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IndyCar
INDYCAR: Bernard’s $20M Gamble
Randy Bernard just learned keeping secrets in auto racing might be harder than hanging onto a Brahma bull for eight seconds and Bruton Smith likes to give interviews.
Robin Miller  |  Posted May 13, 2010   Indianapolis, IN
There weren't many smiles at the IZOD IndyCar Series headquarters on Thursday when the plan series CEO Randy Bernard secretly hatched broke cover ahead of schedule. (LAT)
Randy Bernard learned a couple of valuable lessons Thursday: keeping secrets in auto racing might be harder than hanging onto a Brahma bull for eight seconds and Bruton Smith likes to give interviews.

The new CEO of IndyCar, who came up with the idea two months ago of a proposed doubleheader with Charlotte that would pay $20 million to any driver winning the Indy 500 and Coca-Cola 600 on the same day, was undoubtedly shocked to hear Smith broke the story on Thursday.

One, because Bernard thought they had an agreement to keep it quiet until later this month when there would be a dual press conference in Indy and Charlotte with drivers from both series.

And two because it’s not a done deal just yet and IMS owner Mari Hulman George has yet to sign off on it.

“I want to do some things to shake up the world of racing and all boats rise on a high tide,” said Bernard a few days ago when privately discussing his plan.

Smith, who owns Charlotte Motor Speedway, was speaking to SPEED’s Wendy Venturini on Thursday’s edition of Race Hub, when he prematurely revealed what could make the biggest day in motorsports even larger.

Venturini: “Charlotte Motor Speedway, you guys are re-inventing the wheel here every year.”
SMITH: We do, we do…. we want to surprise the fans. Every time they come, we want them to say, ‘Wow, I didn’t know about that.’ I’m working on something now that I thought would be great, for say, next year. And that is, maybe we’ll do something that would cause drivers to get more interested in running (the Indianapolis 500) and then coming here… driving 1,100 miles of racing. It would take a Superman-type of driver to (win both events).

Venturini: “I thought the reason some of the drivers backed away from doing (both events) was ….I don’t know….a conflict of the (start) times.”
SMITH: I’ve talked to Indianapolis and they would start their race at 11 o’clock … we’d have a jet waiting for the drivers. They’d land right here. We’d helicopter them to the track and they’d have ample time before they had to get in their cars to win the 600. So, we have five or six drivers that could accomplish (winning both events on the same day).”

Venturini: “That sounds like a cool plan.”
SMITH: “Maybe we could cause that to happen and for the driver that wins both events, some huge award, like $20 million … that would get people’s attention wouldn’t it?”

Tony Stewart, Robby Gordon and John Andretti have done the double in the past, none with much success, but it’s impossible nowadays because Indy doesn’t take the green flag until 1 p.m.

Besides the time, the other major obstacle at the moment would appear to be Honda, which powers the entire Indy 500 lineup and has no associations in NASCAR. Hard to imagine a Chevy or Ford driver being allowed to drive a Honda.

Bernard, who was flying to Pueblo, Colorado to be inducted to the Professional Bull Riders Hall of Fame, and couldn’t be reached for comment, met with Smith recently to discuss this joint venture.

Smith told Bernard he was courting four or five big NASCAR names to partake in the double. Kyle and Kurt Busch, Kasey Kahne, Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Kevin Harvick have all previously stated they’d like to give Indy a try with the proper equipment and time to test.








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