Article in Car & Driver

[varsitypride3]

I hope this isn't a repost... the magazine it comes from is september 2003, from Brock Yates.

http://www.caranddriver.com/article....&page_number=1

In it, he discusses how the indy 500 has declined in ratings, entries, and goes and points out TG's league's problems, including their "all american" self-proclaimed status.

Interesting =)

[ringo-r]

Brock Yates wrote:
If I were Tony George (which I am not), I'd start all over with new, radical rules:


1. No spec chassis. If you can build it, run it.
2. Stock-block pushrod engines of 400 cubic inches allowed.
3. Front-engine cars, with a 200-pound weight advantage, are permitted.
4. Diesels are welcomed.
5. Alternative-fuel engines are welcomed.
6. Aerodynamics of all kinds are severely limited.

Wow, that's radical. I like it.
But... it's not just about the one race. It's about the series. What do you do with the rest of the races?

Is Brock saying Tony should throw in the towel? He should have done that a long time ago.

Brock Yates wrote:

This is of course the result of George's decision in 1994 to break away from CART (Championship Auto Racing Teams) and form the IRL (Indy Racing League). His intent, which I sympathized with, was to divest himself from the elitist clubbers of CART and their fascination with the European-style road-racing culture and return open-wheel racing to the grass roots from which the 500 had grown.

Elitist clubbers of CART? Fascination with the Euopean-style road-racing?

I don't think Mr. Yates gets it. CART had it all. Tony took away one leg of a 3-legged stool just because he didn't want to be just a leg. It left CART wobbly and the IRL unconfortable to sit on (if you catch my meaning).

I enjoyed the article. Thanks for posting it.

[dirtfan]

Brock Yates' "radical" car rules sound like a Supermod to me
European style road racing; F1 is a manufacturers series, the teams are the thing. Hardly anybody knew, or cared, who Parnelli, Mario, AJ, etc drove for. Bill France knew that American fans followed the drivers, and marketed it as such.
How come nobody remembers that it was Andrew There's-Nothing-Sacrosanct-About-Indy Craig who started the war by threatening to pull out of Indy?

[climb]

Mr Yates seems rather out of reality, IMO!
For instance, buiolding one's own chassis would make costs get higher and higher, and about safety, well, controls would be harder, wouldn't they.
Front engine/diesel: if I was a fan disgusted with Indy, would i change my mind just because they've changed engine position/fuel?
Let's be serious!
The Indy500 troubles depend on economic crisis, who killed the basis of one-race teams that enlarged entrants numbers for the race.
That's all.
When things will return to go well, entries and ratings at Indy will be good again.
Dirtfan: about mr. Craig attitude: you're right 1000%, and show a good memory [rare virtue, indeed ]

[varsitypride3]

So... the economy is to blame for lower attendance and ratings?

[climb]

varsity,
it cannot be excluded, and i'll make you some examples:
this year at Indy almost half of the grid was monopolized by the big teams: none of the others had real chances to fight for the milk bottle.
Moreover there was no bump-day.
On other races, for instance, the absence of a driver like Billy Boat may have alienated the interest of many people from Arizona, the same for Eddie Cheever/Colorado, etc.

When you have a perception of a low-level event, you're less stimulate to attend, unless you are a superfan..

This kind of scenario is, imho, far less attractive than another with full competition.

[Bob Riebe]

Originally posted by climb
Mr Yates seems rather out of reality, IMO!
For instance, buiolding one's own chassis would make costs get higher and higher, and about safety, well, controls would be harder, wouldn't they.
Front engine/diesel: if I was a fan disgusted with Indy, would i change my mind just because they've changed engine position/fuel?
Let's be serious!
The Indy500 troubles depend on economic crisis, who killed the basis of one-race teams that enlarged entrants numbers for the race.
That's all.
When things will return to go well, entries and ratings at Indy will be good again.
Dirtfan: about mr. Craig attitude: you're right 1000%, and show a good memory [rare virtue, indeed ]

Climb:
Variety was one of THE MAJOR drawing point of Indy for several decades.
George has shown himself to be a hypocrite by turning the IRL into another super controlled spec. series in which U.S. manufactures will have less interest as not even special versions of the street engines can compete, actually they are not even allowed.
CART is fomula Ford and IRL is formula George.

Yates has a good point.
Bob

[oily oaf]

Oil burners in IRL! They'll be getting 'em towing caravans next.

[gttouring]

of course formula ford always has the best racing, no matter how big the cars get

[type49]

Largely ignored in all of the "let us return to yesteryear" talk is the fact that the Speedway itself is making more money now than ever before. Boatloads. With the shrewd,cunning moves of offering other auto series the option of running at the "Worlds Palace Of Speed" and ticket bundles which have the effect of forcing attendance at IRL events if you want to get a coveted Nascar seat. This is all about business folks. Tony G (Pause for genuflection) can wait for the the crowds to come back. For now it is a fine developmental series, a talent showcase stepping stone for the up and comers and last chance for those no longer able to turn right and left.
You had better make hay while the sunshies however as the driving at times borders on...er.. desperate and the accident rate, while better than in years past, doesn't bode well for those wishing for longevity of career.
The hardcore will whine and moan but we will always be there to watch or listen because we yearn for that time when an actual "Race" breaks out...in either series. For the fan it is toss up. Cart and Irl both have their "signature" races early on (Long Beach and the 500) but from then on it is "wobbly".

[climb]

Bob,
surely you know indy's past better than me, but let me ask a question:
Was there, at the times you recall, such an interest/involvement from big engine global manufacturers?
Was there such an involvement of big sponsor companies?
Dunno, imo you are just "living your life in dreams of yesterday" (remember the song?).
I mean, if the aim of that article was to write a poem about good old times, ok, mr Yates has a point, but if we are talking about a way to sort the motorsport out of current crisis, well, we'd be a bit more realistic, and start from the present situation, instead of fancing an unexisting wonderland.
Things have (whether we like it or not) gone far, and bringing them back is pure fantasy imho.