team?

Paradise City · 7 Jan 2014, 01:10 (Ref:3351059)

Quote:

Originally Posted by Yannick

Montoya had a bit of a fanbase from his DTM days, just like Franchitti. The 3rd guy amongst their generation of Mercedes youngsters, Jan Magnussen, was promoted to F1, having had the best results of the 3 in DTM. Yet, after having spent time as a McLaren test driver, he got hired by Stewart Grand Prix as teammate to Rubens Barrichello. However, that did not last for many races.Stewart was the works team for Ford at the time, so his Mercedes connection ended there whilst Franchitti's continued.

The next generation of Mercedes junior drivers included Nick Heidfeld and Mark Webber. Isn't it strangely funny how they never actually raced in the main Mercedes powered F1 team?

Franchitti had no profile in America. It took Norbert Haug to do the intros with Hogan. Montoya never competed in DTM insofar as I'm aware but I don't think many people in America were aware of DTM anyway.

mountainstar · 7 Jan 2014, 03:34 (Ref:3351085)

Quote:

Originally Posted by Paradise City

Franchitti had no profile in America. It took Norbert Haug to do the intros with Hogan. Montoya never competed in DTM insofar as I'm aware but I don't think many people in America were aware of DTM anyway.

IRC Montoya did a few races at the end of 95 or 96.

As I recall as well, it was Mercedes that facilitated the introduction of Franchitti to Hogan.

Montoya was not an unknown. He raced in Barber Saab in the USA before going to Europe.

Paradise City · 7 Jan 2014, 15:19 (Ref:3351255)

Yeah, Montoya did do a few DTM races actually.

NaBUru38 · 21 Feb 2014, 19:28 (Ref:3370751)

Minutes ago, I was watching (actually listening) to the WGC Match Play golf championship on ESPN here in Uruguay. In the breaks, they show many more ESPN promotions than actual product advertising.

Well, they showed a pure adrenaline IndyCar promotion saying "Starting on March 2Xth". (Can't both to check the actual date). It's like five weeks to go, and they are showing ads already! And it was a good one.

Yannick · 21 Feb 2014, 20:26 (Ref:3370770)

Quote:

Originally Posted by Paradise City

Franchitti had no profile in America. It took Norbert Haug to do the intros with Hogan. Montoya never competed in DTM insofar as I'm aware but I don't think many people in America were aware of DTM anyway.

Sorry for not explicitly mentioning that my previous posting is written from my personal perspective as an IndyCar fan from Germany. Yes, Franchitti and Montoya did not have a profile in the US.

What I meant to express with my previous posting was that both Franchitti's and Montoya's move to CART got some DTM fans interested in IndyCars which back then ran on the free TV station EuroSport over here. And the fact that not shortly after the appearance of those 2 on the scene, the German 500 at Lausitzring took place, is proof enough that those fans existed. Of course, it was all staged by Mercedes who had an interest in making their open wheel racing endeavours abroad more popular in their home country.

Too bad for IndyCar that the DTM manufacturers are currently working towards a partnership of some sort with sportscars.

**bjohnsonsmith** · 21 Feb 2014, 20:48 (Ref:3370778)

As we slowly approach the start of the season and with regards to the current state of IndyCar, what news is there of a new series sponsor?

NaBUru38 · 22 Feb 2014, 11:34 (Ref:3370956)

According to Curt Cavin, it's a done deal with Verizon.

**bjohnsonsmith** · 22 Feb 2014, 14:11 (Ref:3371005)

Quote:

Originally Posted by NaBUru38

According to Curt Cavin, it's a done deal with Verizon.

Well, there are no Verizon logos or anything on the IndyCar website.

NaBUru38 · 22 Feb 2014, 20:07 (Ref:3371095)

Actually, there's a non-IndyCar logo.

**bjohnsonsmith** · 22 Feb 2014, 20:10 (Ref:3371096)

Quote:

Originally Posted by NaBUru38

Actually, there's a non-IndyCar logo.

I'm not quite sure what you mean?

NaBUru38 · 22 Feb 2014, 20:15 (Ref:3371099)

Sorry, a non-Izod logo. It says "IndyCar Series" to the right. Can't find a large resolution version.

**bjohnsonsmith** · 22 Feb 2014, 20:29 (Ref:3371103)

Quote:

Originally Posted by NaBUru38

Sorry, a non-Izod logo. It says "IndyCar Series" to the right. Can't find a large resolution version.

There's this,

and this,

but no Verizon logo.

NaBUru38 · 23 Feb 2014, 19:31 (Ref:3371335)

The right one is the non-Izod logo I was mentioning.

As you suggest, it's strange that IndyCar changed the logo already, if they are about to announce a new title sponsor.

Nicholosophy · 24 Feb 2014, 14:03 (Ref:3371599)

Quote:

Originally Posted by NaBUru38

The right one is the non-Izod logo I was mentioning.

As you suggest, it's strange that IndyCar changed the logo already, if they are about to announce a new title sponsor.

If they have no link to Izod and haven't signed anything offical then they probably have to. I'm sure they have the logo sitting there for this sort of situation anyway.

**bjohnsonsmith** · 24 Feb 2014, 14:44 (Ref:3371611)

Quote:

Originally Posted by NickoGP

If they have no link to Izod and haven't signed anything offical then they probably have to. I'm sure they have the logo sitting there for this sort of situation anyway.

Izod are no longer the series sponsor. There are rumours that Verizon are possibly going to be and they are on the list of Official Partners, http://www.indycar.com/sponsors.aspx, but as such are not the official series sponsor.

The IRL are leaving it fairly late in the day if they are going to announce a series sponsor.

**bjohnsonsmith** · 3 Mar 2014, 16:07 (Ref:3374434)

Drivers say IndyCar on road to recovery.

http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/112747

Squall · 9 Mar 2014, 18:45 (Ref:3376786)

IndyCar will be on 'the road to recovery' when they return to the real rules.

D.R.T. · 10 Mar 2014, 06:27 (Ref:3376947)

Quote:

Originally Posted by bjohnsonsmith

The IRL are leaving it fairly late in the day if they are going to announce a series sponsor.

Curt is usually fairly spot on. They can leave it as late as they want to if it results in one coming on board.

**bjohnsonsmith** · 10 Mar 2014, 18:06 (Ref:3377135)

Quote:

Originally Posted by D.R.T.

Curt is usually fairly spot on. They can leave it as late as they want to if it results in one coming on board.

St. Pete is just under 3 weeks away and IndyCar needs to be getting its marketting machine in gear and drumming up interest

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