Indycar News & Rumors.

[bjohnsonsmith]

Originally Posted by TheMightyM

Olympics avoidance.

The 2020 Olympics are next year and start on Friday, 23 July 2021
and ends on Sunday, 8 August 2021.

[S griffin]

Long Beach always seemed to be suited to being in the early part of the year, let’s see how it does as an end of season race

[chunterer]

Originally Posted by S griffin

Long Beach always seemed to be suited to being in the early part of the year, let’s see how it does as an end of season race

What's the weather like in September?

[S griffin]

To be fair we've had the season ending in California before in the likes of Sears Point and Laguna Seca and it's been sunny enough, so should not be too bad weather wise

[bjohnsonsmith]

Originally Posted by chunterer

What's the weather like in September?

I used to go to Laguna Seca a lot during the CART era and the weather in September is perfect for racing. Laguna Seca is in the Monterey Bay area and has average high temperature in September, of 69.6°F (20.9°C) and an average low of 52.9°F (11.6°C). In LA, Long Beach is just south, has an average temperature of around 21°C (about 69°F), though it can get up to around 27°C (around 81°F).

[RWill2073]

Big gap between race one and two. March and april only one race each, hurts momentum. Once it hits may, it's a good schedule.

[bjohnsonsmith]

Originally Posted by RWill2073

Big gap between race one and two. March and april only one race each, hurts momentum. Once it hits may, it's a good schedule.

That is a big gap but I wonder if that is Covid related? If St. Pete can't go ahead on March 7 because of Covid, that gives IndyCar 4 alternative weekends before Barber.

[S griffin]

I’m thinking that too, give themselves a bit of leeway in case it can’t go ahead on that date. Makes perfect sense to me

[TheMightyM]

Originally Posted by bjohnsonsmith

That is a big gap but I wonder if that is Covid related? If St. Pete can't go ahead on March 7 because of Covid, that gives IndyCar 4 alternative weekends before Barber.

More like three weekends. The 12 Hours of Sebring is the third Saturday in March (March 20, 2021), and the St. Pete IndyCar race just isn’t taking place that weekend.

Florida is among the states having the least strict COVID-19 regulations. If the race is happening anywhere, it’s probably Florida. It's also hard to push a street race back a few weeks — it costs money and some of the locals won’t like it.

The schedule gap is likely more about weather and other local considerations. There just aren't that many viable race locations in March and April.

[joeb]

Originally Posted by bjohnsonsmith

The article doesn't say it is and it doesn't say it isn't. If the rescheduling works out with these three races on the west coast, I don't see why the schedule shouldn't remain.


This is the provisional 2021 schedule.

My wife does not like racing at all, but when i told her there is a race in Nashville next year she was interested. Not in the race, but in going to Nashville. However, that is the week that school starts for the kids, so I'm not sure we can make it. If virus business gets settled by then I am going to push for it though. I haven't been to a street race in person since the Ruan Grand Prix, and yes i'm sure you will have to look that one up

[bjohnsonsmith]

Originally Posted by TheMightyM

More like three weekends. The 12 Hours of Sebring is the third Saturday in March (March 20, 2021), and the St. Pete IndyCar race just isn’t taking place that weekend.

Florida is among the states having the least strict COVID-19 regulations. If the race is happening anywhere, it’s probably Florida. It's also hard to push a street race back a few weeks — it costs money and some of the locals won’t like it.

The schedule gap is likely more about weather and other local considerations. There just aren't that many viable race locations in March and April.

I barely follow IMSA, so I wasn't aware of The 12 Hours of Sebring date; three weekends then.

There's just been an increase in Covid cases across Europe, with a what looks like a new strain of the virus in the UK. There's even been an increase in cases in Sydney and it's summer in Australia. All it would take is for an increase in cases in Florida and there could be a similar situation to the one we saw at the beginning of this season. That gap gives IndyCar a bit of room for manoeuvre.

[TheMightyM]

Originally Posted by bjohnsonsmith

I barely follow IMSA, so I wasn't aware of The 12 Hours of Sebring date; three weekends then.

There's just been an increase in Covid cases across Europe, with a what looks like a new strain of the virus in the UK. There's even been an increase in cases in Sydney and it's summer in Australia. All it would take is for an increase in cases in Florida and there could be a similar situation to the one we saw at the beginning of this season. That gap gives IndyCar a bit of room for manoeuvre.

Sebring is one of the very few races with a fixed date — the third Saturday in March. St. Pete race weekend is set each year not to conflict.

COVID-19 response in the U.S. is largely determined at the state level. The U.S. is a very big place, and the virus is ebbing and waning in different parts of the U.S. simultaneously. Florida is one of the states that is the most open (has the fewest restrictions) and that’s just not likely to change even if the virus surges there. (Virus regulations are highly politicized over here.) I can only image a very few situations in which pushing the race back three or four weeks would make a difference.

[bjohnsonsmith]

Originally Posted by TheMightyM

Sebring is one of the very few races with a fixed date — the third Saturday in March. St. Pete race weekend is set each year not to conflict.

COVID-19 response in the U.S. is largely determined at the state level. The U.S. is a very big place, and the virus is ebbing and waning in different parts of the U.S. simultaneously. Florida is one of the states that is the most open (has the fewest restrictions) and that’s just not likely to change even if the virus surges there. (Virus regulations are highly politicized over here.) I can only image a very few situations in which pushing the race back three or four weeks would make a difference.

I didn't know Sebring had a fixed date. I did say I barely followed IMSA. The only race I watch on a semi-regular basis is the Dayton 24 hours. A number of IndyCar drivers race in IMSA, so of course they don't want St. Pete and Sebring to clash. I know it's a big place. I used to live in California, quite near to Laguna Seca.

Florida may be one of the states that is the most open but Covid caused the cancellation of this year's season opener and I don't see why that might not happen again, if there is a surge in infections. It's pure speculation but having a big gap between St. Pete and Barber seems like a good idea, just in case a similar situation to this year's race at St. Pete were to arise.

[broadrun96]

Originally Posted by bjohnsonsmith

That is a big gap but I wonder if that is Covid related? If St. Pete can't go ahead on March 7 because of Covid, that gives IndyCar 4 alternative weekends before Barber.

There has been a long gap to start the season the last few years. It had been one race in March, St Pete, and the Long Beach 3-5 weeks later. And bouncing between NBCSports, NBC and occasionally CNBC, thankfully I think that's over. Not a good play at the start of NASCAR, baseball, and the start of interest in the NBA by the broadcasters.

Similar to the Olympic midseason gap, it's not Indy making that decision. Even bad Olympic sports with coverage by someone with zero experience will outdraw the 115-250k of the regular Indy races. Especially with the current billions NBC spends on the Olympics, they have to get the ads in front of eyes to make it worth it in the face of PLUMMETTING "cable" tv numbers all around.

They all wish they could have Hallmark Movie channel numbers, last I saw it was THE top cable network beating ESPN, Discovery and others by a handy margin in the favorite category for ad revenue, women 35-55. Sorry, guys 35-55 rate low on that list, women in all categories are ahead of that group.

[Nick Woodbury]

Originally Posted by broadrun96

Similar to the Olympic midseason gap, it's not Indy making that decision. Even bad Olympic sports with coverage by someone with zero experience will outdraw the 115-250k of the regular Indy races.

Source those numbers please, thank you.

[broadrun96]

The last Olympic coverage was considered a flop with "only" 17.8 million views during primetime. In comparison the total for ABC, CBS and Fox was 9 million COMBINED.

The last Indy race numbers for the Harvest GP was 221,000 for the USA coverage including all NBCSports pass streaming views. Broadcast on NBC got the usual boost to 566k. The season average for cable coverage was reported in the mid 200s with broadcast breaking 1 million twice, Indy and Texas. That's breaking 1 million when NBC was considered wasting money getting only 66% of all broadcast viewers for the Olympics. In the US it's not even close.

Outside of the final 3 NFL games, Olympics was the next closest competition from the 90s to now. WAS being important as it has dropped from 30 million regularly at night to 28 million peak 15 min viewing. NCAA title game last year broke 25 million, Clemson disappointed in 2019 with just under that. The Olympics are falling at close to the same rate views are falling and streaming for it is tough to count as they offer multiple packages and with instant results tape delay from Asia KILLS the numbers. Expect this year to have weird numbers, especially if they're on after restrictions diminish. But Indy would still love to have women's handball numbers on CNBC consistently. US viewers just like Olympic anything. Last random numbers I could find were in the Hollywood Reporter and CNBC daily numbers were 1.8 rating which is usually around 4.5 million, don't ask the national numbers make no sense o anyone but ad guys. But that was 2012, couldn't find anything newer for non-NBC, NBCSports/Versus or USA. All of those are well over 3 rating for all events, other than overnight events. Indy was a 3 for the 500 for comparison on NBC broadcast, drops to under 1 on cable.



For some fun comparison, Indianapolis loves the 500. For their live TV coverage in market they pulled a 24.7 this year, the 2018 race was the first live in market and pulled 33.6. In theory market ratings are the percentage of population but it's not exact.

[RWill2073]

Really, if you were worried about the virus causing havoc on the schedule (which I don't think is the main reason for those gaps), I'd think you line up as many as possible early on. Maybe you knock out 3 races in 4 weeks in march/early april before a need tonshutnthings down for a few weeks. Like, bank as many as you can early, so cancellations don't stack up needed races with dwindling weekends left to complete them.

They could have taken a page out of f1 and lined up some races on tracks they don't go to anymore or have never been to, and if you get them all in, great, if not, you get a full season's worth even with cancellations.

[broadrun96]

But people want F1 to come there and pay them to race, Indy can't afford to keep paying for races like they have. Indy management paid the last couple years at Iowa and I think contributed at others before 2020. Penske rented enough tracks last year and he didn't get his empire spending his own money.

If havoc is wrecked upon the schedule, Indy will have multiple races again. With, or but not likely without, fans in attendance. All the teams have work space locally, even AJ has space there with his team based in Houston. Given the estimated distribution schedule April-May seems likely for the entire series and support staff to be vaccinated and allow a bit more freedom in their activities within the series. Earlier if more choose to be skipped on the list. That could give them a bit more latitude in travel options late as well.

[broadrun96]

Sounds like Indy management is not interested in opening the tender for the new chassis outside of Dallara, and will roll out engine and hybrid first, then the new chassis at least a season later, likely a couple.

Looks like engine and hybrid 2023, and make it fit.

New chassis, with all they have learned from the new PU system needs, aeroscreen and side intrusion panels for 2024, but 2028 mentioned a few times in Jay's statements so maybe a couple years? That chassis design will be well worn in by then, introduced in what 2011/12? Got their moneys worth out of it

https://racer.com/2020/12/29/indycar...ssis-rollouts/

[bjohnsonsmith]

Originally Posted by broadrun96

Sounds like Indy management is not interested in opening the tender for the new chassis outside of Dallara, and will roll out engine and hybrid first, then the new chassis at least a season later, likely a couple.

Looks like engine and hybrid 2023, and make it fit.

New chassis, with all they have learned from the new PU system needs, aeroscreen and side intrusion panels for 2024, but 2028 mentioned a few times in Jay's statements so maybe a couple years? That chassis design will be well worn in by then, introduced in what 2011/12? Got their moneys worth out of it

https://racer.com/2020/12/29/indycar...ssis-rollouts/

The decision to roll out the new engine and new chassis, as well as sticking with one chassis manufacturer is down to money. It would be great to have another chassis manufacturer, as well as Dallara but it's cost prohibitive at the moment. As the article says, the series was contemplating whether to bring an entirely new chassis online at once, or if it would be better to roll out new components in phases to spread the costs to teams over multiple seasons. Frye himself says: ''Well, it certainly won’t be all at once, because economics matter to everyone, obviously”.

[broadrun96]

Hopefully modifying the DW12 for the new systems doesn't cost more than new chassis at the same time. Lots of duct tape already being used.

Opening the tender was more to see who else would offer to be the sole supplier not add another chassis option. But Dallara has history and would be able to undercut any who could build it.

[bjohnsonsmith]

Originally Posted by broadrun96

Hopefully modifying the DW12 for the new systems doesn't cost more than new chassis at the same time. Lots of duct tape already being used.

Opening the tender was more to see who else would offer to be the sole supplier not add another chassis option. But Dallara has history and would be able to undercut any who could build it.

You can stick any old aero configuration on to a well designed tub, as we have seen with the various incarnations of the DW12. I can see why IndyCar would want to go ahead first with the development of the hybrid engine and then incorporate that with a new hub, which has been designed specifically with the Aeroscreen and anti-intrusion panels.

[mstets]

Originally Posted by S griffin

To be fair we've had the season ending in California before in the likes of Sears Point and Laguna Seca and it's been sunny enough, so should not be too bad weather wise

275 miles difference between Laguna Seca and Long Beach. One of the most miserable weekends of my life was the Can Am finale at Laguna in October of 1982. Highs not much above 50 and foggy, and I had a terrible cold. We got two of the three team cars home in the top seven but I had to look that up as what sticks in my mind is how hateful the weather was. I think it was probably close to 80 on race day at Riverside the previous weekend so Long Beach should be fine a week earlier with 40 years of global warming.

[bjohnsonsmith]

Originally Posted by mstets

275 miles difference between Laguna Seca and Long Beach. One of the most miserable weekends of my life was the Can Am finale at Laguna in October of 1982. Highs not much above 50 and foggy, and I had a terrible cold. We got two of the three team cars home in the top seven but I had to look that up as what sticks in my mind is how hateful the weather was. I think it was probably close to 80 on race day at Riverside the previous weekend so Long Beach should be fine a week earlier with 40 years of global warming.

I used to live in the Monterey Bay area and the weather is usually very nice that time of the year. I went to Laguna Seca a few times in the '80s when the race was in October and also in the late '90s when it was moved to early September. They did have those El Nino Storms in '82 and '83.

[TheMightyM]

RUMOR: St. Pete to be delayed to April 18, Barber either moves either up or back a week. Video source here.