View Full Version : Randy Bernard Fired
Trevor Longman
10-28-12, 06:32 PM
Its official. Terrible move IMO. The man did the best he could with the situation he inherited.
http://auto-racing.speedtv.com/article/indycar-ceo-randy-bernard-fired-during-emergency-board-meeting
TravelGal
10-28-12, 06:49 PM
It's about dang time they got around to their "emergency" meeting. I've been reading about him getting the ax all week.
It's just that I can't stop laughing at the idea of these maroons having to have an EMERGENCY meeting. O M G. Something terrible must have happened to get them together. This is an *emergency.* Like it's all been butterflies and roses the last 3 (or 13) years. :shakehead
Ed_Severson
10-28-12, 06:51 PM
Will elaborate in a bit, but I disagree ... I think getting rid of him is a good move. Too many mistakes.
Was this decision driven by the team owners?
Sean O'Gorman
10-28-12, 07:03 PM
I'm assuming that this is more or less the end. Auto racing as a spectator sport is on a permanent decline, and he seemed to at least be slowing the bleeding. Oh well.
Ed_Severson
10-28-12, 07:14 PM
Terrible move IMO.
This may well be the precursor to an actual terrible move, but Randy needed to go. Just off the top of my head ...
He put all of his 2011 eggs in the Las Vegas basket and delivered a complete disaster. They promoted that stunt for months, gave away thousands upon thousands upon thousands of free tickets, and still barely drew 10,000.
China was another disaster. He allowed a race to go on the schedule with a contract that wasn't worth its value in paper and ink, and then pulled the plug on it about 6 months too late. After that, he promised everyone Plan B and delivered nothing. Road America even offered to bail him out and he was dumb enough to ask them for a million bucks.
He pulled the rug out from under the manufacturers (and fans) with the aero kits, not once, but twice. He did not have the backbone necessary to tell the team owners to stuff it because they were wrong (and they were).
The 2013 schedule is awful in the context of what he promised. The double-headers are a dumb idea and will do nothing for the promoters. And my God, how in the hell could you suffer through Detroit this year and think doing that twice next season would be even better?
By all accounts Randy was a nice guy, and he worked tirelessly for IndyCar. But he leaned on the "I'm not a racing guy" excuse for far too long and working tirelessly at your job ultimately isn't worth much if you keep screwing it up.
Ed_Severson
10-28-12, 07:17 PM
It's just that I can't stop laughing at the idea of these maroons having to have an EMERGENCY meeting.
That is, indeed, pretty hysterical.
"Aw, ****! This is an emergency. Somebody found out we were thinking about firing Randy ... We'd better have an emergency meeting right away so we can actually fire him."
DagoFast
10-28-12, 07:18 PM
You're suddenly seeing some amazingly insightful things from the un-employment line. :laugh:
Ed_Severson
10-28-12, 07:20 PM
You're suddenly seeing some amazingly insightful things from the un-employment line. :laugh:
Not suddenly; I've thought for quite some time that he should go.
gerhard911
10-28-12, 07:33 PM
This may well be the precursor to an actual terrible move, but Randy needed to go. Just off the top of my head ...
He put all of his 2011 eggs in the Las Vegas basket and delivered a complete disaster. They promoted that stunt for months, gave away thousands upon thousands upon thousands of free tickets, and still barely drew 10,000.
China was another disaster. He allowed a race to go on the schedule with a contract that wasn't worth its value in paper and ink, and then pulled the plug on it about 6 months too late. After that, he promised everyone Plan B and delivered nothing. Road America even offered to bail him out and he was dumb enough to ask them for a million bucks.
He pulled the rug out from under the manufacturers (and fans) with the aero kits, not once, but twice. He did not have the backbone necessary to tell the team owners to stuff it because they were wrong (and they were).
The 2013 schedule is awful in the context of what he promised. The double-headers are a dumb idea and will do nothing for the promoters. And my God, how in the hell could you suffer through Detroit this year and think doing that twice next season would be even better?
By all accounts Randy was a nice guy, and he worked tirelessly for IndyCar. But he leaned on the "I'm not a racing guy" excuse for far too long and working tirelessly at your job ultimately isn't worth much if you keep screwing it up.
Racing "Truth" isn't going to like that...
TKGAngel
10-28-12, 07:43 PM
It's about dang time they got around to their "emergency" meeting. I've been reading about him getting the ax all week.
It's just that I can't stop laughing at the idea of these maroons having to have an EMERGENCY meeting. O M G. Something terrible must have happened to get them together. This is an *emergency.* Like it's all been butterflies and roses the last 3 (or 13) years. :shakehead
And yet those maroons chose to announce their decision on a Sunday afternoon right after the end of a NASCAR race, in the middle of NFL games, among storm coverage and election shenanigans. They ensured that this announcement gets little to no coverage in the mainstream press, which is both genius and par for the course.
Racing Truth
10-28-12, 08:34 PM
Racing "Truth" isn't going to like that...
Someone called?;)
Yeah, fundamentally Ed and I disagree on RB, but that doesn't mean he hasn't screwed the pooch several times.
China is top of the list, though it was started/initiated by Talkin' Terry. Still, even a cursory glance at recent OW history suggested it wasn't going to happen. OTOH, w/o it to begin with, does The Board approve Milwaukee and Baltimore w/ no (or small) sanction fees?
Plan B was bad, period. Don't promise something if you can't/won't do it.
Now, as to Vegas, I take a very different lesson. Ed's right: It was promoted a ton (free tix, etc.) and no one showed. But I don't blame RB for that. It tells me that, basically, OW oval racing (despite the ovalista cry) is dead.:( No one coild have made that work (Vegas or another oval).
That said, Bernard pushed for a new car (however flawed), fired Barnhart, brought in good people, got a Triple Crown restarted, etc. All while dealing w/ self-interested owners, H-G incompetence and other nonsense.
So, now who/what?
This may well be the precursor to an actual terrible move, but Randy needed to go. Just off the top of my head ...
He put all of his 2011 eggs in the Las Vegas basket and delivered a complete disaster. They promoted that stunt for months, gave away thousands upon thousands upon thousands of free tickets, and still barely drew 10,000.
China was another disaster. He allowed a race to go on the schedule with a contract that wasn't worth its value in paper and ink, and then pulled the plug on it about 6 months too late. After that, he promised everyone Plan B and delivered nothing. Road America even offered to bail him out and he was dumb enough to ask them for a million bucks.
He pulled the rug out from under the manufacturers (and fans) with the aero kits, not once, but twice. He did not have the backbone necessary to tell the team owners to stuff it because they were wrong (and they were).
The 2013 schedule is awful in the context of what he promised. The double-headers are a dumb idea and will do nothing for the promoters. And my God, how in the hell could you suffer through Detroit this year and think doing that twice next season would be even better?
By all accounts Randy was a nice guy, and he worked tirelessly for IndyCar. But he leaned on the "I'm not a racing guy" excuse for far too long and working tirelessly at your job ultimately isn't worth much if you keep screwing it up.
I appreciate your insight.
From my out sight point of view, he was the best IC boss EVER!! (One needs to look at his comparison) The gaffs and flubs are just expected, I guess. The League of Lowered Expectations rides again!
What about those that claimed that all of the missteps were due to the cowboy having his hands tied by the board?
TravelGal
10-28-12, 09:12 PM
Good insights, Ed. Particularly...
He pulled the rug out from under the manufacturers (and fans) with the aero kits, not once, but twice. He did not have the backbone necessary to tell the team owners to stuff it because they were wrong (and they were).
Talk about deja vu all over again. Lessee, changing the engine formula and screwing the manufacturers, not having the back bone to stand up to the owners. Where have I heard that before? :shakehead
gerhard911
10-28-12, 09:27 PM
So, now who/what?
Most likely :tony: / Back to the Future (1996) :shakehead
Disciple should be over the moon :gomer:
By all accounts Randy was a nice guy, and he worked tirelessly for IndyCar. But he leaned on the "I'm not a racing guy" excuse for far too long and working tirelessly at your job ultimately isn't worth much if you keep screwing it up.
Hindsight is 20/20...but everyone knew EXCEPT IMS that he was the wrong person in the beginning. Same with the ICONIC Committee, Dallara DW12, the IRL and all the bumbling elsewhere.
IMS is the problem. I see no possible way this sport can survive with them idiots at 16th and Jonestown in control. They created the IRL to kill CART, put that idiot Tony George in charge and eventually hired Randy.
What other evidence is needed? IMS essentially screwed itself. Good. And AOW and the fans are the victims. :thumdown:
TG and Barnhart will be back in charge within a week. That stays here. :gomer:
According to my source, Ropin' Randy's parting words to the IMS board were, "All my flavors are guaranteed to satisfy", with a pair of middle fingers.
Now he'll be chillin' the most with the all freedom lifestyle, you guys.
Napoleon
10-29-12, 05:24 AM
It's just that I can't stop laughing at the idea of these maroons having to have an EMERGENCY meeting.
I laughed when I read that. Doesn't it just scream "we are a bunch of unorganized nitwits"?
I can't stop laughing. This is high comedy, all of it. Totally absurd. Totally dysfunctional. And probably in someone's little mind, totally CART's fault.
Come back, can yah help us Son?
get to working and finish what you done
Hot news, burnin' down the revenue
Model moron, zero discipline
Don't ya know there gonna die with me
I'll watch it burn
I'll get them
Let Me run it Ma
Let Me run it Ma
Ain't nothin' like it, being King ToeKnee
Got the feel for the board, keep the shitters clean
Sisters, Scream about the lack of cash
I'll deal with them at the Thanksgiving bash!
Don't you know IMS is going down with me
Lemmings never learn
I'll get her
Uh-oh!
Let Me Run it Ma
Wow!
Let Me Run it Ma
Oh-oh-oh-oh
Woo!
[Defender Solo]
Yeah, we're runnin' a little light tonight
I can barely see the road from all this gin
You know what I'm sayin'
Ahh, I reach down between my legs n' ease the seat back
Get those toady teeth marks out of my Johnsen
Family's buy'in, Im Flyin'
Thank God Randy's finally waving Goodbye'in
Got the fearin', power steerin'
Pistons poppin', ain't no stoppin' now
Let Me Run it Ma
Let Me Run it Ma
Remember you killed My Pa
So Let Me Run it Ma
Oh-oh-oh-oh
Let Me Run it Ma
Let Me Run it Ma
Oh-oh-oh-oh
Run it Ma
DagoFast
10-29-12, 10:32 AM
Thing O beauty, Zig. Thing O beauty.
Instant Classic! :laugh: :thumbup:
Napoleon
10-29-12, 10:57 AM
So what song are those lyrics to?
I have a feeling we will read a lot about this in the near future. My first questions are, "Where were the "professionals" they added to the Board? How did they vote, and why did they vote that way?"
I was sure he was going to get the boot at the end of last year. Especially after Wheldon got killed in his $5 million dollar publicity stunt. Now, that this season has gone fairly well, they get rid of him? Make no sense to me....
As a long time CART fan (since 1982), I stopped caring about the political side of the sport 15 years ago. I mean after, USAC vs CART, Cart vs FIA, the IRL split, Pook, Craig, Gentilozzi, The Stock, Tony G, merger, etc, etc, etc, who could keep up with all this craziness? :irked:
At the end of the day, some open wheel car will race at Long Beach, Indy 500, some road courses, some ovals, some street courses and who gives a %$#@ about the rest. :saywhat:
Napoleon
10-29-12, 01:52 PM
Ziggy :thumbup:
Hindsight is 20/20...but everyone knew EXCEPT IMS that he was the wrong person in the beginning. Same with the ICONIC Committee, Dallara DW12, the IRL and all the bumbling elsewhere.
IMS is the problem. I see no possible way this sport can survive with them idiots at 16th and Jonestown in control. They created the IRL to kill CART, put that idiot Tony George in charge and eventually hired Randy.
What other evidence is needed? IMS essentially screwed itself. Good. And AOW and the fans are the victims. :thumdown:
We have a winner! I missed this news yesterday; too busy watching Sandy come my way. The main force is not even here and it is already causing damage. Sounds familiar.
Mary
Andrew Longman
10-29-12, 04:38 PM
Trevor is right, Randy did about as good as he could with the poo and people he was dealt.
Ed is right about the things he screwed -- especially LV which is all on him. The other stuff almost anyone would have got that ick on him if for no other reason than he had to at least try stupid stuff in the absence of better and viable ideas.
And Chief is right. Randy was the wrong person from the start but it hardly matters because IMS is the root cause of the problem.
Ghandi, Jesus and the Cat in the Hat combined can't fix this as long as IMS has ANY say in it.
Don Quixote
10-29-12, 04:52 PM
Damn Ziggy. :laugh:
TKGAngel
10-29-12, 06:56 PM
On a related note, Jenna Fryer reveals that TG's plan to buy the series (http://bigstory.ap.org/article/georges-indycar-offer-was-attempt-remove-board) wasn't a power grab for himself, but a coup d'etat to bring in a new board and take the power away from IMS.
ETA: the latest from Robin Miller. You can't fix stupid (http://auto-racing.speedtv.com/article/miller-no-cure-for-indycars-stupidity/).
George's five-page proposal was made Oct. 5...
Did he lose his notes again? :tony:
As for Robin, he can choke on his outrage. If he though Randy had a shot at fixing anything, he has become delusional.
TravelGal
10-29-12, 09:30 PM
Ziggy: pure brilliance.
Best descriptive one-liner so far. Pressdog: My biggest disappointment in this entire **** show is how it was handled.
Besides the fact that, as Chief inferred, it IS a **** show. Oh, I bet that's gonna get bleeped by the automatic censor.
edit: It did but we all understand alliteration.
gerhard911
10-29-12, 10:20 PM
Auto censor this... (http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=****%20show) :eek:
I'll be ******, it did.
I'm assuming that this is more or less the end. Auto racing as a spectator sport is on a permanent decline, and he seemed to at least be slowing the bleeding. Oh well.
Too much CART street race loser starched earth.
Did he lose his notes again? :tony:
Holy crap! Check out this crackheaded plan:
George’s management hierarchy, through a firm named ICS Acquisitions, included sponsorship guru Zak Brown, owner of Just Marketing Inc., as Bernard’s replacement, former Jaguar managing director Mike O’Driscoll as president and COO, and Claire Roberts, CEO of sports administration software company ArbiterSports, as operations manager.
Betcha Brickman would approve of this BoD :rofl::laugh::D:thumdown:
Racing Truth
10-30-12, 12:51 PM
On a related note, Jenna Fryer reveals that TG's plan to buy the series (http://bigstory.ap.org/article/georges-indycar-offer-was-attempt-remove-board) wasn't a power grab for himself, but a coup d'etat to bring in a new board and take the power away from IMS.
ETA: the latest from Robin Miller. You can't fix stupid (http://auto-racing.speedtv.com/article/miller-no-cure-for-indycars-stupidity/).
Think about that, kids. Tony George wanting to separate the series from IMS? Wait, what?:confused:
Tony Johns on Twitter snarkily wonders if this was just a 16-yr. "long con" for TG to run CART.
chop456
10-30-12, 12:52 PM
Think about that, kids. Tony George wanting to separate the series from IMS? Wait, what?:confused:
Tony Johns on Twitter snarkily wonders if this was just a 16-yr. "long con" for TG to run CART.
A long-term plan for that dolt would be deciding what's for dinner.
Seriously? A $600m long con? :rofl::rofl::rofl:
Don Quixote
10-30-12, 01:33 PM
MIS is probably open on memorial day weekend.
SurfaceUnits
10-30-12, 01:43 PM
1)
MIS is probably open on memorial day weekend.
2) Cosworth is for sale
A long-term plan for that dolt would be deciding what's for dinner.
Seriously? A $600m long con? :rofl::rofl::rofl:
:D chop,,,, sources deep inside openly tally last years debacle into the current $$$ spented overall since '96 as $807 MILLIONS. Just so ya know... ;)
And he wanted to buy it for $5M large...:laugh:
He finally drove the price down enough so he can afford it.
And Ziggy... :rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl:
rosawendel
10-30-12, 07:00 PM
1) MIS is probably open on memorial day weekend.
2) Cosworth is for sale
3) as is Lola.
Racing Truth
10-30-12, 07:35 PM
A long-term plan for that dolt would be deciding what's for dinner.
Seriously? A $600m long con? :rofl::rofl::rofl:
I said "snarkily.";)
Of course, he didn't have a plan to do so. The shifting "alliances" and Frenemies in this sport is shocking.
Of course, he didn't have a plan to do so. The shifting "alliances" and Frenemies in this sport is shocking.
Yeah, but is it enough for you to stop going to see these idiots try and stage a series? You realize NOTHING matters but the $$ to them. Until it reaches that point it will continue in perpetuity. Seriously, are you willing to quit it for change?
Wheel-Nut
10-31-12, 10:50 AM
Does any of this really matter?
The cars suck.
The drivers have some talent but have the personalities of a wet paper bag.
The tracks are lame.
Promotion and coverage suck.
The casual fans have moved on.
Put a fork in it.
DagoFast
10-31-12, 10:51 AM
Yeah, but is it enough for you to stop going to see these idiots try and stage a series? You realize NOTHING matters but the $$ to them. Until it reaches that point it will continue in perpetuity. Seriously, are you willing to quit it for change?
And give up his family heirloom tickets? Are you crazy?! RT will be there on memorial day, its tarditition. :gomer:
datachicane
10-31-12, 12:28 PM
He finally drove the price down enough so he can afford it.
:rofl:
Sean O'Gorman
11-02-12, 03:00 PM
Too much CART street race loser starched earth.
I think it is more along the lines of, aside from football, getting someone to sit down and watch something, either in person, or on TV, is fairly difficult.
It blew my mind when I saw a video from 1989 of pole day and how the crowd was bigger then than it has been for the 500 itself the past few years. Even if there was no split, no other downfall of CART, etc., I can't imagine that many people caring in 2012.
hey man, where ya been? The critical "oval to strret/road course" ratio in 2012 is just the way TonEy visioned.it
But get this...some think its working. ;)
trauma1
11-07-12, 12:28 PM
sutupid Robimins going after the owners, they were not gettting jake squate from the sanctioning feees,d, no tv $$, no firicking piize $$, that was a joke, the owners were going broke, the Firestone desl and parts $$$ that Dallaras and IMS were getting were the end game for Roping Randy, Robin thought he had IMS in his hand and that he to could fix ICS and the product, how wrong was he:rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl:
Hard Driver
11-11-12, 09:26 PM
I think Randy did a decent job. They DW12 was a way way better car than the crapwagon. Turbo engines were better than the Honda ones. The road courses and streetcourses were interesting. It was rebuilding, but considering the crap that was the IRL, it was moving in the right direction.
Now if the name Tony George is within within 8 degrees of anything to do with what is next, I will never watch another race. The IMS is a bunch of friggin morons and as far as I am concerned the entire thing should be folded, the Indy 500 just have Nascar take over destroying 100 years of tradition and the complete march to irrelevance would be complete.
They DW12 was a way way better car than the crapwagon
Maybe it raced better, but it is visually unappealing...kinda like the difference between a sizzling steak off the grill and a piece of boiled meat. The DW12 is the boiled steak...
stroker
11-12-12, 12:41 PM
The DW12 is the boiled turd...
FTFY
:)
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