Round 4: Grand Prix of Indianapolis, 8 - 10 May, 2014

[Hendrix]

This would have been a way better race if Indy did a better job with cautions and restarts.

Still, nice job by Simon.

[Matt]

Originally Posted by FordCosworthPanoz

I'd guess 10-20,000 when looking at Grand Am and MotoGP comparisons to today's crowds as those two series actually give out figures.

I'd say more than that. Oval T1 and the stands around oval T4/chute/to just before road course T1 were jammed...plus the infield.

[Lanky Turtle]

Motorsport reports Hinchcliffe has a concussion from being hit by debris.

[bjohnsonsmith]

Originally Posted by Matt

I'd say more than that. Oval T1 and the stands around oval T4/chute/to just before road course T1 were jammed...plus the infield.

I don't get why the start/finish line stand opposite the pits was so empty. Maybe it's undergoing a re-furb before the 500?

Otherwise, potentially the best seats in the house.

[NaBUru38]

Originally Posted by bjohnsonsmith

I don't get why the start/finish line stand opposite the pits was so empty. Maybe it's undergoing a re-furb before the 500?

Otherwise, potentially the best seats in the house.

The frontstretch grandstands were empty because they were closed. Im sure that lots of people would have liked to watch the race start and pitlane action.

But I guess that the IMS bosses preferred fans to see cars breaking and turning, to show them what road courses are like. It's not a bad idea. I hope that more grandstands are opened next year.

Originally Posted by bjohnsonsmith

Overall I don't think it was too bad a race

I'm fine with races decided by fuel strategy. It's not jsut radio call, but driving. Pagenaud managed to drive fast and efficiently. His drive was way greener that F1.

But I was very disappointed by the lack of slipstreaming and overtakes. I still enjoyed the race, but it was far from thrilling during the middle stints.

[NaBUru38]

ESPN didn't have the race in any of its three channels in the Southern Cone. So I tuned the ESPN Play streaming website. The image froze a little every few seconds, but the resolution and audio were perfect. And there were no ads, the track feed was on the whole time.

[bjohnsonsmith]

Originally Posted by NaBUru38

The frontstretch grandstands were empty because they were closed. Im sure that lots of people would have liked to watch the race start and pitlane action.

But I guess that the IMS bosses preferred fans to see cars breaking and turning, to show them what road courses are like. It's not a bad idea. I hope that more grandstands are opened next year.



I'm fine with races decided by fuel strategy. It's not jsut radio call, but driving. Pagenaud managed to drive fast and efficiently. His drive was way greener that F1.

But I was very disappointed by the lack of slipstreaming and overtakes. I still enjoyed the race, but it was far from thrilling during the middle stints.

What track would choose to close the main straight? This is where the race starts and finishes, plus you get to see all the pit action.

Maybe, they couldn't sell as many seats as they would have liked, so packed the infield instead?

[NaBUru38]

"An incident-filled race was watched by a respectable crowd of approximately 21,700 fans.", David Malsher reports...

[Paradise City]

Far too eventful for Montoya. Well done Pagenaud.

[D.R.T.]

Originally Posted by bjohnsonsmith

Maybe, they couldn't sell as many seats as they would have liked, so packed the infield instead?

By all reports the crowd exceeded expectations.

It looked like some of the top tier was open - I presume you can see some of the backstretch from the top tier?

[bjohnsonsmith]

Originally Posted by Lanky Turtle

Motorsport reports Hinchcliffe has a concussion from being hit by debris.

More here:

http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/113897

[FordCosworthPanoz]

Originally Posted by NaBUru38

"An incident-filled race was watched by a respectable crowd of approximately 21,700 fans.", David Malsher reports...

My estimation was close...

[FordCosworthPanoz]

Originally Posted by bjohnsonsmith

I don't get why the start/finish line stand opposite the pits was so empty. Maybe it's undergoing a re-furb before the 500?

Otherwise, potentially the best seats in the house.

Start finish line seats except for the "Paddock Stand" were not for sale so IMS could make the relatively small crowd look better by packing them towards oval turns 1 and 4.

[bjohnsonsmith]

Originally Posted by FordCosworthPanoz

Start finish line seats except for the "Paddock Stand" were not for sale so IMS could make the relatively small crowd look better by packing them towards oval turns 1 and 4.

Not wanting to come across as a complete cynic but that did cross my mind.

[FordCosworthPanoz]

Originally Posted by bjohnsonsmith

Not wanting to come across as a complete cynic but that did cross my mind.

Common practice at racetracks, especially in the United States were TV matters significantly more than attendance. What your crowd looks like on television > What it actually is. You also get to save money on vending and stewards.

Which is why Indycar needs to be more worried about their pathetic TV numbers than attendance, especially with NASCAR coming to their cable network in 2015 and them being towards the end of their NBCSN contract.

[bjohnsonsmith]

Originally Posted by FordCosworthPanoz

Common practice at racetracks, especially in the United States were TV matters significantly more than attendance. What your crowd looks like on television > What it actually is. You also get to save money on vending and stewards.

Which is why Indycar needs to be more worried about their pathetic TV numbers than attendance, especially with NASCAR coming to their cable network in 2015 and them being towards the end of their NBCSN contract.

Well, if I were an advertising exec for a sponsor, existing or potential and watched yesterdays race on TV, I wouldn't have been that impressed.

If the saving on vending and stewards is part of the thinking behind, then I think it's a false economy and is reflective of how out of touch the IRL is.

[Hendrix]

I don't know why they didn't do a "buy 1 get 1" promo and let anyone with a 500 ticket in free, it would have probably benefited both races.

[D.R.T.]

Originally Posted by bjohnsonsmith

Well, if I were an advertising exec for a sponsor, existing or potential and watched yesterdays race on TV, I wouldn't have been that impressed.

Really?

The event seems to have exceeded year 1 crowd expectations, a decent enough race - I think if you were a sponsor (with perspective on Indycar) I think you would be happy with the event as addition to the package.

Any word of tv number for the event?

[bjohnsonsmith]

Originally Posted by D.R.T.

Really?

The event seems to have exceeded year 1 crowd expectations, a decent enough race - I think if you were a sponsor (with perspective on Indycar) I think you would be happy with the event as addition to the package.

Any word of tv number for the event?

What was the year 1 crowd expectation?

I'd like to see the TV viewing figures.

[D.R.T.]

I believe when the event was launched they had said that in year 1 - 10 to 15,000 was the target.

No confirmation of numbers - but this interview with Miles after the weekends race explains Indycar's feelings about the race and the motivation of holding it now and into the future.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nJMXFhdcbQI

[JHamilton]

What happened to Hawksworth?

[rwintle]

Originally Posted by JHamilton

What happened to Hawksworth?

I'm wondering that too. Only saw the race on re-broadcast here. Hawksworth was leading, cut to commercial, suddenly he's in 9th or something, no explanation. I presume pit strategy but I really don't know.

Otherwise, I found that a surprisingly entertaining race. No, there wasn't a ton of passing, and the incidents marred it for me (especially the start - I generally have no use for Saavedra but he deserved better). The fuel strategy was a bit irritating with so many drivers needing to pit for a late splash. But overall... not bad entertainment. And very happy for Pagenaud, he seemed genuinely tickled pink to have a win at IMS. No secret he really, really wants an Indy 500 win.

[bjohnsonsmith]

Originally Posted by JHamilton

What happened to Hawksworth?

The Autosport race report explains what happened to Hawksworth.

http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/113896

Though basically Hawksworth and Pagenaud pitted during the yellow after Dixon went off and Pagenaud got out of the pits ahead of Hawsworth, who then got bogged down in traffic, with different cars on different strategies.

[Nikki Katz]

It wasn't bad but the headline <insert random driver name> wins chaotic race is becoming irritating. I'm all for standing starts but they need to get the technology right first. And those restarts were ridiculous. I don't often agree with rahal jr but he's right, you can't have single seater cars starting that close to each other, this isn't nascar, there'll be an accident.

[rwintle]

Originally Posted by bjohnsonsmith

The Autosport race report explains what happened to Hawksworth.

http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/113896

Though basically Hawksworth and Pagenaud pitted during the yellow after Dixon went off and Pagenaud got out of the pits ahead of Hawsworth, who then got bogged down in traffic, with different cars on different strategies.

Thanks for that.