IndycarUK
  • Home
  • News
  • 2017 Indycar Schedule & UK TV
  • Indycar UK Fantasy League
    • 2016 Standings
    • Fantasy League Stats
    • Blog Page >
      • Blog Roll
      • 2018 Fan Blogs
      • Fan Blogs (2017)
      • 2016 Indy 500 Diary
      • Fan Blogs (2016)
      • Fan Blogs (2015)
      • Fan Blogs (2014
      • Fan Blogs (2013)
      • Fan Blogs (2012)
  • MRTI Live
  • Downforce USA
  • Event Photos & Video
    • 2002 >
      • Rockingham - 2002
    • 2003 >
      • Brands Hatch - 2003
    • 2006 >
      • Watkins Glen - 2006
    • 2009 >
      • Indy 500 - 2009
    • 2010 >
      • Barber Test - 2010
    • 2011 >
      • Long Beach - 2011
      • Milwaukee - 2011
      • Iowa - 2011
    • 2012 >
      • Detroit Belle Isle - 2012
    • 2013 >
      • Indy 500 - 2013
      • ACS @ Fontana - 2013
    • Other >
      • Penske Factory Tour, Poole (UK)
    • Fan Videos
  • Polls
  • Interviews
    • Tammy Kaehler
    • Lloyd Read
    • Jack Hawksworth
    • Trevor Anthony
  • Competitions
    • Competitions 2016
    • Competitions 2013
    • Competitions 2012
  • Travel Guides
    • Barber - Birmingham
    • Detroit - Belle Isle
    • Fontana (Coming Soon)
    • Fort Worth - TMS (Coming Soon)
    • Indianapolis
    • Long Beach
    • Milwaukee (Coming Soon)
    • Pocono (Coming Soon)
    • Newton - Iowa
    • Sonoma (Coming Soon)
    • Toronto
  • 2016 Indy 500
  • Contributors
  • Archive
    • 2013 >
      • Teams & Drivers
      • 2013 Indycar Schedule & UK TV
      • Race Reviews >
        • R1 - St Petersburg, FL
        • R2 - Barber, AL
        • R3 - Long Beach, CA
        • R4 - São Paulo, BR
        • Indianapolis 500 Pole Day
        • Indianapolis 500 Bump Day
        • R5 - Indianapolis 500
        • R6 - Detroit, MI 1
        • R7 - Detroit, MI 2
        • R8 - TMS, Fort Worth, TX
        • R9 - Milwaukee IndyFest, WI
        • R10 - Newton, IA
        • R11 - Pocono 400
        • R12 - Toronto, CA 1
        • R13 - Toronto, CA 2
        • R14 - Mid-Ohio, OH
        • R15 - Sonoma, CA
        • R16 - Baltimore, MD
        • R17 - Houston, TX 1
        • R19 - Fontana, CA
      • 2013 Fantasy League Final Standings
      • #TheOffseason
    • 2014 >
      • 2014 Race Reviews >
        • R1 - St Petersburg, Fl
        • R2 - Long Beach, Ca
        • R3 - Barber, AL
        • R4 - GP of Indianapolis, In
        • R5 - Indianapolis 500
        • R6 - Detroit, MI (1)
        • R7 - Detroit, MI (2)
        • R8 - Fort Worth, TX
        • R9 - Houston, TX (1)
        • R10 - Houston, TX (2)
        • R11 - Pocono, PA
        • R12 - Newton, IA
        • R13 - Toronto, CAN (1)
        • R14 - Toronto, CAN (2)
        • R15 - Mid-Ohio, OH
        • R16 - Milwaukee, WI
        • R17 - Sonoma, CA
        • R18 - Fontana, CA
        • 2014 Standings
    • 2015 >
      • 2015 Indycar Schedule & UK TV
      • 2015 Standings
  • #Follow4Indycar
  • Links

New Followers of Indycar, A Few Tips- Adrian (@rkid84)

28/3/2014

1 Comment

 
Over the winter months I have noticed a big increase in followers on twitter and like'rs on Facebook. I could be surmising, but given some disgruntled F1 fans thoughts on the new engines, nose cones, etc (OK some are still pretty split on the DW12 on this side!) so have sought some solace across the pond?

Listed below are a a few good suggestions to check out for news, views, opinions online (both websites and social media). Any active link is blue and will take you to them, as will the pictures.

The list is not exhaustive but just to put you in the right direction hopefully, I will update as we go along so if you see anything you think would be good for the list, tweet me @IndycarUK.

I have a fair few ideas, but put it out to the twitterverse to come up with some of their own suggestions...
Picture
Ok so lets things under-way with the official lines...
- Official Website
- On Twitter - @Indycar (Official Account), @IndycarPR (for all your PR desires), and of course #Indycar, a list of event hashtags can be found here.
- On Facebook / Instagram / Youtube

Picture


For a view behind the scenes and competitions check out Paddock Insider on Twitter and Instagram


Picture
For the latest news, views, reviews and more check out Racer.com, follow them on Twitter and on Facebook too. Oh and if you are an Indycar Nation Champion member, the magazine subscription works out at a very good rate!


Picture
Onto radio shows and podcasts. On 1070 The Fan, in Indianapolis (and online) you can catch Trackside with Curt Cavin (Journalist with the Indianapolis Star) and Kevin Lee (NBCSN / IMS Radio). The show airs once a week and is on somewhere between Monday to Thursday, at midnight, give or take and hour! Always best to check with Kevin's twitter feed for times. And those who are not insommiacs, you can subscribe on iTunes. As we head into May, listen out for 'Talk of Gasoline Alley' with IMS Historian Donald Davidson, what he doesn't know about the Indy 500 is not worth knowing!

Picture
For news, views, event summaries and podcasts, one of the best out there for Indycar is More Front Wing, on twitter and on Facebook. Now over 100 episodes you can catch their podcast which is also available on iTunes.


Picture
Into the blogger world, I could sit here and list them, but hey, it has already been done for us! Check out 'The IndyCar Blogs' for a list of blogs that talk about Indycar as well as general motor sport. The blogs are re-tweeted too on twitter check the #IndycarBlog.

Picture
A subscription to Trackside Online is possibly the best $22 out there, plenty of news and information regularly updated live from the track.


Picture
In terms of journalists to follow on twitter follow Jenna Fryer, Curt Cavin, Tony DiZinno, Chris Estrada, Nate Ryan and John Oreovicz.

One guy worth following is Matt Archuleta, better recognised as @indy44, an absolute news hound! Normally before the news is even out there! 


As i stated at the beginning, this is not an exhaustive list (nor should it be taken as a ranking or personal preference) but if there is something or someone worth adding, get in touch! Thanks to Megan, Patrick and the Indycar Blog Stig for their contributions!
1 Comment

The Comeback Colombian - Dominik (@dwewilde1)

28/3/2014

0 Comments

 
Picture(Photo: ESPN)
Juan Pablo Montoya will make his return to single-seater competition this weekend when he lines up for the Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg for Penske.

The Colombian, who has spent the past seven seasons competing in the NASCAR Sprint Cup for Chip Ganassi, has not raced an open wheel car since the 2006 United States Grand Prix for McLaren - a race he retired from after he got caught up in a multi-car incident.

Before his Formula One foray, he competed in the CART series for Ganassi, winning the title at his first attempt in 1999 before a switch to a Lola Toyota chassis and engine combination left him ninth in the standings, despite winning three races. He also competed in the Indianapolis 500 that year, and as with his CART title the year before, he won the IRL's showcase event at his first attempt.

Picture(Photo: ESPNF1)
Despite his wealth of experience, the Miami resident sees this season as starting a fresh. But although a lot has changed in the 14 years since he last raced in IndyCar, the veteran driver has set his sights firmly on returning to the winner's circle.

"I’ve been lucky enough that I’ve won in everything I’ve driven. I want to win,” he told indycar.com. “If you’re not in a winning car, there’s no point. At this point in my career, I cannot waste my time.”
 
Teamed with Helio Castroneves and Will Power who have both challenged for the title in recent years, there is no doubt Montoya has been given a car to win and Montoya is certain that the team is in the best possible position to deliver Roger Penske another IndyCar crown

"Helio is really strong on ovals and Will is good on road and street courses." He said. "I think Roger deserves the championship. The last three or four years they were close in the championship but just couldn’t close it, so with the addition of myself we can work together really well."

Picture(Photo: veooz.com)
All three Penske drivers set top 10 times in the recent test at Barber Motorsports park, with Montoya less than a second off Power who set the pace. 
 
Power, who himself is a three-time series runner up, expects Montoya to be on the pace this season.

"Montoya brings some good ideas; he’s very quick so it’s only help for us" said the Australian. "This series, he could win the first race quite easily. I expect him to definitely drive to the front everywhere, so if you’re at the front knocking on the door, eventually you’re going to get a win".

And, with Montoya's vast experience, there's little doubt he'll be up to speed and running at the front soon. As for race wins, the question is not if, but when he'll return to victory lane.

You can follow Dominik on Twitter and visit his motor sports website

0 Comments

Season Preview - Part Three

26/3/2014

1 Comment

 
Back to the beginning and the six twitter users who first started using the #IndycarTeamUK for fun, give their views and opinions on the upcoming season of Indycar and beyond. 

Taking part in Part Three this blog are Adrian Rickard (AR), Dave Render (DR), Jason McVeigh (JM), Matthew Spencer (MS), and Robin Panton (RP)


In our final part of the season preview we take a look at a bit of fantasy with drivers, tracks and how to attract back the fans.
PictureAdam Carroll? (Photo: theguardian.com)
In the quest to make up this year's field of 33, if you were asked to enter a one off car at the Indy 500, who would your driver be?

RP – I’m going to have to pick Alex Lloyd. He absolutely dominated in Lights, took the gamble to go to CGR and was hung out to dry after just 2 Indy 500 starts with satellite teams. He looked relatively competitive on the ovals with Dale Coyne at a time when DCR was not remotely competitive. His final 500 qualifying effort in 2011 was in a true dog of a car which he somehow hustled it in. The car had no right being in the field. He is also a driver who not only raced 9 days after emergency surgery for appendicitis but he finished 13th, at the physically demanding Iowa Speedway no less!

MS – I would love to see Sam Bird or Adam Carroll get a season in Indycar never mind just the Indy 500.  Both great overtakers with lots of single seater experience (admittedly not on ovals).  Failing that, I'd give Kyle Busch a chance - he has oval experience, would get could PR with Kurt there and has indicated before he would like a go in single seaters. 

JM – Paul Tracy. Always worth the price of admission and never one to do things half heartedly, I could count on PT pushing the car to it's limits during qualifying and the race. Also, let's not forget, Paul was the one who "really" won Indy in 2002. Sorry Helio fans.

DR – This is a great question I would have to say.... Alex Zannardi because he never had the chance to be in the 500 in his prime because of the split. And he is a hero of mine.

AR – With a number of returnees either confirmed or linked with a seat, maybe looking towards the future or at least present with invitation put out to unemployed F1 drivers to show Indycar as a viable option to take their career forward. Something for the future could be open tests for drivers to come and show what they can do hosted by teams and the series, but that's something for another day!


PictureThe Plato Crater 500? (Photo: footoojes.nl)
Which five races tracks that you would love to see back or added onto the schedule? 

RP – This is a great topic and I am keen to see other suggestions.  My choice, In order of most wanted:  
1.Road America 
2.Cleveland (Burke Airport)  
3.Michigan Speedway  
4. Richmond (Short Oval), 
5. Rockingham (UK not USA) or Lausitzring (both Ovals) - slightly out of selfishness, to have an accessible round for European fans but both circuits are good

MS – Cleveland, Chicagoland, Mexico City, Brazil (but use Sao Paulo) and Montreal. I'd also try to see if the Argentina circuit used by FIA GT's (Potrero de los Funes Circuit) was available.

JM –  Nothing brand new, just a return to some old classics. Phoenix, Road America, Surfers Paradise, Cleveland and Vancouver.

DR – I love the traditional places like Road America, Phoenix, Cleveland, Michigan and of course a race here would be amazing. 

AR – I would like to see Michigan return, it was the oval race I saw in 1999 that swayed me towards them! A return to Rockingham in Northamptonshire would be fantastic from 'local' viewpoint. Back to the States and a new race at COTA would add something to the schedule, not forgetting Laguna Seca and Road America. But not the moon...


PictureCoverage, cash or characters?
What would you do to attract new or old fans back to the series?

RP – This is by far the most difficult question of the entire blog. The last 3-4 seasons have been excellent, especially the last 2. The last 2 seasons of Indycar are in the my personal top 5 season of open wheel racing since I started watching F1 in 1995 as an 8 year old! They are up there with CART seasons of 96/97/98 and 99. The product, in my opinion is not the problem.  Try and get a Network TV partner and go free to air to try and grab a wider audience is one suggestion and possibly more active national marketing is another.  Sadly these things cost money, something the series does not really have.  

MS – It needs a decent TV package.  When the ESPN NASCAR deal ends this year, I'd get Nicole Briscoe to front the coverage and with Toby Moody not doing motogp now, I'd get him on commentary to bring excitement to the coverage.  The ladder to Indycar should get better with a new Indy Lights car.  Indycar needs to be seen as a decent career for US drivers as well as foreigners for while Aleshin is quick, he is unlikely to get the casual fan drawn in. The fact you get $250k for finishing last in the Daytona 500 will however continue to be a problem to attract the homegrown driver (a concept the IRL was set up to achieve).

JM – this is the Million Dollar Question or rather, 100 million Dollar question if that is indeed how much Verizon are paying because I've got to believe that is what their plan is. For me, it's got to be about the personalities. Make people care about the drivers, tell a story and create heroes and villains. Nothing hits home more than human emotion and Indycar is full of it. Get people to see that and get them hooked.

DR – We all know how much damage the split did to Indycar, with loss of fans, sponsors and drivers to NASCAR. We all know just how good the races and the series are, it's just finding a way to show them and make them come back. My idea is this... Open the season or have a special race on a Friday or a Monday night under the lights somewhere, so you're not up against NASCAR or American football! Get ABC or FOX on board for just this race and see what happens. You may have heard of this idea somewhere before but I think it has potential! 

AR – Having made a number of trips to America to watch Indycar over the past few years, I have seen attempts by the series to bring it back to the fans and to an extent it has worked, but the most important thing to build on now is consistency of the message the series is getting out to the fans and potential new ones. Hopefully with the Verizon backing, this is something that can happen, I have already noticed a change in the social media approach already, building a good marketing team is key and in Mike Kitchel at the helm, things are looking good!


Thanks for checking out our season preview blogs, the previous two are here - Part One & Part Two

The season gets under way on Sunday 30th March at St Petersburg and is Live on ESPN (UK) from 8pm.

1 Comment

Season Preview - Part Two

25/3/2014

1 Comment

 
Back to the beginning and the six twitter users who first started using the #IndycarTeamUK for fun, give their views and opinions on the upcoming season of Indycar and beyond. 

Taking part in Part Two of this blog are Adrian Rickard (AR), Dave Render (DR), Jason McVeigh (JM), Matthew Spencer (MS), and Robin Panton (RP)

In Part two we look at returning drivers, female drivers, double points and a certain Nascar driver...

PictureJPM at Fontana (Photo: indycar.com)
Juan Pablo Montoya makes a return to open wheel racing with Team Penske this season, how do you think he fair and what effect could he and fellow returnee Jacques Villeneuve on the series / Indy 500?

RP - JPM has a solid US and international fan base, will be very good for the series and hopefully TV ratings. I would expect him to be relatively quick early on, he has put in a power of gym work to lose weight and is looking lean and mean. His fiery temperament should be interesting too. JV is a wait and see, he looks fit, but it’s been so long since he was in an open wheel car. He doesn’t mince his words either!

JM -  Say what you will but Juan Montoya is a star and right now Indycar needs all the stars it can get. The same applies for JV. Yes, Jacques hasn't competed full time in a top flight series in many years but for any of us who watched him in his 90s heyday, there is still some excitement in seeing him return to an open wheel car for the month of May. Whilst JV's return ticks more of a nostalgia box than anything, the same cannot be said for JPM. As was clear at the Barber test, Juan is fast already and if you ask me, is capable of giving anyone a run for their money for the 2014 Championship.

DR - I for one am very happy he is back in Indycar. I've always liked him (apart from 1999 when he was in a fight for the title with Dario) he is a very talented racing driver and having him in the series full time can only be good for Indycar. It's a shame it didn't work out for him in F1/NASCAR his talent is much greater than the results would suggest! Let's not forget he is an F1 race winner, Indycar (CART) champion and former Indy 500 winner! I think he will be very competitive and I predict he will be Penske's top driver come the end of the season. I am all so pleased to see JV back at Indy for the first time since 1995. I was a bit of a fan during his time in F1 and always wanted him to come back to Indycar. I could never understand why he didn't come back sooner. He wasted several years racing in random racing categories around the world instead of competing back where he could have showed off the talent that people sometimes forget he has. Wouldn't be surprised if this is the first of many races. 

MS - As a huge JPM fan, his return is my main focus of the 2014 season.  With Penske there should be no issues with car performance so it should be down to his ability to get back into the swing of things in a single seater after years of NASCAR. JV should be interesting but I can see him struggling more as he is unlikely to get much preparation and has many other projects going on in 2014 to give it his sole focus.

AR - I saw Montoya as a potential race winner this season when his return was announced, after testing, I think he will be one. He will have a great team around him, surrounded by winners and with Roger Penske's desire to get back to the top of the table he could be there or there-abouts. He is also a big name after his time and success in F1 (as is Villeneuve) so the names will naturally attract attention to the series / Indy 500. As for Jacques Villeneuve, how will he do? Tough to say, been out of open wheel / continuous competitive driving for a few years and will take time to get up to speed, mid pack I think...


PictureDuno, Fisher & Patrick have departed (Photo: examiner.com)
This will be the first season in almost a decade without a full time female driver in the series. How does this affect the series and the female fan base (if at all)?

RP – I can see it having a potentially negative effect early on in the season, but I would hope that the strong field of drivers will hopefully outweigh the lack of a (full time) female driver in the series. Overall, we all want to see woman and men treated equally on their ability and talent.

MS – Simona is a loss as she is more talented than Danica.  No driver should get a drive based on gender - we don't want a field of Duno's.  A female racing driver would be good for the series but only if quick enough.  Strangely the corporate dollar has not always followed the female driver which Sarah Fisher will remember despite being a fan favourite for years.

JM – My eldest daughter is 6 and is at the stage where she now asks me every time I watch a race "are there any girls in this race" sadly this year, I will most likely have to say no when she asks me this during an Indycar race. No matter what you think of the skill levels of certain women who have competed in Indycar, they are good for the series in terms of appealing to a wide spectrum of demographics and in Indycars constant pursuit of new fans, that's what is needed. I wish Simona had stayed, she had the talent and the fan appeal to be a bit of a star if she'd had a good car.

DR – I don't think not having a female driver will affect the series at all. Fans follow the sport for its exciting racing and its unique tracks not because it has women racing in it! 

AR – It is sad to see Simona depart for the Sauber F1 team, wish her all the best, from the view point of the series yes it is a shame to see a series that has embraced females not have a full time entry, but the attitude now is one of talent over image, (sadly money too but that is not exclusive to females!). There are a number of females in the Road to Indy programme so the opportunity is still there. I imagine / hope to see a couple at the 500, and some part time entries throughout the season.


PictureTriple Crown Trophy (photo: discoverie.com)
New to this season are the Triple Crown races (Indy 500, Pocono 500 and MAVTV 500 at Fontana) will all be double points races, What are your thoughts on this change?

RP – Well we come up with all the good ideas and double points was one of them ha ha (Indycar UK Fantasy League), I like it. I think somebody on twitter worked out that this all but balances up the points on offer for Road/Street versus Ovals, despite the disparity in the schedule, so it should even up the season in many respects. On the other hand, fail to finish in 1 or 2 of the 3 TC races and your title chances are shot. These place even more of an emphasis on a strong oval season for the title contenders.

MS – I am not a fan of the double points concept in any series.  It is only pipped for the worst points idea by the dropped scores concept.  In this case it tips the scales towards the oval driver/team as well and winning these more gruelling races (particularly the Indy 500) is reward in itself.  It won't stop me watching but not keen.

JM – I said on twitter recently that we Indycar fans can be the most staunchly traditional of any race fans and it's true but we shouldn't be afraid to try new things. Was the old point system broken? No, it wasn't but I really think Verizon and Indycar are determined to make a fresh start this year so why not try shaking things up a little and 500 races stand out a little.

DR – This whole "double points" thing is odd!  I hate the idea in F1, and in a way I can see why they have chosen the three big oval races, but because the 500 is massive should they have just done it for that? In a way that would make sense. 

AR – I am a little split over the double points, not a fan of it in F1 but more accepting in Indycar, at least they are being awarded at three prestigious races / venues. And for those complaining about 'tradition' more points used to be awarded to the longer distance races.The series is clearly looking at ways to spice up the series and this is one way, and to quote William Fichtner, "Not just built on tradition, it invents traditions"


PictureThe Indy Outlaw (Photo: grandepremio)
For the first time since 2004, a driver will be doing 'The Double' of the Indy 500 and the Coke 600. How do you think Kurt Busch will fair at Indianapolis?

RP – Kurt, Montoya and Villeneuve all potentially in one 500 field? Could be plenty fireworks!  He's had his problems not too long ago but appears to have turned a corner, he drove a Champcar previously, so he has open wheel experience.  Could be a very good yardstick to compare both series; Nascar and Indycar.  It'll be a big news story come May, he's doing THE DOUBLE!!

MS – I loved it when Robby Gordon used to do the Indy/Charlotte double so, as a NASCAR fan as well, this is great news.  I like Kurt and he has great passion for racing.  It should create more PR for the series and open it up to more fans though the challenge, as always, is to keep the eyes on the series after the Indy 500.  I for one hope he does well.

JM – While I've never been much of a fan of Kurt, I am a huge fan of his guts and his desire to compete and having a former Nascar Champion speak with reverence for Indy and be excited to compete there is no bad thing.

DR – Kurt Busch running the 500 is great news because it will attract fans who wouldn't normally watch Indycar to see how he is getting on. I hope when they see just how good it is they will think 'I might watch the next race' and then they're hooked. Also other drivers may want to run the 500 in future years, I know it's been rumoured Jimmy Johnson and Kyle Busch have expressed an interest. All good publicity for Indycar! 

AR – As a non Nascar fan can't comment on him that much, but he is a previous champion, with a reputation (both on and off track!) and having him compete at Indy can only be good news for the series, again attracting more eyes to the race, the car and other drivers. As long as her gets a good amount of track time in preparation, I think he could do very well, maybe top ten? As an aside, interesting to see the number of Nascar drivers showing an interest in driving the DW12, mostly test runs at the moment, see Rahal / Earnhardt Jr, for me this shows positive growth for the series in that racers are interested in Indycar again.


Part three, the final part of our preview blogs out tomorrow will be looking at a bit of fantasy for this season and beyond, taking a look at drivers, tracks, and increasing the fan base.

1 Comment

Season Preview - Part One

24/3/2014

0 Comments

 
Back to the beginning and the six twitter users who first started using the #IndycarTeamUK for fun, give their views and opinions on the upcoming season of Indycar and beyond. 

Taking part in Part One this blog are Adrian Rickard (AR), Dave Render (DR), Jason McVeigh (JM), Matthew Spencer (MS), and Robin Panton (RP)

In the first part of our season preview, we look at the length of the season, the new , possible title challengers and the new Verizon title sponsorship deal for Indycar.

What are your feelings toward the length of this season, being only five months, and the possibility of the international races / even longer off season?


RP
- I'm not a fan of the short season to be honest, it’s very short, but I do understand why they are doing it. The international (winter) series....I can’t see it happening, but I hope it does. I've not seen anything announced about it so far.

JM - This off season has felt ridiculously long to the point where even writing this paragraph feels like it's prolonging it even further. St Pete can't get here soon enough. The only problem with that is that the season will be over before we know it and we'll have an even longer wait until the 2015 season. I'm sorry but I just don't see an International schedule coming together in the Autumn and Winter months. From a logistical point of view, there are just too many variables to consider, the least of which is the financial aspect. Indycar is not Formula One (thank goodness I say) and there just isn't the same amount of money in the bank to drag equipment and crew members all around the world during what most would still consider the "off season"

DR - I must say it's disappointing in my opinion, I was hoping for a few new races (road America Michigan, Phoenix, Cleveland). I hear 2015 will be different, we will just have to wait and see. I think the extra race at Indy will either be a big success or a disaster. If the long season lay off is because of the rumoured international non-championship races then that makes sense. All I can do is keep everything crossed that one of those races is in Britain! Seeing Indycar back at Rockinham or Brands Hatch would be amazing!


MS - The season is too compact and gives teams a problem of what to do with staff over a very pro-longed off season.  The season should be longer (not a Winter series) and focused on the Americas.  Many sponsors have no markets in Europe etc. making internationals worthless to them so Mexico, Brazil, possible Argentina and Canada should be the foreign markets they look at only.  The argument that they want to avoid clashing with football, should be forgotten.  If the product is good enough, and promoted, people will watch and in the current era of DVR's watching two sports is not impossible.

AR - I don't mind the season finishing early, I would just prefer it to start earlier too! I feel for the teams though, they are going to be on one hell of a run and if their car(s) have been damaged, they are going to be on it non-stop.The idea of an international series of races is appealing but I will believe it when I see it... One up side is the chance to gain momentum with consistent race weekends, which is easier to attract fans and keep them!

With St Petersburg just around the corner, James Hinchcliffe won the race last year (first of three wins), do you see him stepping up now and becoming a title contender?


RP
- I seem to recall James was very unfortunate last year in a number of races with mechanical issues and silly accidents. He has found his feet, has a few wins under his belt and I hope to see him being a challenger up front most weeks. He has the speed and cut out the rookie mistakes.


DR - I think this could be Hinchcliffe's best season, I think he will be the top Andretti driver come the end of the season.

JM - This could go either way. Either Hinch could take his winning ways to the next level and be a title challenger this year or he could suffer a little from losing Craig Hampson as his engineer. Hampson was the unsung hero of a great 2013 season for Hinch and losing him, coupled with an engine change and a really strong 2014 field, Hinch may struggle just a bit more this year than last year.


MS - Hinch's season did fall away towards the end of the season.  He is PR gold and would be great for the series to see him at the front.  I think he will get wins again but probably not the championship which I see more of a Penske v Ganassi affair.

AR - If the Honda performs well and can take the fight to Chevvy, there is a definite possibility of race wins for James, and then becoming a title fight, last year was a real break out season for him and can look back with confidence knowing he has won races. Possibility a bit better luck needed.

Will Marco or Graham make the step up from 'also rans' of the series to finally contest for race wins week in week out and show consistency they really should be at this stage of their Indycar careers?

RP - They have both have had top leading equipment, they have both had the chance to learn, improve and make big strides forward over a number of seasons.  They have both got the backing and support from 2 legends of the sport. Will Marco or Graham make the step up from 'also rans' of the series to finally contest for race wins week in week out and show consistency they really should be at this stage of their ICS careers?Again another one of my questions, I hope they both step up this year, for the good of the series, they are both American after all and we need a strong American presence up front. But, I can see GR struggling, he’s not looked fast in testing. MA less so, he had a good season last year, made good solid strides.

DR - I remember in 2006 when Marco came on the scene and there was a lot of hype around him, he tested the Honda F1 car. Every season after that I thought 'he's going to kick on here and win a title but he just hasn't done it. I think it's harder for Graham because his team doesn't have the resources that Marco has at Andretti but saying that Graham had his chance to impress Chip when he was at Ganassi racing and didn't. I think ultimately both will end their careers without an Indycar title to their name! 

JM - I'd like to say yes on both accounts as Indycar could really benefit from both being succesful (and creating a rivalry) but I'm just not sure. Both have had a few good opportunities to step up and be consistent winners but for different reasons, it hasn't happened. Sooner or later that lack of consistency has to rest on the shoulders of the drivers. If pushed, I would put my money on Marco breaking out before Graham. I was very impressed with the young Andretti last year, he showed a lot more maturity and he really seems focused on building on a good 2013 with a great 2014. Don't be surprised if you see Marco in victory lane this season at some point.  On the other hand, Graham had a very disappointing 2013 and if the Barber test is anything to go by, those RLL cars might need some work to be fast.

MS - No. Both are average, Ok on their day but not going to win championships. Just look at when Andretti tried A1GP, he was not troubling the front in any shape or form.


AR - A pretty good year in 2013 for Marco is something to build on, he has the team, car and support to take it on to the next level. As for Graham, he now has possibly the best sponsorship package in Indycar, His off track work will go through the roof but most importantly they will be backing him and his team to move up, Wins for both, probably title, not sure...

With the news of Verizon becoming the series title sponsor, where do you feel this leaves Indycar and looking into the future, where it could take them? 

RP - Curt Cavin and Kevin Lee made a great point this week that Verizon do a huge amount of national marketing. Hopefully Indycar can get in on this and be part of it. It’s a major US brand, even more than Izod were, however I do recall the Izod deal being as much of a coup as Verizon a few years ago, look how that turned out. Most importantly they have a title sponsor, it will give the series major medium term stability.

DR - Having Verizon on board as a title sponsor is brilliant news for Indycar, they badly need a big name, a company to take Indycar to places it just couldn't reach before. I just hope this isn't just another false dawn.

JM - Up, up and away to bigger and better things. You really cannot stress enough the importance of, not just a title sponsor but a title sponsor who wants to actively promote and market the series. The fact that Verizon are a hugely successful and wealthy company just makes it all even sweeter. Make no mistake, this won't change Indycar overnight but over time and with a lot of hard work and good decisions, this partnership has the chance to maybe, just maybe, help return Indycar to it's CART heyday.


MS - Having Verizon as a title sponsor is good news. They have already promoted their involvement in the series prior to this season and that can surely only increase. It is also a known brand to many with the potential to opening it open to new fans.

AR - This is huge for Indycar, not only gaining a big sponsor, but one that has been around the series, established their grounds and now kicking on. The most promising aspect of the deal, besides the financial injection is the work they look like they will be doing in promoting the series, car and drivers. The early promo spot was a great example, hopefully of things to come.

Part Two is out tomorrow, featuring thoughts on females, the Indy 500, Kurt Busch and double points.
0 Comments

Britain's Forgotten Champion - Johanna (@writebend)

24/3/2014

5 Comments

 
As the Verizon IndyCar series enters its final build up to the opening race of 2014 there’s a familiar name missing from the timing sheets and entry lists. It’s a name that has become synonymous with IndyCar and success over the years… so why is it also a name that many Brit’s have never heard of?

With four IndyCar Championships, three Indy 500 victories, 31 race wins and 32 pole position awards, Dario Franchitti’s name is rightly etched in the record books alongside the likes of Unser, Andretti, Foyt and Jones et al. Yet outside of the IndyCar community and his native Scottish home, his name will largely elicit blank stares. Because thanks to very poor media coverage here in Britain, Dario’s name has never become as renowned and revered as those of his own motor racing heroes, Jim Clark and Jackie Stewart.

Even compatriot David Coulthard became a household name during his long but largely under-achieving F1 career. Yet Dario’s wins have been woefully under reported and celebrated here in the UK. I understand and appreciate that Formula One will always be seen as the pinnacle of motorsport but the absence of an F1 drive from Dario’s CV doesn't diminish his achievements. It certainly doesn't warrant the rather contemptuous way the UK media have treated him. For example, the day after he won his third Indy500 my newspaper ran a two page spread about Australian Mark Webber winning the Monaco GP. Yet a British winner of the biggest motorsport spectacle in the world was given a tiny insert and blurred pictured in the bottom corner - which was in itself more than I expected. And while Dario did a huge week long media tour in the USA, he wasn’t even featured on UK television and not a single interview was performed.

Indeed the only time Dario has made mainstream UK news was following his horrendous, career ending crash in Houston. But rather typically these reports chose to totally ignore all he’d achieve and focused instead on repeated, sensationalised footage of the accident. Seemingly mixed with a competition to see how many different mispronunciations they could make of his name. Shockingly one channel even thought it was suitable to run footage of his close friend Dan Wheldon’s fatal crash at Las Vegas, barely a week before his memorial. 
PictureBBC Sports Personality of the Year (Photo: BBC)
The same people who exploited Dario’s accident in the immediate aftermath never once gave updates on his progress or wrote a single word about his subsequent retirement either. No retrospective celebration of his career in the sports pages, no touching tribute on the yearly sports round up at the BBC’s SPOTY. Would it really have been so hard for the UK to acknowledge one of our most successful British racing drivers of recent times?

Thankfully, whilst the UK media may have overlooked Dario, in spite of the often poor coverage, a large core of IndyCar fans here in Blighty have acknowledged, celebrated and enjoyed Dario’s career - myself very much included.

PictureFormula Vauxhall Juniors (Photo: motorsport.ie)
I personally first saw Dario race in his Formula FVJ/Lotus days, way back when we were both just teenagers. Following his McLaren Autosport Young Driver award and Formula Three season, I followed his career to DTM with Mercedes. I was greatly indebted to my neighbours at the time who, whilst working away, allowed me to ‘borrow’ their newly installed satellite. So using a very crude method of a cable running from their ASTRA box to my TV, via open windows, I was able to enjoy two years of cracking action from the DTM/ITC championship! 

PictureNo hare on this one (Photo eBay.com)
Watching Dario going wheel to wheel with Bernd Schneider, Klaus Ludwig etc. as well as fellow ‘young guns’ at the time, Jaun Pablo Montoya and Jan Magnusson was well worth the occasionally soggy carpet when it rained. I still have vivid memories of Dario hitting and totally obliterating a hare at the Nurburgring, which eventually ruined his race as the tiny bones clogged up the engine. Fortunately the RC model I still have of his C-Class Merc is authentic in every way apart from the hare guts! 

PictureHogan Racing #9 (Photo: autoracing.com.br)
Of course I continued to follow Dario’s career when he made the move to America for IndyCar with Hogan Racing in 97, even finally getting my own satellite TV installed in order to watch Eurosport’s rather shaky coverage. It didn’t bode well reading about Dario’s first test on an oval track, when he jumped straight out of the car and promptly fell over from the dizziness. Who’d have thought then that he would go on to win the Indy 500 three times?

During those early days in Indy/CART Dario would write a diary on his website following each race. As I didn’t have internet at home then, each post-race Wednesday I would visit my library’s swanky new tech centre to sneakily download Dario’s missives onto floppy disc for later perusal. And yes, I do re-read them even now, still laughing at tales of Zanardi’s Pasta parties and Montoya’s pink leather motorhome.

As well as satellite TV and internet, I also have Dario to thank for being able to combine my love of travel and motorsport too, attending the fabulous Surfers Paradise race in Australia twice. They certainly didn't call it the Indy-Carnival for nothing. I have such fantastic memories of both events, from sun, sea, sand and Mariachi Bands to Austin Powers, hugs from Barry Green, hiding from Bobby Rahal and an offer of a cigar I almost couldn't refuse…but that’s another story! All in all they were hugely enjoyable experiences that I will remember to my dying day. 

PictureDario at Rockingham (Photo: Wilf Rickard)
Sadly I never got the chance to see Dario race in the USA, something I deeply regret now. In fact the last time I saw him race was at the purpose built UK oval circuit in Rockingham back in 2002, which was to be his last ChampCar win.

I’ve continued to follow the many ups and downs throughout Dario’s career though. Celebrating the incredibly proud highs of close run, hard fought championships and Indy 500 wins. Enduring the tedious political turmoil and inevitable injury frustrations. And sadly coping with the soul crushing, heart-breaking lows of losing friends to this sometimes fickle sport we love…

It has certainly been quite a journey but one I wouldn’t have missed for the world. However, I’m just deeply saddened that it’s a journey so many people have missed out on. Britain should be ashamed of itself for how it’s shunned and overlooked Dario Franchitti.

Much of the UK media and general public may have missed your career Dario but the IndyCar community and fans didn't and we will greatly miss seeing you out on track at St Pete’s. Good luck in this new chapter of your career and above all…

Thank you from the people who always did know your name and always will. 


You can follow Johanna on Twitter

5 Comments

    Author

    Write something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview.

    Archives

    October 2014
    September 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014
    March 2014

    Categories

    All

    RSS Feed

Powered by Create your own unique website with customizable templates.