Indianapolis Motor Speedway is home to one of the greatest traditions in all of motorsports. The prestige of the place and the events surrounding it made it a perfect fit for the up-and-coming NASCAR Winston Cup Series in 1994. 200,000 spectators showed up that first year – in 2007 the number was 270,000.
17 years later NASCAR at Indy is struggling to find the magic it once had. The racing has never been that good, and attendance has been on the decline – down to 140,000 last year, still reeling from the tire debacle in 2008. With that in mind officials with IMS and NASCAR have been looking for ways to add value to the event.
In recent weeks that talk has centered around the addition of a Grand-Am Rolex Series event and potentially the Nationwide Series at the big track. The idea being, the more events, the bigger draw. Helping the case too is a guaranteed $700,000 payday for the Nationwide event.
Adding the Grand Am Series to Indy is, at least on the surface, a good fit – there is a great road course at IMS used for years by F1 and MotoGP. For the Nationwide cars though, the idea of a shift from Lucas Oil Raceway Park is a little cringe worthy.
The Nationwide cars have been at LROP every year since 1982. The short track always provides great races and great racing. While it would certainly be a novelty to see the cars at IMS, the racing is sure to be lacking.
With the Brickyard just a few weeks away, it’s interesting to think about not just whether or not the Nationwide cars should be there, but whether or not the Cup cars should be there. Certainly even in the worst year the Brickyard has produced attendance numbers any sport would envy. Still, with limited passing ability, the racing has always been lacking.
I think it important for a sanctioning body to occasionally evaluate the quality of its events. When those events reach a point that fan interest is clearly waning, perhaps it comes time to reconsider them. Perhaps, just perhaps, NASCAR is reaching that point with the Brickyard.
Sometimes it’s better to admit when things aren’t working and look for successful solutions than it is beat a dead horse – I’m not sure which they’re doing here.
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Can we not all recognize that the Raikkonen to NASCAR story with Frat Boy Gillett is an April Fool’s joke?
Welcome back to NASCAR Foster … if you couldn’t tell, we didn’t miss you.
This marriage wasn’t completely surprising – in the midst of his team going up in flames at the end of last season Gillett was seen at Homestead parading Raikkonen around the RPM haulers and the garage. The ego and lack of self-awareness that apparently accompany Gillett is galling.
Remember this is the guy who, with his father, almost cost hundreds of people their job and almost forced Richard Petty out of the sport – all just a few short months ago. Turns out it’s not such a good idea to leverage a less than profitable sports team to the hilt (let us not forget Gillett did this same thing with Liverpool FC). In the annals of NASCAR history, the Gillett’s are just below Bobby Ginn. Needless to say their reputation is less than spectacular.
Disgruntled former Gillett partner Ray Evernham agrees. He told Sirius Speedway’s Dave Moody:
“I honestly can’t believe it will happen… I can’t see how (the team) will be able to get parts and pieces. I can’t imagine anyone doing business with (Gillett), considering the past history… That’s just my opinion, but the facts are there. There are a lot of people out there who are still owed a lot of money. It’s a joke.”
Money up front perhaps? I figure if Kevin Conway can keep finding rides, someone will sell Foster Gillett equipment. As unfortunate as it is, I suspect we’ll see a Kimi Raikkonen driven, Foster Gillett owned truck in the not too distant future.
Don’t get me wrong, I’ve got no beef with Kimi Raikkonen coming to NASCAR – the more the merrier. Unfortunately, with the memory of last season all too fresh, it’s a different story with Foster Gillett. As the old adage goes, fool me once, shame on you; fool me twice, shame on me.
All I can say is, truly, absolutely, stunningly, unbelievable. An April Fools joke indeed.
…nothing other than they’re all in my weekend notes (lame I know).
Saturday was a good day to be 19. Well a good day to be 19 if you happened to drive in the Nationwide Series.
In his first career NASCAR appearance on Saturday, 19-year-old Parker Kligerman scored his first career pole. Then 19-year-old Joey Logano went on to win the race, battling his teammate Kyle Busch down to the wire.
Back to Kligerman though. The kid looked impressive. Starting next to veteran Kyle Busch, Kligerman was able to keep the lead for seven laps and even bested Busch on the start. The team battled some handling issues throughout the race, but Kligerman was able to finish a respectable 16th.
While I know Kligerman wasn’t happy with the finish, a pole and 16th place finish in his first ever major NASCAR event is not anything to sneeze at. Look for Kligerman back in the car at Homestead.
Oh and don’t forget Kligerman’s locked in a championship battle in the ARCA series with Justin Lofton. That wraps up this weekend at Rockingham.
Tony Stewart Back In Victory Lane
There were some that thought Jimmie Johnson would take his momentum from last week and begin his championship charge at Kansas. I thought there was a good chance.
In the interest of a compelling championship race though it was good to see Tony Stewart pull out the win.
There is now just more than 100 points separating first from seventh.
The Hendrick cars definitely look good as they have in years past but don’t count out the Penske, EGR or Gibbs cars. They’ve all been running very consistently and one win from any of them could change the tide.
I know a lot of you are critics of the Chase, but it makes the racing more exciting and the mistakes more devastating.
I’m looking very much forward to the coming weeks.
Nelson Piquet Jr.? In the Truck Series?
He wouldn’t be our first F1 convert; but he would be the first with a cloud over his head.
Soon after being released from his Renault team earlier this year, it came to light Piquet wrecked himself at last year’s Singapore Grand Prix so his teammate Fernando Alonso could win.
The scandal, better known as ‘crash-gate,’ has brought a ban and a suspension for two Renault F1 officials. Piquet won’t face any sanctions, but likely won’t be able to live down the stigma associated with the scandal.
I suppose he figures NASCAR fans haven’t caught wind of the firestorm. He may or may not be right.
Whatever the case SPEED is reporting Piquet will test in a Red Horse Racing truck on October 12th with “an eye towards a future in NASCAR’s Sprint Cup Series with in two years.”
It’ll be interesting to see how he performs.
Hendrick’s (Almost) Failed Inspection
Talk about a bad deal. Hendrick got busted for not breaking the rules?
While they passed post race inspection, the bodies on both the #5 and #48 were so close to being outside the tolerance they were warned by the sanctioning body not to cut it so close.
With the black helicopters circling above and the scent of the Carl Long affair still hanging in the air (remember this was a body not the motor), many loyal conspiracy theorists are coming out of the woodwork. Hendrick paid off NASCAR (I’m sure, I said sarcastically).
The fact is they didn’t break the rules, NASCAR sent it’s message and the crew chiefs were doing what they were supposed to. Working in those gray areas is what those guys get paid to do and if you’re not pushing it, you’re not doing your job.
I’ve been watching in anticipation the last few days as the showdown between the Formula One Teams Association and the FIA (Max Mosley) played out. Today we learned FIA President Max Mosley would give in to the teams’ demands to not impose the spending cap and he also agreed not to stand for re-election to the FIA. Surprise, surprise.
I got to thinking about what would happen if teams in NASCAR banded to together and attempted to stage a similar coup. The conclusion I came to was that this could not and would not ever happen.
Beyond the cars, the most pivotal part of a race is the race track. In the United States the only tracks really capable of accommodating NASCAR events are owned, for the most part by two companies: Speedway Motorsports Inc. majority owned by and controlled by Bruton Smith and International Speedway Corporation majority owned by and controlled by the France family. The France family of course owns and operates NASCAR.
Should NASCAR teams break away Bruton Smith’s SMI is certainly an option but ISC is not. What this means is the break away series loses the marquee Daytona 500 and only has eight tracks to race at. I doubt the Mattiolis would turn their back on the France family, so Pocono is probably out. There are a few other tracks that could add to the hypothetical break away series, but that is assuming they aren’t already with NASCAR in some capacity.
With F1 this isn’t the case. Because this is not just a regional sport there are tons of tracks that don’t currently host F1 events that would be capable of hosting them.
Another issue with NASCAR is the lack of control wielded by the teams. In F1 the teams are king, especially with the fans. Ferrari fans are Ferrari fans. Renault fans are Renault fans. The driver is often secondary. In NASCAR just the opposite is true. The teams are very much secondary to the personalities. If you want proof of this look to Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s departure from DEI.
All it took for Max Mosley to back down was eight teams (mind you eight very large teams) threatening to start a breakaway series.
Another thing working in NASCAR’s favor is their lock on TV contracts. In the United States we only have a handful of networks capable of producing and carrying large sporting events like a race. ESPN/ABC, Speed, Fox and NBC/TNT are all out of the question. Maybe the break away series could go on Versus?
Around the world there are countless companies and stations capable and likely very willing to produce and broadcast F1 races. There are a world of possibilities.
Lastly I don’t see any NASCAR team owners capable of funding another series. Sure they’re all wealthy guys, but none can afford what these F1 owners can. It is widely believed Ferrari spends/has spent in the past upwards of $500 million on their F1 program. That is insane and well more than the entire worth of most of NASCAR’s owners. Obviously large auto manufacturers can afford to fund this sort of thing, but a former Ford engineer, a football coach and a couple of auto dealers likely would have a much harder time. I guess what I’m saying is this sort of thing isn’t worth their time or money and they would have to know that.
In the end the FIA and F1 are just very different from NASCAR. The FIA is a consortium (though F1 is not), NASCAR is a privately owned and held company. The teams are allowed to organize in F1 and in the FIA, and in NASCAR the teams throughout the history of the sport have been strongly encouraged not to organize. Where F1 has a global presence and global opportunity, NASCAR is confined to just the United States and continental North America.
For better or worse NASCAR is the king of American auto racing. This is their game and we’re all just playing it. So don’t expect Roush, Childress, Hendrick and Gibbs to band together and threaten NASCAR anytime soon.
As the summer continues to roll along, we have reached the 29th edition of Ask The Insiders Wednesday. These posts continue to gain in popularity every week, and I’ve been told by many of you that ATIW is what you look forward to the most. That’s great to hear, and if you keep sending in the questions, we will keep trying to answer them! If you don’t know what this post is, until further notice, we will be answering any and all reader questions every Wednesday, right here. So if you’ve got one, click on the ”Ask the Insiders” tab at the top of the page and send one to us. On to the questions…
1. From Scott from Canada:
On June 17th’s version of Ask the Insiders TC said that “there are no computer systems in today’s Cup, Nationwide, or Truck Series vehicles.” Well just how the heck do the TV stations get access to throttle/brake/RPM and speed data? Speed I could see coming from a GPS unit and the scoring/timing points but it wouldn’t be accurate to the foot as it appears to be. So? And do the teams have direct access to this information or do they get it from TV or NASCAR? And (#2) if they get the RPM data is it part of the fuel mileage calculations that causes them fits at various tracks. Sorry for the length but thanks for the answers!
I feel like I’ve been called out here. First, cars don’t have onboard computers, but some will have an onboard telemetry box and GPS unit that transmits back to the TV trucks. Information provided from these devices is what is used to create the telemetry you see on TV. A company called SportVision provides the equipment. But teams are not allowed access to this information, so as far as they are concerned, there are no onboard systems. Fuel mileage calculations are based on weather conditions and previous data gathered (engine performance, driver habits, etc.). - T.C.
2. From mangopants:
I’m new to the sport and have a very elementary question - is it “Pit Road” or “Pit Row”? I’ve seen it written both ways, and just can’t distinguish when the announcers say it.
The two are really interchangeable. In NASCAR, you will hear it more often referred to as pit road. By the way, welcome to the sport and thanks for stopping by TNI! - T.C.
3. From Measure:
How are the drivers reacting to Carlos Pardo’s death? Is there a serious investigation being done by NASCAR to make sure changes can be made to prevent that kind of crash in the future?
Honestly I haven’t heard a lot about it. I think everyone was pretty shocked by the accident, especially because this is a guy that a lot of people in the garage had interacted with. That being said it is not exactly the response if it were closer to home. Also remember this series is more comparable to a late model series than to the Sprint Cup Series and as such the safety equipment is much less advanced. While I’m sure there will be an investigation I don’t know if there will be any major changes as a result of this. - Journo
4. From August:
Sometimes, after practice or “happy hour,” you’ll hear a crew chief or driver state that they have a really aggressive setup in the car. What exactly does this mean? Are they setting up the car to the point where their options are limited on changing the handling of the car once the race begins? By the way, you guys have become a must-hit on the internet everyday since I stumbled upon this site a few months ago. Keep it up.
I would take that to mean they have the car set up to run as fast as possible, most likely over the short run. For example, qualifying setups are normally aggressive, i.e., nose taped up, tires pumped up, etc. The car will run fast over a very short run, but in race conditions would then fall off very quickly. Also, aggressive setups are usually uncomfortable for drivers. They will be fast, but they will require the driver to really hang it out. - T.C.
5. From Joel:
Why is pit road closed at times - especially right after a yellow flag? PS: Love you guys - keep up the great work!
Don’t quote me on this, but I believe pit road is closed right at the point of caution so no driver can gain an advantage by being able to duck down early and get their pit stop done before the other teams have a shot. If a car could pit before everyone else, they would then be out front when the remainder of the field pitted. Also, if a wreck or caution happens near the entrance, they will close pit road to allow the safety workers to do their job. - T.C.
6. From Jon:
I hate to ask about auto racing other than NASCAR… but I know you guys are fans of racing in general. I am an avid reader and have asked you guys a few questions, to which I was very thankful for your replies! I hope you answer this but if not I understand… have you heard of the radical news about the FOTA (Formula One Teams Association) pulling out of F1 for 2010? This is essentially every major F1 brand (Ferrari, Brawn, McLaren, Red Bull, etc) pulling out. It would be like Roush, Hendrick, Gibbs and RCR pulling out of NASCAR! It unfortunately also resembles the CART/IRL split that ruined American open wheel racing (AOWR) more or less. Do you guys really think that Max Mosley isn’t going to give in? It seems like if he doesn’t, he’ll basically lose the crown jewel of racing abroad. I realize NASCAR probably gets more TV viewers, but I think F1’s impact on the world of auto racing is even more far reaching than NASCAR. I love the technology and the skill it requires to run F1 and I hate the thought of it being compromised like the CART split compromised AOWR.
I actually think this split is a lot more comparable to the USAC-CART split in the late-70s. That being said my first instinct is that the teams are posturing to get their way. I know the heads of these organizations are pretty angry with the leadership of F1 and they are very serious about starting a breakaway series, but I truly believe they both know for better or worse they need each other. It sounds like Max Mosley is attempting to re-engage the teams, but what ultimately happens is hard to say. Should this split ultimately occur, I think it will be incredibly ugly. In the end, it would be a shame to have this globally loved series destroyed by bickering and infighting. - Journo
7. From Brian:
I saw this picture from the Nationwide race at Milwaukee: http://twitpic.com/7yhn0 How much PSI do teams typically start on their tires and how much PSI do the tires gain over a typical green-flag run?
Unfortunately I can’t really give you a hard and fast answer on this one. Initial pressures and what the tires build over a run is really going to depend on the track, the series, and the conditions. Usually at short tracks teams will start pressures (especially fronts) very low because the tires will build a lot more due to the added heat from brake use. I’ve seen tires with PSIs in the single digits before. And rights will be different front lefts, as will fronts vs. rears. Rights will usually build more because of the forces on them, and front vs. rear depends on the car’s setup. - T.C.
8. From Ric:
Do you guys practice and/or plan what you will do in situations of a damaged car coming in? Who grabs what, where to cut or not to cut, what has to be done in what order, etc. When working on a damaged car does the same group go over a wall to fix it, or would say the gas man stay back so an ignition specialist can check something out? Can different people go over the wall as long as the number stays at / below 7?
Yes, most teams will at least have a basic plan of who will do what when there is damage to be fixed over the wall. And yes, different guys can go over the wall as long as the number doesn’t exceed seven. Especially in the case of engines, you want your engine tuner over the wall in one of those situations because he is going to be able to best diagnose a problem. - T.C.
9. From Savannah:
Okay guys, since we are now about 10 races away from the Chase, it is time to ask your opinion on who will make the chase this year. So, who will be the lucky 12 drivers? Who do you think will be the surprise chase contender this year? Do you think that Dale Jr will be in the Chase? And if you’re feeling like taking a chance and looking into the crystal ball, who do you think will be the NASCAR Sprint Cup champion for 2009! Remember, this is just an opportunity for you to express your predictions. Now, my crystal ball is still slightly cloudy- hopefully, y’all will have better luck with yours! Thanks for answering all of the questions.
Actually if I had to pick a top-12 I really like the current standings. Obviously there is still a lot of room for movement, but given what we have seen this season, these are, in my opinion, the strongest 12. I don’t think Jr. will make the Chase this season. He has a lot of points to make up and unless he has a huge turn around quick, I don’t think this year is his. As far as who the Champion will be, I’m not ready to say quite yet, but I think Tony Stewart looks like a new man and those three Hendrick cars are very strong. Unfortunately my crystal ball is still very cloudy too. - Journo
10. From Steven:
How come some teams like Jay Robinson’s #49 and Dwayne Gaulding’ #21 start and park even though they have sponsorship? Are these teams offering companies (GetMoreVacations, Stock Car Steel, & Anderson’s Maple Syrup) space on the car for dirt cheap, or do they just give them a free ride?
You’re absolutely correct. They pay a few thousand dollars to have their names on the car for a few laps. The money isn’t enough to make it worthwhile for them to run the whole race. It’s just one more way for these start and park team owners to make money. - Journo
11. From Amy:
I was at the track in Sonoma and my two questions stem from my experience there: 1. We had prerace cold pit access and while walking up and down the pit boxes taking pictures I noticed of all things in the arsenal of stuff packed into one of the pitboxes a can of cooking spray (PAM to be exact). WHY? 2. I took time sitting in both the grandstands on Friday and turn 7 on Sunday and noticed that with the elevation changes and turns- it must be a challenge to be a spotter at a track like that. Where were the spotters located? And do teams ever use more than one spotter at a road course?
First, teams will sometimes use cooking spray (such as PAM) on the wheels to avoid brake dust. PAM can hold up to the heat, yet it won’t allow so much dust to collect on the wheels. Second, spotting road courses is definitely a challenge. At Sonoma, the spotters are located up towards turn two at the top of the hill. They can see the majority of the track from there. And teams will normally use more then one spotter at a track like this (especially Watkins Glen) because you don’t want to put your driver in a bad position because one guy can’t see the whole track. - T.C.
12. From Mike:
I have been given tickets to the Daytona 500 Club for 4th. Can you see the race from here? It looks nice online but do we sit at bar the whole race? They’ll have to roll me out.
You know I’m not overly familiar with the Daytona 500 Club, but after looking around it looks like you can see the front stretch, but not the rest of the track. I’m sure there are TVs in the building though. With an open bar though, can you really go wrong? - Journo
13. From Kim:
Hi guys! 1. Has any team in NASCAR switched manufacturers mid-season? 2. I was watching the set up in the cold pit at Sonoma (Bud team, of course!) and wondered what each of the four monitors on the pit box showed during the race, and also the two flat screens behind the box. Thanks.
Me and Journo were discussing this one, and in the modern era, I don’t remember a team switching midseason. I’m sure its happened in the past, but no specific situation stands out. Maybe a reader knows? For your second question, the monitors up top are used to display the race broadcast, the feed from timing and scoring, any engineering data for the crew chief and engineer to use in strategy, and whatever other miscellaneous computer programs teams use (like instant messengers). The flat screens down low are also used to show the race broadcast, timing and scoring, and the playback from the pit stop camera(s). - T.C.
14. From Ric:
I have noticed that after the Catch Can Man waves his arms that the tank is full, they keep putting fuel in the car, until it?s down on all four tires, sometimes actually moving forward. I would think with the left side of the car up in the air more fuel would be in the tank, hoses, etc then when on all four tires. I do not believe the idling engine is burning that much fuel, so what is the story?
Normally what you are seeing is the catch can and fuel man trying to “pack” the car. They are trying to make sure the fuel cell and the fill and overflow tubes have every drop of fuel in them possible. The catch can man will wave when fuel comes out the overflow, then he and the gas man can work a carefully choreographed dance between the gas can and catch can and burp the system, filling it to the gills. - T.C.
15. From Dianne:
How long do we have to tolerate ESPN/TNT coverage? I am already sick of having to try and find races on TV. Fox was Fox and ABC was ABC! Now I gotta hunt to watch a race let alone listen to those know-nothing broadcasters. Bring me D.W. and Larry Mac!!! at least they KNOW racing…
Well you’ll have to deal with it at least until the end of the season. Beyond that I believe TV contracts are up in 2014. To be frank what we have now is much better then the TV situation 10+ years ago. Prior to now each track operator held their own TV contracts. And at that point in time you had more than just two major track operators. Literally you had a race on a different channel every week. As far as your comment on Larry McReynolds goes, he’s on TNT too. - Journo
And that brings yet another “Ask The Insiders Wednesday” to a close. Thanks to everyone who sent in questions. And remember, if you’d like to be a part of next week, click on the ”Ask the Insiders” tab at the top of the page and send your question in!