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IndyCar
MILLER: Naptime in the Heartland
After a follow-the-leader event at Long Beach, Robin Miller asks why the IndyCar Series is so fond of cookie cutter ISC tracks with empty grandstands like Kansas.
The small crowd that came out to watch the 'snoozefest' at Kansas weren't treated to much excitement. (LAT)
With about 10 laps remaining in the recent Long Beach Grand Prix, one of the Indy Racing League's radio network reporters summed up his first visit to the LBGP: "It's a helluva event and a great crowd but what a boring race."
That was an accurate assessment because the most successful street race on the planet is usually pretty much follow-the-leader without a lot of passing.
Kinda like last Sunday's snoozer at Kansas Speedway.
But, unlike Long Beach, it didn't have a crowd or an atmosphere or anything resembling a big event feeling.
Just how ISC likes it.
To be fair, the wicked weather and gloomy forecast certainly helped keep the casual fan at home as this is one of those package deals where you buy a season ticket to get a NASCAR seat and they throw in the IndyCar race like a T-shirt or a coffee mug at an NBA game.
And starting a race at 4 o'clock on a Sunday afternoon is also recipe for empty seats. Especially when there's nothing on the track except hot dog wrappers for four hours prior to the green flag.
Still, the place doesn't appear to half full on a nice day either so the reality remains: the Indy 500 is still king of all ovals but NASCAR rules when it comes to turning left.
The IRL picked its poison a long time ago when it needed tracks so it partnered with International Speedway Corporation (aka the France family). Lack of promotion and interest killed Phoenix, Fontana and Michigan, while Chicago and K.C. still slog along playing second fiddle to NASCAR trucks and Homestead remains on the schedule only because of the climate.
It's a flawed partnership at best, as evidenced by IndyCar being offered a Thursday night date to return to Phoenix during the Cup weekend.
Of course from the ISC perspective it's win-win. The season ticket package is perfect because if a third of the Cup zealots show up for the IndyCar race, the concession sales are gravy. And why bother promoting something that's already a "sellout?"
No, having IndyCars to fill up the schedule is good business for ISC, certainly better than trying to get 25,000 to show up for a Grand Am race.
The one saving grace from the IRL's perspective had been the breathtaking finishes at most of these 1.5-mile and 2-mile ovals. No less than 10 races were decided by a few feet at the checkered flag.
Ah, but no longer. Other than Graham Rahal picking off four places, the closing 25 laps was a procession with the first five cars equally spaced and never gaining on each other. There were a couple passes using the outside during the race but hugging the white line is now unbeatable on these cookie cutter ISC tracks.
"What happened to all the side-by-side racing, we haven't changed the cars in five years?," wondered Kyle Moyer, the general manager for Andretti-Green Racing. "All the cars are so close because everyone has figured out how to race with these rules."
Moyer suggests IndyCar go to a single element rear wing like the ones used at Indianapolis. "That's why everyone loves Indy, the driver has to be brave, the car has to be good and it's a full team effort."
Veteran engineer John Dick, who is taking care of Paul Tracy next month at IMS, said with all the downforce and the lack of horsepower, it should still be a wild west show on wheels.
"These things should be stuck and should be three wide but they're slipping and sliding because you have to make them neutral or loose to be fast and then they can't run behind anybody.
"I also think if the tires had more grip it could make for better racing but I'm not sure the IRL wants big pack racing anymore."
Dick also applauds a move to the single element rear wing. "We'd be going faster but the drivers would have to lift and that would create some instant separation and passing."
Many of the veteran drivers agree the racing is worse on the mile-and-a-halfs and that's because the cars are more unpredictable.
"It's a lot more difficult to run by myself now and more scary than when we ran three wide into a turn at Texas," said Tony Kanaan, whose bravery on an oval has never been challenged. "I guess my question is what did we change? I know the cars are heavier and that's for our protection but something has happened.
"I think we need more downforce to run that second lane on those tracks."
Another driver said the easiest solution is to quit running Chicago, Kentucky, Homestead and Kansas City and try to win back the crowd at Phoenix, Milwaukee and maybe Loudon. All places that require lifting, braking and driving -- and reward talent and teamwork instead of how much you spend in the wind tunnel.
It's not like IndyCar would be missed at any of those places either.
That was an accurate assessment because the most successful street race on the planet is usually pretty much follow-the-leader without a lot of passing.
Kinda like last Sunday's snoozer at Kansas Speedway.
But, unlike Long Beach, it didn't have a crowd or an atmosphere or anything resembling a big event feeling.
Just how ISC likes it.
To be fair, the wicked weather and gloomy forecast certainly helped keep the casual fan at home as this is one of those package deals where you buy a season ticket to get a NASCAR seat and they throw in the IndyCar race like a T-shirt or a coffee mug at an NBA game.
And starting a race at 4 o'clock on a Sunday afternoon is also recipe for empty seats. Especially when there's nothing on the track except hot dog wrappers for four hours prior to the green flag.
Still, the place doesn't appear to half full on a nice day either so the reality remains: the Indy 500 is still king of all ovals but NASCAR rules when it comes to turning left.
The IRL picked its poison a long time ago when it needed tracks so it partnered with International Speedway Corporation (aka the France family). Lack of promotion and interest killed Phoenix, Fontana and Michigan, while Chicago and K.C. still slog along playing second fiddle to NASCAR trucks and Homestead remains on the schedule only because of the climate.
It's a flawed partnership at best, as evidenced by IndyCar being offered a Thursday night date to return to Phoenix during the Cup weekend.
Of course from the ISC perspective it's win-win. The season ticket package is perfect because if a third of the Cup zealots show up for the IndyCar race, the concession sales are gravy. And why bother promoting something that's already a "sellout?"
No, having IndyCars to fill up the schedule is good business for ISC, certainly better than trying to get 25,000 to show up for a Grand Am race.
The one saving grace from the IRL's perspective had been the breathtaking finishes at most of these 1.5-mile and 2-mile ovals. No less than 10 races were decided by a few feet at the checkered flag.
Ah, but no longer. Other than Graham Rahal picking off four places, the closing 25 laps was a procession with the first five cars equally spaced and never gaining on each other. There were a couple passes using the outside during the race but hugging the white line is now unbeatable on these cookie cutter ISC tracks.
"What happened to all the side-by-side racing, we haven't changed the cars in five years?," wondered Kyle Moyer, the general manager for Andretti-Green Racing. "All the cars are so close because everyone has figured out how to race with these rules."
Moyer suggests IndyCar go to a single element rear wing like the ones used at Indianapolis. "That's why everyone loves Indy, the driver has to be brave, the car has to be good and it's a full team effort."
Veteran engineer John Dick, who is taking care of Paul Tracy next month at IMS, said with all the downforce and the lack of horsepower, it should still be a wild west show on wheels.
"These things should be stuck and should be three wide but they're slipping and sliding because you have to make them neutral or loose to be fast and then they can't run behind anybody.
"I also think if the tires had more grip it could make for better racing but I'm not sure the IRL wants big pack racing anymore."
Dick also applauds a move to the single element rear wing. "We'd be going faster but the drivers would have to lift and that would create some instant separation and passing."
Many of the veteran drivers agree the racing is worse on the mile-and-a-halfs and that's because the cars are more unpredictable.
"It's a lot more difficult to run by myself now and more scary than when we ran three wide into a turn at Texas," said Tony Kanaan, whose bravery on an oval has never been challenged. "I guess my question is what did we change? I know the cars are heavier and that's for our protection but something has happened.
"I think we need more downforce to run that second lane on those tracks."
Another driver said the easiest solution is to quit running Chicago, Kentucky, Homestead and Kansas City and try to win back the crowd at Phoenix, Milwaukee and maybe Loudon. All places that require lifting, braking and driving -- and reward talent and teamwork instead of how much you spend in the wind tunnel.
It's not like IndyCar would be missed at any of those places either.
2013 INDY 500 Practice
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