Health of Indy, just scan the entry list

[Ziggy]

Tony George is on record a few years ago with a quote, champcar owners, there is a whole universe of them out there

The Indy 500 has just 16 teams. Some of the less successful teams will no doubt have a garage sale sometime between the second qualifying day and what used to be bump day. It will no doubt be renamed "Tony Day" as Mr George will no doubt have to open up the loan window and buy some Sprint Car drivers a car, never too be heard from again.

The Players
Menard
Penske
Panther
Foyt
Andretti/Green (Honda)
Kelley
Ganassi (Toyota)
Mo Nunn
Access
Rahal
PDM
Dreyer & Reinbold
Cheever
Beck
Fernandez
Hemelgarn

It is ironic that many are speaking of Beck Motorsports as being some sort of savior of the cause. This has always been a rent a ride, and no doubt a non factor, who the fans cant identify with, will be behind the wheel. Cheever, Dreyer/Reinbold, PDM and Menard all are Chevy powered. All but Menards are operating on a shoestring. Hey Eddie, most drivers worth their salt who have won the 500* retire after a few practice laps. Cheever did it at a press conference, right after he got off the phone with Red Bull who informed him they are giving the money to Danny Sullivan to buy sun tan oil in St Tropaz... more excitement! Take away Gil, Helio, Andretti,(and they took half away themselves) Dixon (oops) and Brack (he was close) and you really dont have much, do you?

It's no better on the CART side of things. They are running their series on 12 teams.

Weak, all the way around

Ziggy

[SteveH]

Where would the irl be today had CART not caved in?

[Railbird]

Where would the irl be today had CART not caved in?


Hell, where would CART be if most of the owners had not caved in? All CART had to do in 96 was plot their own course and stick to it. Indy was Indy, it was up to CART to find it's own identity.


Ziggy is absolutely correct though, the Indy entry list is pretty much a reflection on the current state of openwheel racing in America.

Going to a race in the last couple of years has kinda felt like partyin' with a friend that you know is dying.

[Ziggy]

The snowball effect continues. It is crazy. Talking with some friends today. We all know Steve Lewis spends enough on two and sometime's three Midgets to do an IRL car, and do it right. He wont, he is not in that business. He sells circle track parts to short trackers, or at least gets them together. Some of the longer running ChampDirt car teams would get in the IRL neighborhood budget wise. The racing does nothing for them. These are traditionalist/dirt track folks who dont care. This is not a slam on them at all. They pay to do what they enjoy, for whatever reason.

I think Tony had an idea that some of them would come over and try their hand at Pavement/Indycar racing. Im sure some of the WoO teams (at least five of them)spend enough, they were never interested either. The cost of IRL racing has shot through the roof as well. Nix that notion.

I never understood why they did not combine the point championship with the Silver Crown cars. This is a prefect set up, puts a gun to a few heads who could afford it. It makes sense, therefore, no one spotted it. No one will pay to see Son of what's his face run an IPS car. Sort like a Crapwagon, only more dull. I never paid a whole lot of attention to IndyLights myself, and I love racing. They were very dull, and never had more than two good cars at any given season. Steve Horne killed everyone, then went champcar racing. What ever happened to old Steve? He is a racer, He should be in CART. Sort of like Toyota Atlantics. It was always one team, racing the other team. One guy moved up the "ladder" and the rest faded into oblivion. (until the IRL came along of course) Now come full circle, and the havenot's neverwas are running CART cars?

WOW

Where is the ticket window?

Ziggy

[Kiwifan]

Ziggy, I heard an interview on (NZ) Radio Sport when the Aussie V8s were racing here and they had Steve on. From that interview I gathered he is still very interested in auto-racing. He was asked if he would like to go racing again and if so,where.

He said he had looked at the Aussie V8 series but he thought if he did get involved again it would possibly be in the States. I thought at the time that he may have been waiting to see if CART prevailed, remember the race was November last year. I still believe he is interested and cling to the hope we may see him back. It's nice to dream eh? ;)

Rusty.

[Hink]

Some really lucid posts in this one. Raibird's last line, Ziggy's info that they spend enough on the top dirt levels to race in the third string series at Indy, and thanks for the info on Steve Horne. I've been wondering what he's been up to for awhile.

[Napoleon]

Originally posted by Ziggy
What ever happened to old Steve? He is a racer, He should be in CART.

I remember one time before he exited Champcars, but while he was in between teams, seeing him working in the Truesports parts sales shack on the grounds of Mid Ohio. It just blew me away that I could have bought a roll of racer's tape from him.

[Racewriter]

Originally posted by Ziggy
The snowball effect continues. It is crazy. Talking with some friends today. We all know Steve Lewis spends enough on two and sometime's three Midgets to do an IRL car, and do it right. He wont, he is not in that business. He sells circle track parts to short trackers, or at least gets them together. Some of the longer running ChampDirt car teams would get in the IRL neighborhood budget wise. The racing does nothing for them. These are traditionalist/dirt track folks who dont care. This is not a slam on them at all. They pay to do what they enjoy, for whatever reason.

I think Tony had an idea that some of them would come over and try their hand at Pavement/Indycar racing. Im sure some of the WoO teams (at least five of them)spend enough, they were never interested either. The cost of IRL racing has shot through the roof as well. Nix that notion.

I never understood why they did not combine the point championship with the Silver Crown cars. This is a prefect set up, puts a gun to a few heads who could afford it. It makes sense, therefore, no one spotted it. No one will pay to see Son of what's his face run an IPS car. Sort like a Crapwagon, only more dull. I never paid a whole lot of attention to IndyLights myself, and I love racing. They were very dull, and never had more than two good cars at any given season. Steve Horne killed everyone, then went champcar racing. What ever happened to old Steve? He is a racer, He should be in CART. Sort of like Toyota Atlantics. It was always one team, racing the other team. One guy moved up the "ladder" and the rest faded into oblivion. (until the IRL came along of course) Now come full circle, and the havenot's neverwas are running CART cars?

WOW

Where is the ticket window?

Ziggy

Pretty well said, Zig.