Street & Smith's Sports Business Journal ran an article this week that discussed the problems the IndyCar Series is facing as they try to secure their next broadcast package. The short version is that the current ABC/ESPN deal expires after 2009, but ESPN gave permission to the IRL to seek an alternative a year early, though the current deal is notably still in force unless the IRL finds an alternative. The article lists ABC/ESPN and Fox Sports as being interested, but both currently want only the Indy 500. They don't want to pay for the remaining races.
First, there is the issue of what it means to broadcast. Are those networks saying that they only want to run the Indy 500 on broadcast network TV, with the remaining races relegated to ESPN or FX? If so, that's not nearly as terrible as some at first thought it was. If, however, they're saying that they only want the 500, period, and the IRL has to pay to get the rest on TV, well, that'd be bad. Very bad. Bad bad bad bad bad.
One alternative appears to be Versus, the cable channel that grew out of OLN, and broadcasts mixed martial arts, professional bull riding, the Tour de France, a variety of outdoor sporting shows (hunting and fishing), and more recently, the NHL. Yup, hockey. Yeah, it's still around. No, seriously!
My first reaction was horror. And I still would prefer a higher-profile alternative. But consider this. Versus is rapidly getting onto more and more cable packages. If they expect to have a similar coverage map as ESPN within a year, and are on basic cable, they might not be terrible. Their NHL broadcasts are generally very good, and they seem to promote the heck out of their sports.
At the same time, ESPN has in many ways jumped the shark, and crossed into the arena of pop culture. They are no longer just a sports broadcasting specialist. They are a "lifestyle network."
That doesn't mean that ESPN can't blanket America with promotion of their events, but it doesn't mean there's room out there for a network that wants to focus more on the sport, and less on the fist-bumping announcers.
I personally hope a title sponsor comes on board, making the IndyCar Series suddenly more attractive to a broadcaster, but if the worst happens, I don't think Versus would be as bad an option as some might think.
Tuesday, July 29, 2008
Sunday, July 27, 2008
Long Layoffs Between Posts
Yeah, it's been a while since I've posted. Sorry. My laptop died, and I was trying to figure out what I wanted to do to replace it. The answer, by the way, was a MacBook. But I'm back, and my goal is to post weekly for now, on Mondays, discussing the weekend's racing. So hopefully, I'll be able to stick to that schedule!
The Brickyard 400: An Exercise in Changing Tires
I watched the Brickyard 400 today. I guess we now know the answer to the question, "How do you ruin a race at Indy?" You bring a tire that can't go more than 15 laps without blowing up. Yeah. Good times. I can totally see why NASCAR is the #1 auto racing series in America.
Here's a word of advice: Wider tires!
A 3500 lb. stock car, on a relatively flat track, with tires that can't take it, make for really boring racing. How bad was it? NASCAR's President came on the broadcast to answer questions. After the race, drivers were apologizing. Yeah. Great times.
The last 10 laps were a saving grace. A nice run to the finish between Jimmie Johnson and Carl Edwards. Watching them snake in and out down the backstretch reminded me for a moment of Little Al and Scott Goodyear in 1992. It was actually a great sequence. Too bad it took 5 hours to get there.
Here's a word of advice: Wider tires!
A 3500 lb. stock car, on a relatively flat track, with tires that can't take it, make for really boring racing. How bad was it? NASCAR's President came on the broadcast to answer questions. After the race, drivers were apologizing. Yeah. Great times.
The last 10 laps were a saving grace. A nice run to the finish between Jimmie Johnson and Carl Edwards. Watching them snake in and out down the backstretch reminded me for a moment of Little Al and Scott Goodyear in 1992. It was actually a great sequence. Too bad it took 5 hours to get there.
Thursday, June 5, 2008
Ovals and IndyCar Racing
I've been thinking a lot lately about the kinds of tracks that make for successful Indy car events.
It's pretty clear that the biggest change next year (the first schedule to be organized after unification) will be more street races, and maybe a new road course or two. Toronto, Edmonton, Long Beach, and Surfers all will be on the schedule. Portland and Road America seem to have some strong support. New Hampshire has expressed an interest in revisiting the matter, which would add another oval. Clearly they can't all make it, without an existing track being dropped, since that would leave a 24-race schedule. While I'd love to see it, there's a real risk of growing too quickly, and financially breaking some teams. So by 2010, the only safe bet is that the schedule will look very, very different from the one we've gotten to know these last few years.
This brought me back to comments Gordon Kirby made in a column during the unification watch. The short version is that several notable open-wheelers, including Mario Andretti, think the ideal schedule should be three 500-mile oval races on big tracks, a mix of smaller, flatter ovals (think Phoenix and Milwaukee), and a mix of street and road races. I tend to agree that while high-banked speedways product great pack racing and three-wide fun, they're also way more dangerous than any other track Indy cars might run. Texas is a great example. I can understand the fan appeal, and having one such track provides a good test for the crew, but these tracks need to be limited. The basic problem Kirby sees is that there are plenty of street races and road courses that can be great additions to the schedule, but finding ovals that can be exciting, safe, and profitable is difficult.
I thought about the 500-mile races. Indy is the cornerstone of the schedule. I would also love to see California (Auto Club Speedway) return to the schedule for a 500, perhaps as a season finale. In fact, Terry Blount mentioned in a column that NASCAR is considering swapping races among California, Atlanta, and Talladega, notably involving the Labor Day date. If California loses the Labor Day date, it really brings into question whether the track can justify two NASCAR dates. The southwest is traditionally friendly to Indy car racing. If NASCAR yanks one of those dates, say for Kentucky, might an Indy date suddenly seem more attractive?
That leaves a third date. While Pocono still draws well, there has been talk of shortening the Cup races from 500 to 400 miles, since the slower speeds as compared to other 500-milers leads to races that border on interminable. I don't think Pocono is about to lose a Cup date, but it's also one of the few tracks left that isn't owned by ISC or SMI. Indy cars used to run there, in a 500-miler. It's a much flatter track that other big NASCAR tracks, and its layout (triangle with three distinct corners) makes it a new challenge for teams when trying to nail a setup. CART originally left over a dispute about the racing surface and walls, but NASCAR has forced the track to solve most of those problems - SAFER barriers at all corners, etc. A little searching online produced this article from 1989, which foreshadowed CART leaving the track. Incidentally, it sounds like Pocono was already toying with the idea that would later become the SAFER barrier. Weird! Could Pocono work now for Indy cars? I don't know, but I'd love to find out.
As for other ovals, Phoenix must be brought back, and Milwaukee has to remain on the schedule. I'd add New Hampshire, which would also put Indy into a market that hasn't whole-heartedly bought the NASCAR bill of goods. Motegi works, too, though that flight to Japan and the time-delayed TV slot make it problematic. Texas draws very well, and the promoter, Eddie Gossage, has been a loyal support of the IRL. While high-banked speedways are less than ideal, keeping one is probably a good bet. That's seven ovals, eight if you include Motegi. I'd also love to see Indy cars at Michigan again, perhaps for a 400-miler. That would be nine. I fully realize that Phoenix and Michigan have the same problem as California - they're effectively owned by NASCAR. I'm not saying I have a grand plan that is guaranteed to work. I'm just proposing an ideal target, and the kind of schedule I'd love to watch. They could add two more from Nashville, Kentucky, Iowa, Kansas, Richmond, Chicagoland, and Homestead. That would make up half of a 20 or 22 race schedule. It would provide a mix of ovals that genuinely all bring something different to the table. It would also put the IndyCar Series into several markets where NASCAR has not made the inroads it has elsewhere.
I realize there are obstacles. I do. Not all of these tracks can be brought onboard, and certainly not in the next two years. But long-term, these tracks are the mix of ovals that could really show off the very best of Indy car racing tradition.
It's pretty clear that the biggest change next year (the first schedule to be organized after unification) will be more street races, and maybe a new road course or two. Toronto, Edmonton, Long Beach, and Surfers all will be on the schedule. Portland and Road America seem to have some strong support. New Hampshire has expressed an interest in revisiting the matter, which would add another oval. Clearly they can't all make it, without an existing track being dropped, since that would leave a 24-race schedule. While I'd love to see it, there's a real risk of growing too quickly, and financially breaking some teams. So by 2010, the only safe bet is that the schedule will look very, very different from the one we've gotten to know these last few years.
This brought me back to comments Gordon Kirby made in a column during the unification watch. The short version is that several notable open-wheelers, including Mario Andretti, think the ideal schedule should be three 500-mile oval races on big tracks, a mix of smaller, flatter ovals (think Phoenix and Milwaukee), and a mix of street and road races. I tend to agree that while high-banked speedways product great pack racing and three-wide fun, they're also way more dangerous than any other track Indy cars might run. Texas is a great example. I can understand the fan appeal, and having one such track provides a good test for the crew, but these tracks need to be limited. The basic problem Kirby sees is that there are plenty of street races and road courses that can be great additions to the schedule, but finding ovals that can be exciting, safe, and profitable is difficult.
I thought about the 500-mile races. Indy is the cornerstone of the schedule. I would also love to see California (Auto Club Speedway) return to the schedule for a 500, perhaps as a season finale. In fact, Terry Blount mentioned in a column that NASCAR is considering swapping races among California, Atlanta, and Talladega, notably involving the Labor Day date. If California loses the Labor Day date, it really brings into question whether the track can justify two NASCAR dates. The southwest is traditionally friendly to Indy car racing. If NASCAR yanks one of those dates, say for Kentucky, might an Indy date suddenly seem more attractive?
That leaves a third date. While Pocono still draws well, there has been talk of shortening the Cup races from 500 to 400 miles, since the slower speeds as compared to other 500-milers leads to races that border on interminable. I don't think Pocono is about to lose a Cup date, but it's also one of the few tracks left that isn't owned by ISC or SMI. Indy cars used to run there, in a 500-miler. It's a much flatter track that other big NASCAR tracks, and its layout (triangle with three distinct corners) makes it a new challenge for teams when trying to nail a setup. CART originally left over a dispute about the racing surface and walls, but NASCAR has forced the track to solve most of those problems - SAFER barriers at all corners, etc. A little searching online produced this article from 1989, which foreshadowed CART leaving the track. Incidentally, it sounds like Pocono was already toying with the idea that would later become the SAFER barrier. Weird! Could Pocono work now for Indy cars? I don't know, but I'd love to find out.
As for other ovals, Phoenix must be brought back, and Milwaukee has to remain on the schedule. I'd add New Hampshire, which would also put Indy into a market that hasn't whole-heartedly bought the NASCAR bill of goods. Motegi works, too, though that flight to Japan and the time-delayed TV slot make it problematic. Texas draws very well, and the promoter, Eddie Gossage, has been a loyal support of the IRL. While high-banked speedways are less than ideal, keeping one is probably a good bet. That's seven ovals, eight if you include Motegi. I'd also love to see Indy cars at Michigan again, perhaps for a 400-miler. That would be nine. I fully realize that Phoenix and Michigan have the same problem as California - they're effectively owned by NASCAR. I'm not saying I have a grand plan that is guaranteed to work. I'm just proposing an ideal target, and the kind of schedule I'd love to watch. They could add two more from Nashville, Kentucky, Iowa, Kansas, Richmond, Chicagoland, and Homestead. That would make up half of a 20 or 22 race schedule. It would provide a mix of ovals that genuinely all bring something different to the table. It would also put the IndyCar Series into several markets where NASCAR has not made the inroads it has elsewhere.
I realize there are obstacles. I do. Not all of these tracks can be brought onboard, and certainly not in the next two years. But long-term, these tracks are the mix of ovals that could really show off the very best of Indy car racing tradition.
Sunday, June 1, 2008
Pressdog Interviews Rick Mears
Pressdog is in Milwaukee, as mentioned previously. He somehow managed to snag an interview with Rick Mears! I can't wait to read it. Mears is one of my racing heroes.
My Name is IRL recently posted a comparison of Mears and this year's Indy champion,
Scott Dixon. It's an interesting comparison. I have trouble comparing current drivers to stars of the past, since today's stars started racing at a top level at such a young age. Graham Rahal was in a champ car at 19. Bobby Rahal was in an Indycar in his late twenties, after attending college and working his way up. With unification, and a strong feeder series in Indy Lights, it will be interesting to see if there are fewer 19 year old drivers five years from now. A guy like J.R. Hildebrand, who has shown serious pace this season, might have to wait a few years before getting into a fill-time IndyCar ride. That's not necessarily a bad thing - it just makes different eras difficult to compare. Either way, I think Dixon has a lot in common with Mears, and I think he's a great Indy champion. I like drivers that don't leave me with lots of BS to excuse in order to like them. That's why I'm a Jimmie Johnson fan, and not, say, a Kyle Busch fan.
So keep an eye out for Pressdog's interview. It should be a good read. Pressdog keeps it light and fun, which is all too rare in sports reporting today.
My Name is IRL recently posted a comparison of Mears and this year's Indy champion,
Scott Dixon. It's an interesting comparison. I have trouble comparing current drivers to stars of the past, since today's stars started racing at a top level at such a young age. Graham Rahal was in a champ car at 19. Bobby Rahal was in an Indycar in his late twenties, after attending college and working his way up. With unification, and a strong feeder series in Indy Lights, it will be interesting to see if there are fewer 19 year old drivers five years from now. A guy like J.R. Hildebrand, who has shown serious pace this season, might have to wait a few years before getting into a fill-time IndyCar ride. That's not necessarily a bad thing - it just makes different eras difficult to compare. Either way, I think Dixon has a lot in common with Mears, and I think he's a great Indy champion. I like drivers that don't leave me with lots of BS to excuse in order to like them. That's why I'm a Jimmie Johnson fan, and not, say, a Kyle Busch fan.
So keep an eye out for Pressdog's interview. It should be a good read. Pressdog keeps it light and fun, which is all too rare in sports reporting today.
Saturday, May 31, 2008
Milwaukee Qualifying
Qualifying is in the books. The front row has some name recognition, alright.
Marco Andretti just beat out Graham Rahal to put it in the front of the field. Andretti was the next to last qualifier of the day. Well then.
As I'm sure you'll hear repeatedly tomorrow, the last time an Andretti and a Rahal shared the front row in an IndyCar race? New Hampshire in 1992.
Congratulations to both of them. That's a great sign for the Series.
Will Power, my pick for the win, qualified fourth, alongside Scott Dixon.
Vitor Meira tagged the wall, unfortunately, and Panther is working to put the car back together. Because he didn't log a qualification attempt, Meira will start from the back, which means something this year, with 26 cars. On a one-mile track, Vitor will have to hustle early to avoid getting lapped. As the guys at Trackside Online mentioned earlier today, the tail end of the field will start the race almost half a lap behind the leaders. They also said that some timely cautions early will be key. With this field, I somehow don't think that'll be a problem.
Oh, and Marty Roth will miss the race. He crashed in practice, and they just won't be able to rebuild the car in time for the race. Hence 26 cars instead of 27.
My Name is IRL has a post about it, and he lists Roth's finishes so far this year. It ain't pretty.
A lot of people have wondered why Marty doesn't step out of the car and focus on building the team, running Jay Howard and John Andretti full-time. The short answer is that Marty Roth has worked hard to achieve some financial freedom in his life, and it's his car, so if he wants to race, he will. The unspoken part of that answer is that we can't be sure Marty would want to run a team at all, if he can't race.
I personally think that Marty is building the team as a way to stay in racing long-term, and this season (and maybe next season) is his last go-around as a driver. And you know what? Good for him. I'm a capitalist by nature, and Marty broke his ass to build the kind of success that allows him to chase a dream race fans everywhere share. And when push came to shove at Indy, facing elimination on Bump Day, Marty went out and somehow found 3+ mph to make the field. He won me over a little bit, right there. Long term, I hope he steps aside at some point, and focuses on building the team as an owner. John Andretti and Jay Howard in 2009, with Marty in a third car at Indy, seems like a great step for the future. Until then, here's to Marty. Livin' the dream, man.
Marco Andretti just beat out Graham Rahal to put it in the front of the field. Andretti was the next to last qualifier of the day. Well then.
As I'm sure you'll hear repeatedly tomorrow, the last time an Andretti and a Rahal shared the front row in an IndyCar race? New Hampshire in 1992.
Congratulations to both of them. That's a great sign for the Series.
Will Power, my pick for the win, qualified fourth, alongside Scott Dixon.
Vitor Meira tagged the wall, unfortunately, and Panther is working to put the car back together. Because he didn't log a qualification attempt, Meira will start from the back, which means something this year, with 26 cars. On a one-mile track, Vitor will have to hustle early to avoid getting lapped. As the guys at Trackside Online mentioned earlier today, the tail end of the field will start the race almost half a lap behind the leaders. They also said that some timely cautions early will be key. With this field, I somehow don't think that'll be a problem.
Oh, and Marty Roth will miss the race. He crashed in practice, and they just won't be able to rebuild the car in time for the race. Hence 26 cars instead of 27.
My Name is IRL has a post about it, and he lists Roth's finishes so far this year. It ain't pretty.
A lot of people have wondered why Marty doesn't step out of the car and focus on building the team, running Jay Howard and John Andretti full-time. The short answer is that Marty Roth has worked hard to achieve some financial freedom in his life, and it's his car, so if he wants to race, he will. The unspoken part of that answer is that we can't be sure Marty would want to run a team at all, if he can't race.
I personally think that Marty is building the team as a way to stay in racing long-term, and this season (and maybe next season) is his last go-around as a driver. And you know what? Good for him. I'm a capitalist by nature, and Marty broke his ass to build the kind of success that allows him to chase a dream race fans everywhere share. And when push came to shove at Indy, facing elimination on Bump Day, Marty went out and somehow found 3+ mph to make the field. He won me over a little bit, right there. Long term, I hope he steps aside at some point, and focuses on building the team as an owner. John Andretti and Jay Howard in 2009, with Marty in a third car at Indy, seems like a great step for the future. Until then, here's to Marty. Livin' the dream, man.
The Milwaukee Mile
The IndyCar Series hits Milwaukee this weekend, coming off the 500. I happen to love Milwaukee, since it's relatively flat, and requires real car control. Much like Indy, it drives like a simple road course. This year, it also helps that the Champ Car teams have raced there recently. While some of the drivers haven't, most of the teams have, and the IRL scheduled additional rookie practice time this weekend, in a continuing effort to get the incoming teams up to speed sooner rather than later.
A few things I'll be watching this weekend:
My Name is IRL has a great cheat sheet for the race. He has Tony Kanaan as the favorite. Seems like a good bet.
The Pressdog is attending the race, his second race of the year (Kansas). Lucky fella. I hope he enjoys a brat with mustard and onions and a good dark beer. Heck, it's Milwaukee. Do they even let you in the city without giving you a pork product of some kind?
Incidentally, the two blogs referenced above - Pressdog and My Name is IRL - are great. If you're looking for another take on IndyCar news, check them out.
So, my prediction? Will Power. Yup.
A few things I'll be watching this weekend:
- The stands. Yup, the crowd. The IRL is working on the 2009 schedule right now, and the crowd this weekend will help determine whether Milwaukee, which has struggled to draw a big crowd recently, remains on the schedule going forward.
- Ryan Briscoe. His rough season with Ganassi a few years ago was supposed to be a faded memory. He's had bad luck this season, getting caught up in a few incidents that weren't really his fault. Then, at Indy, he provoked the wrath of the driver scorned when he hung out the tail while exiting his pit box, and punted Danica Patrick, ending her day (and his). I won't go on about Patrick's march down pit lane - it's all be said on all sides. The silly season rumors have already started though, and fan speculation has everyone from Graham Rahal to Ryan Hunter-Reay to Vitor Meira to Buddy Rice to Tony Kanaan in the second Penske ride, perhaps as soon as later this season. I think Briscoe is safe for the rest of the season, if only because it's not that long a season. I continue to maintain that Briscoe is a talented driver, and maybe not getting yanked after a rough season might help him to develop that talent. The fact remains, however, that Briscoe needs to finish at Milwaukee, and finish well. I'd say a top-5 would be great, and a top-10 would be a good, solid building block.
- TK and Marco. Will either of them get caught up racing the other, and do something silly?
- Danica Patrick. Can she focus that bilious anger into a strong run at the Mile? If she can grab a second win this season, which would put her solidly into championship contention, the anchors on SportsCenter might actually explode mid-broadcast.
- KV Racing. Oriol Servia has had some success at the Mile, and so far, Will Power has been at or near the top of the speed chart in practice. It's an extreme long-shot, but what a win that would be.
- Newman Haas Lanigan. They consider Milwaukee their home race (since they don't have much if any history at Chicagoland). Rahal should be looking to make up for crashing out early at Indy. Wilson also had a solid run going in the 500, staying on the lead lap before spinning and hitting the wall. KV and NHL have the talent to join Penske, Ganassi, and AGR as the power teams in IndyCar, which would have half the field in cars with a chance to win - a big change over recent years.
- Vitor Meira. Was Panther's impressive run at Indy (Oh, what a pass!) a fluke brought on by lots of practice time an a familiarity with the track, or have they found something? They are supposedly running their Indy Lights driver Dillon Battistini for a few IndyCar races later this year. A strong run this weekend would be a big sign that Panther is a team on the rise.
- Rain at Dover. The Nationwide race was delayed today by rain. If the Cup race tomorrow is delayed a couple of hours, it'll start to bump up against the start of the IndyCar race. It could be interesting to see if any NASCAR fans flip channels during a delay.
My Name is IRL has a great cheat sheet for the race. He has Tony Kanaan as the favorite. Seems like a good bet.
The Pressdog is attending the race, his second race of the year (Kansas). Lucky fella. I hope he enjoys a brat with mustard and onions and a good dark beer. Heck, it's Milwaukee. Do they even let you in the city without giving you a pork product of some kind?
Incidentally, the two blogs referenced above - Pressdog and My Name is IRL - are great. If you're looking for another take on IndyCar news, check them out.
So, my prediction? Will Power. Yup.
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