Helio wins - CART domination - INDY 500

[Nuvolari]

. . . for that most American of reasons, Liz: money.

One discouraging note in the day-after coverage. The morning news anchor on the CBS Early Show kept referring to Helio Castronovus.

Damned foreigners.

[MaxSport]

...was that TG was worried about having 33 cars for the 500.
CART budgets were and are out of hand. 24 CART teams plus John Menard and a couple other "Indy only" teams would not give you a full field.

In addition, TG was concerned about CART control of his event. The CART guys could have had TG over a barrel if they threatened not to show up.

Tony likes road racing. He has raced in Indy Lights on road courses and in the old IMSA Firehawk Series. His new road racing circuit may host an endurance sportscar event, according to the local papers.

The IRL became an oval series catering to the sprint car owners, drivers and fans because TG was building a base. Besides, how many road courses would have signed up with the IRL in a new series that was taking on CART ?

The CART teams, and their sponsors, want to be back home again in Indiana for the 500. It is half the reason for a sponsor to be in Indycars.

BTW-If the Captain says that he wants to see one open wheel series, I would not bet against it! If Marlboro can only be in one series, one that includes the largest single day sporting event is the one they will pick.

In fact,I would bet on one series. Sell CART short, you could make a ton.

See you all at the 2003 Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach. Round one of the IRL season?

Kurt Maxwell
MaxSport
Carmel,IN.

[Liz]

I forgot to congratulate Robbie Buhl too, and I did mean to do it. I appreciated his statements that he spun while "going for it" and not by a mistake - I like to see a man racing hard and taking a chance, even if this time it doesn't pan out. It was a gutsy move.

Yes, Neil, money does matter. That's my point. That's why the series split off, in part, I think. But why do the IRL people assume that the only reason the Champ Car people won is that they have more money? Jean Alesi darned near came in ahead of DC, although Prost is financed by the money they get returning empties to the beer store and McLaren loses more money behind the sofa than Prost has to run his team on all season.

[KC]

After watching the strongest of the IRL regulars fall to the wayside against the relentless assault from the CART regulars and Tony Stewart, it illustrated the point that CART has a better overall group of drivers and teams than the IRL. I do believe that there are drivers and teams in the IRL that should be racing in CART. Robbie Buhl, Scott Sharp, and a few others have excellent road racing skills and proved their speed by being the few who could actually match the pace of the CART guys.

The one area that the IRL guys seemed to be lacking in was knowing how to alter the car based upon the weather situation. Both Scott Sharp and Sara Fisher lost control of their cars early and complained of zero grip. The media hacks kept on and on about the white line, but Fisher said her car was so loose she could not keep it from the bottom of the track. Every one of the CART drivers and Stewart obviously were ready for cool temperatures and setup their cars accordingly.

On ESPN's RPM2Nite, open wheel reporter Robin Miller commented on how he had never seen so many long and despairing faces after the race. A large group of the IRL teams rely on the purse from the 500 to make it the rest of the season and it was taken from them for the most part. Several of these teams may fold if TG does not extend a subsidizing hand to them. I feel for these teams but racing is another place where the fittest survive and the weak are consumed.

Kudos to Castroneves and his team for the win. Kudos to Tony Stewart for placing 6th at Indy and 3rd at Charlotte in one day. Excellent display from a true dual discipline driver.

[GM99]

Want to bet that Paul and Dario are there next year.....top 8 positions this time.

[GM99]

Just heard that Ralf Schumacher doesn't want to race at monaco next year, finds it to boring and dangerous....Hey Chip do you have an extra seat for next year?

[JP]

I don't think KC's right to describe Tony Stewart simply as a "dual discipline" driver. Tony was quoted after his 1100 miles of racing as saying "If I could find a Dirt Late Model I'd run it tonight". He'd probably have followed that with a run in a Midget and then a Sprint Car. It would be good to see him in some form of road racing, just to underline what he's already proved - the most versatile talent of the modern era. Imagine what the result might have been at Indy if Tony hadn't had all the pressure of the trip to Charlotte hanging over him, and the uncertainty whether he'd even be able to complete the race.

And if the IRL hadn't been created, he'd probably still be on the dirt tracks.

[Crash Test]

I remember Bobby Rahal once said that to not make a loss at Indy, you had to take home the winner's purse...

Also I think there were some differences in the pit stops of the CART/IRL teams, which I think had a part in the result.

[Emfa]

Originally posted by JP
And if the IRL hadn't been created, he'd probably still be on the dirt tracks.

Highly debatable. Drivers like Stewart who are the cream of the crop will rise to the top regardless. Others like Jeff Gordon and Jason Leffler came into NASCAR from a similar background to Stewart, but without the time spent in IRL. Stewart probably benefited from his sojourn with the Brand X guys, but could have just as easily done without it.

[Liz]

Everyone who races knows it is a gamble, not unlike shooting craps, where everything can ride on the throw of the dice turning up your way. Since I have friends in lower formulae, I know how a budget can depend on one good race ... and look at poor Jimmy Vasser, who is racing near the top of the charts and still can't get any money. I'm sure Patrick is glad to have the percentage of his purse from Indy that he won, plus whatever Ganassi paid for his services.

I remember watching Greg Ray last year, trying to repair his car and get back out on the track, and the second time he hit the wall saying despairingly that he could not do any more repairs because he had no more parts. Also didn't they say after the big "Driven" crash in Atlanta that there was a serious shortage of parts due to so many cars needing repairs? Perhaps that played a part also in the poor showing of the IRL teams this weekend.

As for the Marlboro support, that will be gone in a couple of years due to Tobacco Nanny Legislation against it, so that will play no part either in the TKG or Penske operations, except to make it more difficult for them to find a budget, too. Perhaps as soon as the tobacco companies are out of it, more of the wealthier teams will run at Indy and soon there will be no IRL ... only those teams that are able to join Champ Cars, much as the WHA eventually folded into the NHL.

I thought Tony Stewart had a tryout in open wheel cars, didn't he, before he decided to opt for NASCAR? That is, he was not a complete newbie in the open wheel series? He must be an amazingly fit man.

[KC]

Tony Stewart probably should not be categorized as a "dual discipline" driver because he has won and dominated in may forms of racing. he has run competitively in hot stocks, late models, sprints, midgets, super mods, IRL Indy cars, and NASCAR machines. He is one of the most versatile drivers in any form of racing. He has a true love for racing and wants to win every historically significant event from the Indy 500 to the Chili Bowl Midget Nationals. I applaud him for being one of the true throwback racers in the mold of Mario Andretti and A.J. Foyt.

[MaxSport]

The high cost of CART is part of why there is an IRL.

In turn, the desire to run at Indy as well as not being able to raise the sponsorship dollars for CART will bring about one series.

Tobacco companies are the only ones able to justify the high dollars spent in CART. Their sponsorships, and Miller Beer, are the only "pure" branding deals out there. Because racing is the only way that Marlboro or Kool can get any type of exposure, they are willing to pay the big dollars.

If Marlboro and Kool are forced to go away, it will affect two of the top CART teams, who may find it hard to replace the kind of money they are getting now.

It costs 10 million to do CART right. 4 to do IRL.

I am meeting with a company in Texas next week who is looking to be a major sponsor for a top team in IRL. These people are amazed that for what a NASCAR Busch program cost, they can be in the greatest race in the world. The other IRL events are a bonus.

This same company would likely never consider a CART program. The cost as well as no Indianapolis 500 is the reason why.

Kurt Maxwell
MaxSport
Carmel,IN.

[domaza]

Originally posted by MaxSport
The high cost of CART is part of why there is an IRL.

In turn, the desire to run at Indy as well as not being able to raise the sponsorship dollars for CART will bring about one series.

Tobacco companies are the only ones able to justify the high dollars spent in CART. Their sponsorships, and Miller Beer, are the only "pure" branding deals out there. Because racing is the only way that Marlboro or Kool can get any type of exposure, they are willing to pay the big dollars.

If Marlboro and Kool are forced to go away, it will affect two of the top CART teams, who may find it hard to replace the kind of money they are getting now.

It costs 10 million to do CART right. 4 to do IRL.

I am meeting with a company in Texas next week who is looking to be a major sponsor for a top team in IRL. These people are amazed that for what a NASCAR Busch program cost, they can be in the greatest race in the world. The other IRL events are a bonus.

This same company would likely never consider a CART program. The cost as well as no Indianapolis 500 is the reason why.

Kurt Maxwell
MaxSport
Carmel,IN.

Fool... you are advising them to sponsor IRL team? Nobody whatches these races, nobody knows about these guys... wasted money for them:P Indy 500 is only event where IRL used to get some advertising and this year they didn't get it too... CART ruled the event... You are going to be sacked soon if you make this deal

[Liz]

In case you don't know, Miller Beer is owned by Phillip Morris.

And RJR owns Nabisco, Kraft, and several other large food businesses, so when tobacco advertising goes away, probably they will switch the sponsorship to another division of their companies. And I do find it instructive that when they are permitted to sponsor only one series in the USA, they all have chosen Champ Cars.

I am interested in advertising due to my day job being immersed in it, and I am surprised that virtually no major sponsors have signed on to any IRL teams. Not just cigarette companies, either. Does anyone have a theory as to why this should be true?

[MaxSport]

Of course I know that Miller is part of PM.

The point is that beer and cigarette companies are the only ones to whom the branding is priority one.

Trade promotions are becoming, and have been for some time, a larger reason to sponsor racing teams.

Dupont in NASCAR is the best example. They don't do it for exposure.

Target and K Mart do like the exposure they get. However, the vendors who pay for the programs, with the exception of maybe Texaco, could not care less. The in store considerations are what they are buying.

Bottom line is that there are only two American cigarette companies and two large retail concerns who are willing and have the ability to put forth the budgets required in CART.

The costs have to come down. The IRL formula seems to be a way to allow others, who don't have 10 million dollars in sponsorship a chance to compete.

Liz, when you have lunch with the Captain, do ask him what he thinks.

KM

[Liz]

I wish it would extend to lunch! Maybe if he gets interested enough it will. But I expect if I get ten minutes I'll be doing very well indeed. (Someone is doing an interview for the newsletter and I steamrollered him into taking me along.)

[domaza]

Originally posted by Liz
I wish it would extend to lunch! Maybe if he gets interested enough it will. But I expect if I get ten minutes I'll be doing very well indeed. (Someone is doing an interview for the newsletter and I steamrollered him into taking me along.)

I know Penske's got also a NASCAR team - so is Penske's heart more with CART or NASCAR? I quess it is CART and NASCAR is just secondary for him!?

[Nuvolari]

Right off the top of my head, Liz, I would say in response to your question that if the crowds and television numbers are bad for the IRL it wouldn't be money well spent.

[Liz]

Does anyone know how the crowds/television numbers compare (on average, as I know the numbers at some races for Champ Cars are very high and others are apallingly low) between the two series?

[domaza]

Originally posted by Liz
Does anyone know how the crowds/television numbers compare (on average, as I know the numbers at some races for Champ Cars are very high and others are apallingly low) between the two series?

Same question... would be intresting to see some graphs actually