Month of May No More

[SurfaceUnits]

Gomerville news says less ontrack time and fewer qual days.

Derek Daly: "There is no longer a compelling reason to go to Indy." I'll second that DD. Hasn't been for 9 years.

Gomers are feelwing betwayed by evwebody. Looks like the end for gomers, they have outlived their usefulness to the gang at 16th and Gtown Road

http://www.trackforum.com/forums/showthread.php?threadid=48899

[Fio1]

The real reason why they lowered the amount of track time is because ever since the IRL started, the management at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway noticed that the per capita weight of the fan increased by 20%. Therefore, if they have 3-weeks of activity during May, they noticed that they would have to rebuild the grand stands every 10 years. Something, which could bankrupt the speedway. Charging more money for overweight clients, might be considered unconstitutional. Therefore, they had no choice then to lower the on track activities. :cool:

[CART T. Katz]

best post in the thread:

It's happening. Tony George is giving CART everything they wanted 10 years ago. Penske Wins at Indy in September and never had to turn a wheel.
The IRL now has Road & Street courses, engine leases, manufacturer control of engines, bloated budgets, factory teams few American drivers and even fewer short trackers etc, etc... Everything that the IRl was created to "fix". Thanks for saving Indy racing for us Tony!

oh my GOD they do learn! :gomer:

[Brickman]

Ahhhhh nothing like the "weak" of May. :shakehead

[SurfaceUnits]

http://www.champcarfanatics.com/forums/image.php?u=1185&dateline=1092332714 :cry: :laugh: :D

[2DB]

I honestly believe that Tony Hulman has to be doing about 13,500rpm in his grave. The CEO of the Lucky Sp3rm Club, it appears, is using his hammer on a Memorial Day tradition and the family is, blindly, going along for the downward ride.
What do all those empty stands tell the Visionmiester about his guidance?
Yeah this is going to really increase the TV ratings!!!!!
Can't someone in this Kool-Aid drinking world have a spine!!!!!
The IMS bean counters have got to see that something has changed since the Visionary began this child like bull*****!!!!!
Where is John Paul sr and a boat ramp when we really need them!!!!!
I've been an open wheel fan since dirt was new, first 500 in 1958, and I have a question,,,,Can it be fixed other that Toeknee "sleeping with the fishes" ??? After ten years of this crap will there ever be anything left to save!


Kelvis

P.S. If I knew how to use those pissed off looking round faces I would have made this post twice as long.

[jonovision_man]

Realistically there hasn't been much attention to the "month" in a long time, empty stands, etc... and with so few teams sprouting up just for Indy, it's not as neccessary for drivers to come to terms with the cars for the race.

Could even be strategic, TG wants drivers and teams to commit to a full season so he reduces the time alloted for practice for the 500, making it harder to do a one-off?

jono

[Ozarkian]

I honestly believe that Tony Hulman has to be doing about 13,500rpm in his grave.

FTG must have given him one of those "soft" rev-limiters. :D

Seriously, I think you brought up a very good issue - will the Indy 500 survive the IRL and FTG as a caretaker? I initially had hope that the IRL would be like the "junk" formula of the 1930s, and that the Speedway would move beyond the momentary speed bump. Now, after almost a decade of FTG's ego, changing visions and mediocre (at best) formulae, I think the vast majority of fans have moved on (excepting the small group of rabid posters at TF). I really don't know if the Indy 500 as we remember it will survive, and that's sad.

[Madmaxfan2]

The inevitable has won out. The gomers are mad becasue TG finally had to give in. The IRL now has lost its differentation from OWRS, the final battle has begun, folks. This phase will be drawn out too, so don't be suprised next year the conditions may not be much different. When Toyota folds, then things will move quick.

[pchall]

Gomers are feelwing betwayed by evwebody. Looks like the end for gomers, they have outlived their usefulness to the gang at 16th and Gtown Road[/url]

The gomers are going to have a collective cow if the IRL races at Infineon in early May.
:rofl:

[chop456]

Evil CART wanted engine leases.
Evil CART had foreign drivers.
Evil CART had road courses.
Evil CART had big manufacturer support.
Evil CART wanted to shorten May at Indy
Evil CART had big scary team owners.

Thanks for turning things around and saving us from evil CART, genius.

Less days of running means less people hit by debris, so I guess there's a positive.

[pineapple]

Serves them right. They wished CART dead, they got the corpse.

Should have listened to St Teresa of Avila: More tears are shed over answered prayers.

Be of good cheer, earl fans, you only have to mourn the loss of your holy grail for 2 weeks instead of a whole month.

[Brickman]

What they should have done is open up the rules and affordability for Indy Cars, there is no need for a month when they don't even have bumping. :shakehead

[Racewriter]

The real reason for this is that "duuuhh...Tony" finally figured out that his practice days are money-losers, since so few people go anymore. Now, here's what we know: Some companies, faced with adversity, respond with increased marketing and product development, and experience a resurgence - think Apple and the Mac. Others, faced with the same situations, pull in the budgets, tighten belts, cut employees and variable costs to the bone, and fail to reinvest in product. Think any company that's gone down the tubes...

[SteveH]

But, but, but, its being widely accepted on TF!!!!

[Sean O'Gorman]

Less days of running means less people hit by debris, so I guess there's a positive.

I'm sure that people getting hit by debris never crossed their minds. They were probably too preoccupied trying to calculate how much money they'd save on grandstand and catch fencing repairs.

[SurfaceUnits]

But, but, but, its being widely accepted on TF!!!! It's the new Kool-Aid formula kicking in.
:shakehead

[Ziggy]

Who has the article from the 1996 Indy Star in which Tony explained the need for the formation of the "League"

the part where he goes on and on about tradition and values. About being held hostage by the car owners, and the manufacturer's and, and, and, sniff, those bloody unfair car owners who insist on racing only when the deck is stacked in their favor.

Brian Brainfart has a couple of chestnuts worth looking up as well. I should have archived all this crap, but knew what the outcome would be, so I did'nt

PS - Indy 500 will be a stock car race when all this shakes out

[RTKar]

Who has the article from the 1996 Indy Star in which Tony explained the need for the formation of the "League"

the part where he goes on and on about tradition and values. About being held hostage by the car owners, and the manufacturer's and, and, and, sniff, those bloody unfair car owners who insist on racing only when the deck is stacked in their favor.

Brian Brainfart has a couple of chestnuts worth looking up as well. I should have archived all this crap, but knew what the outcome would be, so I did'nt

PS - Indy 500 will be a stock car race when all this shakes out

I don't have the newspaper article but I'm sure I have the first few earl races on tape and I'd guess there were some statements made during interviews with the same sentiment. :rolleyes:

[CART T. Katz]

Who has the article from the 1996 Indy Star in which Tony explained the need for the formation of the "League"

i believe this is it (http://www.louisville.edu/~jcarti01/stuff/lettertostar.txt).

grabbed from one of the yahoo groups i belong to.

[pchall]

i believe this is it (http://www.louisville.edu/~jcarti01/stuff/lettertostar.txt).

grabbed from one of the yahoo groups i belong to.


Yup, that's it. Kinda makes you wonder where the snow blows, doesn't it?

[oddlycalm]

Inevitable that this would happen, just as it was back in 1996.

Back when there were a half dozen races held on pavement in all of North America and the entire field were one off efforts, a month made sense. Even in the days of 1000hp qualifying trim it took time to work up to speeds in the 235mph+ range. TG the idiot actually hastened the day by making the EARLmobiles so easy to drive.

If anyone wants to return to a month of drama, it's easy to do. Relax the car specs, bring back 1000hp qualifying motors, trim the barn doors by half, and invite in drivers from many other series and make it worth their while.

oc

[4wheeldrifter]

^^^

At this point I think Tony is more likely to take out the short chutes and put in 20 degree banking, making a "real" oval. Would be more in tune with the latest revision-vision.

[pchall]

PS - Indy 500 will be a stock car race when all this shakes out

Sadly, I agree with you on this. I've had the feeling for some time that the France Mafia has been playing Tony George for a decade to get that result.

[Steve99]

At this point I think Tony is more likely to take out the short chutes and put in 20 degree banking, making a "real" oval. Would be more in tune with the latest revision-vision.

Well, they are repaving it. Now seems like a good time to add the banking. You heard it hear first!

[RacinM3]

Former rabid Indy and US open wheel fan here to report: I stopped caring a long, long time ago.

[Methanolandbrats]

Former rabid Indy and US open wheel fan here to report: I stopped caring a long, long time ago. I agree. I stopped caring about Indy a few years ago and I'm about to give the WHOLE thing a great big ol' WGAF.

[B3RACER1a]

Former rabid Indy and US open wheel fan here to report: I stopped caring a long, long time ago.

I agree. I stopped caring about Indy a few years ago and I'm about to give the WHOLE thing a great big ol' WGAF.

Have a round on me! :thumbup:

[4wheeldrifter]

Former rabid Indy and US open wheel fan here to report: I stopped caring a long, long time ago.

And you ain't the only one.