Edmonton Race Preview

(Can Helio capture win #2 of the 2010 season?)

The IZOD IndyCar Series will take to the streets of Edmonton, in more literal terms, the Edmonton City Centre Airport. 2010 will mark the sixth race in Edmonton; the first three were under the banner of Champ Car and the last two under the IRL. Justin Wilson won in 2006 while driving in Champ Car, Scott Dixon won in 2008 under the first year of unification and Will Power won his only race of 2009 at Edmonton last year driving in the classic yellow Penske Truck Rental machine. IndyCar Garage gives you the storylines to watch and predications for Sunday’s race.


1. Will Power’s dominance is POWERFUL!
Will Power has won four races in 2010, and his results are proven with a healthy 42 point lead in the championship. Power is driving his first full season for Team Penske, and he has been worth every penny of Penske’s three car investment. Power won last year in Edmonton as part of his partial schedule, and he should be considered the favorite for this year as well. I am not wishing bad luck on Power, but I don’t want to see the championship get out of hand, so that when IndyCar gets to the second set of ovals, Power all but has it locked up. Power strength is the road/street courses and its showing, the rest of the field is struggling to keep up.


2. Oh Canada, Canada
The IZOD IndyCar series will wrap up their Canada tour this weekend, as last weeks race at Toronto was the trip north of the U.S. Canada seems to be a good racing venue for the IZOD IndyCar Series, and just today, Edmonton local government, voted to continue racing on the Edmonton City Centre Airport for another three years. Rumors throughout the last six months, had the Edmonton race losing 5 -7 million dollars in revenue, but despite those rumors, the event looks to be locked in for another three years. Canada also has been good to IndyCar veteran Paul Tracy, Tracy is a native of Canada and has found sponsorship through local organizations to help him race in both Canada races in 2009 and 2010 as well.


3. The Brickyard weekend? Your kidding me right?
For some reason, and probably reasons only corporate can explain to me, The Brickyard 400 falls on the same date as the Edmonton race. The Indianapolis Motor Speedway is the home track of the IZOD IndyCar Series and should be treated with respect when NASCAR comes to town, and for the most part it is. The IZOD IndyCar Series shouldn’t be racing on the weekend that NASCAR is in town, because from a fans standpoint, its pretty hard to do both. I know attendance will be down this year at the Brickyard, but if IndyCar really hopes to attract crossover fans from NASCAR, then why would you schedule your race right after NASCAR fans have just watched four hours of coverage on ABC or in the stands at IMS? Yes I will come home and turn on VERSUS and watch the Edmonton race, but how many fans won’t be home by then, or will be headed back to the neighboring states of the Midwest and miss your race all together? The bottom line is that you’re missing out on T.V. coverage and ratings because of the Brickyard and Edmonton being on the same day.


4. Who will be in the mix this weekend?
Last weekend Power and Dario were in the mix all weekend and Justin Wilson was poised to capture the upset. Wilson failed in doing so, but Ryan Hunter-Reay (3rd) Graham Rahal (5th) and Danica Patrick(6th) all took home good finishes and it will be interesting who can carry over that momentum into Edmonton. Rahal will not be racing in Edmonton, but RHR , Danica and the rest of Andretti Autosport appear to have turned the corner on the road/street courses. Continue reading for IndyCar Garage’s pick for this weekend.


5. The War of Words , will carry over into the race?
Several drivers engaged in a war of words last week as a result of the action on the streets of Toronto. KV Racing took out each other, Tagliani and Scheckter are ready to throw down, Briscoe’s wife is ready to take down Graham, Dixon isn’t happy with RHR, and of course Milka lasted eight laps till she was lapped. What does it all mean? Well more bumping, talking, spinning, and good racing hopefully. Fans like to see drama and this isn’t going to turn into NASCAR’s “Have at it boys” but it can fire the drivers up and spice up the series.


6. Predications for Sunday:
IndyCar Garage was three for five last weekend. ICG predicated three out of the five drivers finishing in the top five, and even nailed Dario Franchitti at finishing second. Here are Sunday’s picks , they will be updated after quals to see how ICG is looking.


Predicated Finishes


5th: Ryan Hunter- Reay – Note: Podium last weekend and once again, not feeling the pressure
4th : Alex Tagliani – Note: He is due for a good race on the road/street course
3rd: Scott Dixon – Note: He’ll bounce back from last weekend brush in with Ryan-Hunter Reay
2nd: Justin Wilson – Note: Wilson is to talented not to be in the mix on Road/Street venues
1st: Helio Castroneves – Note: I’ll probably lose again for not having Will Power in the top five, but Helio captures his second win of the season.

Don't expect much (Attendance) From the Brickyard 400

NASCAR invades Indianapolis this week as all three major series of NASCAR will be racing in open wheel country. The Camping World Track Series (CWTS)will hit the payment on Friday night at O’Reilly Raceway Park (ORP), and the Nationwide Series will race on Saturday night at ORP. The headliner, the Brickyard 400, will drop the green flag sometime after 1 p.m. on Sunday afternoon, at the 2.5 mile Indianapolis Motor Speedway with the Sprint Cup Series taking center stage on ABC.

2010 will be the 17th race at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway that features stock cars. The first annual race was held in 1994, as local sprint track hero, Jeff Gordon passed Ernie Ivan late in the race to win his second ever NASCAR race, and it was just short of his 23rd birthday. The race was very popular throughout the 1990’s as 84 drivers were on the entry list in 1994, even A.J. Foyt drove in 94 race, but finished 30th.

The race continued to give NASCAR a huge popularity boost throughout the 1990’s and into the early 2000’s, but when the 2008 tire debacle happened, it was a chip in the armor that might not be easy to repair. 2008 exposed what a lot of fans already knew about NASCAR at IMS, its not a great track for stock cars, its not easy to pass and the race is pretty boring compared to NASCAR’s other superspeedways of Daytona and Talladega.

The attendance for the 2008 Brickyard 400 was a healthy 240,000 fans, 2009 saw attendance dip down to 180,000 and this year figures look to be just short of 150,000.

The economy, declining TV ratings, and just flatness in NASCAR, all have contributed to one of the worst NASCAR seasons in the past 20 years. When I say worst NASCAR seasons in 20 years, I caution that NASCAR is still attracting strong sponsorships, is the second most watched sport next to the NFL, and has all the drivers that common American’s relate to. NASCAR is hurting in attendance, TV ratings (The Daytona 500 was the lowest since 1991), and leadership.

How does this affect the Indianapolis Motor Speedway? It’s too early to tell at this point, but no brain surgeon is needed to figure out that NASCAR revenue going down, only hurts the bottom line at IMS, which owns the Indy Racing League. Will NASCAR continue to race at IMS? Yes probably, as long it makes business sense for the IMS Corporation.

2010 will be a year that NASCAR at the Brickyard, flirts with little or no revenue for the Speedway.

Power has the Will to win and it pays with his 4th victory of the season

Power has the Will to win and it pays with his 4th victory of the season

Will Power took home his 4th IZOD IndyCar Series Victory of the 2010 season by making a late race pass on Justin Wilson. With the victory Power captures his second two race win streak of the season, as he won the opening two rounds in Brazil and St. Pete. Power also increased his lead in the championship to 42 points over second place finisher Dario Franchitti. IndyCar Garage breaks down the Toronto Street Race.


1. An action packed race

Sunday’s race featured six cautions for a total of 21 laps, that’s nearly 25% of the race. Several drivers made contact over the course of the 1.75 mile street course and it showed with the frustration and damage after the race. KV Racing had three cars involved in incidents over the course of the race and only had half of their four cars running in the end. Team Penske drivers Ryan Briscoe and Helio Castroneves both had accidents that cost them dearly in the championship and during the race. Alex Tagliani and Tomas Scheckter had words on pit lane as the result of late race contact. For fans that aren’t crazy about the street course races, Toronto offered a lot of action and drama.

2. Attendance looked strong and this event seems to be growing.

The overhead shots of the grandstands on Sunday look good, as many of the stands appeared to be filled and the surrounding shots showed lots of fans walking around. The IZOD IndyCar Series needs strong events like these in order to help the buzz around the series. The question that should be answered over the next couple days is, did NASCAR being off on Sunday and the race being shown on network T.V. lead to improved T.V Ratings? Time will tell, if I am the IZOD IndyCar Series, anything over a 1.0 is a good shot in the arm.

3. Andretti Autosport walks away with a solid day.

On a day when one of the super powers has two cars out of the race, Andretti Autosport took full advantage and put three of its four cars in the top six. Ryan Hunter-Reay, Tony Kanaan, and Danica Patrick, finished 3rd, 4th, and 6th respectively, and if you throw in Marco Andretti at 8th, Andretti Autosport made up 50% of the top 8. Sunday was a very strong day for Michael Andretti’s team and hopefully a sign of times to come for the four car team.

4. Paul Tracy leads laps but can’t hang

Paul Tracy almost has the perfect strategy when all but two cars pitted on lap 16, but Tracy couldn’t hold off Dario Franchitti and Will Power in the early stages of the race, and ultimately finished 13th. Tracy is a fan favorite in the two Canadian races, and ultimately the IZOD IndyCar Series would benefit from him being a full time driver, but for the time being, Tracy remains a part-time participate.

5. Graham Rahal and Simona de Silverstro post season high finishes.

Graham drove for his fourth team of the 2010 season and posted his highest finish of the season. Rookie Simona de Silverstro came through with a strong drive for small team HVM. Rahal and Silverstro are popular among the fans and talented young drivers, the league needs to capitalize off these two individuals and promote them as up and coming superstars. Rahal is the future of IndyCar racing as the young , second generation American driver, and Silverstro may very soon supplant Danica Patrick as the most talented female in the IZOD IndyCar Series if Patrick decides to go NASCAR full time. Watch out for Rahal and Silverstro for the rest of 2010.

6. Final Results posted below – Scroll down to see how IndyCar Garage finished in their top five predications.


1. (2) Will Power, Dallara-Honda, 85, Running
2. (5) Dario Franchitti, Dallara-Honda, 85, Running
3. (4) Ryan Hunter-Reay, Dallara-Honda, 85, Running
4. (8) Tony Kanaan, Dallara-Honda, 85, Running
5. (14) Graham Rahal, Dallara-Honda, 85, Running
6. (12) Danica Patrick, Dallara-Honda, 85, Running
7. (1) Justin Wilson, Dallara-Honda, 85, Running
8. (10) Marco Andretti, Dallara-Honda, 85, Running
9. (21) Simona de Silvestro, Dallara-Honda, 85, Running
10. (15) Dan Wheldon, Dallara-Honda, 85, Running
11. (26) Vitor Meira, Dallara-Honda, 85, Running
12. (22) Hideki Mutoh, Dallara-Honda, 85, Running
13. (24) Paul Tracy, Dallara-Honda, 84, Running
14. (20) Mario Moraes, Dallara-Honda, 84, Running
15. (19) Tomas Scheckter, Dallara-Honda, 84, Running
16. (16) Bertrand Baguette, Dallara-Honda, 84, Running
17. (9) Alex Tagliani, Dallara-Honda, 84, Running
18. (7) Ryan Briscoe, Dallara-Honda, 83, Running
19. (13) E.J. Viso, Dallara-Honda, 82, Running
20. (6) Scott Dixon, Dallara-Honda, 71, Contact
21. (11) Raphael Matos, Dallara-Honda, 64, Contact
22. (17) Mario Romancini, Dallara-Honda, 31, Contact
23. (23) Alex Lloyd, Dallara-Honda, 26, Contact
24. (3) Helio Castroneves, Dallara-Honda, 21, Contact
25. (18) Takuma Sato, Dallara-Honda, 15, Contact
26. (25) Milka Duno, Dallara-Honda, 8, Handling


7. ICG Predications – See below –

Picked three of the top five finishers correct and nailed Dario at #2

Predicated 5th place finisher – Dan Wheldon – Actual finish – 10th
Predicated 4th place finisher – Ryan Hunter-Reay – Actual finish - 3rd
Predicated 3rd place finisher – Graham Rahal – Actual finish – 5th
Predicated 2nd place finisher – Dario Franchitti – Actual finish – 2nd
Predicated 1st place finisher – Paul Tracy – Actual finish 13th

Toronto Race Preview

(Could Paul Tracy win his third career Toronto race? It would be give him a win in every decade he's raced in at Toronto)

The IZOD IndyCar Series prepares for round ten of their 2010 season and they take to the streets of Toronto, Canada for a 1.75 mile street race that saw Dario Franchitti take the checkered flag in 2009. IndyCar Garage gives you six storylines heading into race weekend.

1. The sixth road/street course of the season should offer plenty of action.

26 driver/car combinations are entered for this weekend’s race, and this field is arguably as strong as the Indy 2010 Indy 500 field. Paul Tracy, Graham Rahal, and Tomas Sheckter will field cars through various sponsorship deals, and their presence boosts the competition to higher levels. Tracy got involved with Helio Castroneves at this track last year and both of their days were ended prematurely. Toronto should offer passing zones, and with the overtake assist button in play this year, the racing should be competitive for a road/street course venue.

2. The new chassis announcement should spur plenty of quotes, thoughts and reactions from the paddock.

Toronto will be the first venue where the entire series will have the chance to talk and discuss the selection of the 2012 IndyCar. Opinions have varied in the last 24 hours, but for the most part, fans and owners seem happy with the direction that 2012 offers for IndyCar. Look for plenty of discussion and newsworthy quotes to come out of the paddock this weekend.

3. PT = back in the game

Paul Tracy, believe it or not, with Sunday’s race will have raced at this track in three different decades. Tracy won in Toronto in 1993 with Penske and 2003 with Forsythe Racing. Tracy will be racing in second race of the 2010 season, as he drove last weekend at Watkins Glen, but missed the 2010 Indy 500. Tracy is a character that drives hard and provides personality for the series, his ability to push the car and other drivers to the limit is something that does not go unnoticed.

4. The Championship hunt heats up

Will Power has nice 32 point lead over Dario Franchitti, but don’t forget that Franchitti won at Toronto in 2009. Power has been the dominate driver on the road/street courses, as all three of wins in 2010 have come on non-oval circuits. Power has taken the most of his first full season ride with Team Penske, and recovered nicely from his back injury in 2009. Keep an eye on Power and Franchitti throughout the weekend, as every point is circuital at this junction in the season.

5. Upset special?

The Road and street courses usually offer the chance for unknown driver/team to sneak onto the podium or into victory lane. Justin Wilson was a prime example of that last year at Watkins Glen and Ryan Hunter-Reay ended Andretti Autosport’s winless streak earlier in the year at Long Beach. The ovals are usually dominated by Penske/Ganassi, but the road/street course venues usually provide several teams to have a shot at victory. Qualifying won’t be broadcast this week, due to the race being on ABC, but usually in the Firestone Fast Six, four to five teams will be represented.

6. Predictions for Sunday’s race at 12:30 on ABC

The last time IndyCar Garage made race predications, ICG predicated that Briscoe would win at Texas and he did. I’ll give you the top five:

5th – Dan Wheldon – Note: He drove a heck of a race at Watkins Glen
4th – Ryan Hunter-Reay Note: His season is secure sponsorship wise, no pressure now
3rd – Graham Rahal – Note: Young Rahal doesn’t feel the pressure of being out of the series and brings a podium home for Newman/Haas
2nd – Dario Franchitti – Note: Franchitti creeps up on Power in the championship
1st – Paul Tracy – Note: I know this is somewhat of a long shot, but he is a two time winner at this course and had a car to win last year until he was wrecked by Castroneves

2012: A brand new world for IndyCar

The Indy Racing League took a big leap into their future by announcing the 2012 IZOD IndyCar Strategy today at the Indianapolis Museum of Art. A standing room crowd witnessed the introduction of long time partner Dallara being selected as the sole chassis supplier, or in newer terms the Indy Safety Cell. The kick behind Dallara being selected is that the aero packages are now open to anyone who is willing to build one, get it approved by the league and keep the costs under 70k.

A host of government employees, series officials, drivers, and members from the Hulman George family all watched the nearly hour long presentation. Randy Bernard kicked off the presentation by explaining how the seven person ICONIC committee came to their decision, and then a tape of the ICONIC members voting was played from earlier in the day.

A very technologic visual demonstration was then put on and reviewed how the new generation of IndyCars would look and possibly be diverse.

The ICONIC panel was then introduced and each member gave a short message about the decision and impact that it will give to IndyCar.

A formal Q&A followed with media members. IndyCar Garage gives you the break down of 2012 will look for IndyCar.

What will make 2012 different?

Several aspects and the most important are costs. The new car will be almost 50% cheaper than the current Dallara. The safety cell will cost $349,000, and with Dallara bodywork kit, it could raise to $385,000. To top it off, a 150K discount will be given to the first 28 cars that are purchased from an Indianapolis based team (Sorry Penske you can’t buy 15).

Secondly will be the newly aero kit package. Opening up the aero kit package to anyone who wants to build one, will allow multiple manufactures to come into IndyCar and possibly rebrand an IndyCar as a Chevy IndyCar for example. The kits have to be approved by the league and kept under 70k, but it allows for ANYONE to build one. IndyCar Garage could build one, if they had the backing.

When do we get to see the new car?

This question is probably the scariest for IndyCar. Brian Barnhart was quoted as saying the new car would be ready to roll off in October of 2011, that isn’t much extra time for delays or screw ups. Testing could be done in early January of 2012 and the 2012 schedule kicking off in early March of, it creates a TIGHT timeline for the new cars.

Where will the new car be built?

This was a big part of the press conference and literally drew Indiana Governor Mitch Daniels, Indianapolis Mayor Greg Ballard, and Speedway Redevelopment Executive Director Scott Harris onto to the stage for different speaking parts. Dallara will build a 12 million dollar building in the heart of Speedway, Indiana, directly on Main Street which is in phase one of their redevelopment process. The Dallara building will bring over 75 new jobs into Speedway and also bring more investors into the area of Main Street in Speedway. This commitment to Speedway is huge on Dallara's part, and it also gives the league access to their manufacture, by being within a few hundred yards. Dallara building a factory in Speedway, probably swung the committee in their direction for good.

What does this all mean?

It means IndyCar can get back to what made it famous back in the 1960’s and 1970’s, in theory anyone can show up with something they built and go racing. The announcement today was the best way that IndyCar could reduce costs, increase partipaction, and have a diversity of cars on the track. It’s a huge step in the right direction and Randy Bernard is a big part of that, his outside the box thinking is what IndyCar needs and has the sport going in the right direction.

A two seater ride at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, an experience like no other

A two seater ride at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, an experience like no other


IndyCar Garage recently had the pleasure of taking some hot laps around the Indianapolis Motor Speedway at over 180 mph and lived to tell about it. IndyCar Garage would like to thank and commend the Indy Racing Experience, as my thrilling ride around the 2.5 oval is something that I will never forget. Below is how the experience went.

The Pre-Ride build up

The experience starts around in the garages right next to pit plane, as your group will meet at the designated area. Once you sign your name a few different times, you are fitted for your own fire suit, shoes, and even have your own assigned locked if needed. While your preparing to dress like a real driver, the two seater cars are getting prepped, warmed up, and fueled up for their laps. Once you exit the garage in your fire suit and your family has snapped about a dozen photos already, you begin the walk down the famous pit lane.

Pit Lane

Immediately exiting the garage, you get chills through your body as you see the massive grand stands that surround turn one and pit lane. Everywhere you turn, you see why they call the Indianapolis Motor Speedway the greatest race track in the world. You continue to walk down pit lane and just continue to stare and look around as your mind starts to wonder what it’s like on race day when over 300,000 people fill the stands. The Indy Racing Experience (IRE) officials walk you down to the end of pit lane, so that you’re literally standing within an arms reach of pit wall and a short rock throw of the track. The two seater cars are warmed up and ready to go and the people in the front of the line are now getting fitted for helmets, face mask, and gloves.

The Drivers


Davey Hamilton, Arie Luyendyk Jr, and Stephan Gregoire are your regular drivers for most IRE, but in some cases, several former Indy 500 winners and IZOD IndyCar drivers have driven for the IRE, among the notable names: Al Unser, Johnny Rutherford, Arie Luyendyk, Al Unser, Jr., Mario Andretti, Buddy Lazier, Buddy Rice, Dan Wheldon, Dario Franchitti, Michael Andretti, Ryan Briscoe, Sarah Fisher, Robby Gordon, Tony Kanaan, Vitor Meira, and Danica Patrick,
The day I was riding, I was looking at either Davey, Stephane or A.J. Foyt IV. As the riders are getting ready for their experience, the drivers are suiting up and getting into the cars. The fun now is about to begin.


The Indy Racing Experience at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway

I was toward the back of the line of about 35 people, but I didn’t care, I was still in aw of standing on pit lane and watching everything take place in front of me. The first round of riders is ready to go and the cars are pushed away, the smell of fresh ethanol comes across pit lane. As the first riders finish, you can see the joy and shock that comes across their faces as they are greeted by their families in the post-ride atmosphere. I get my face mask and helmet, and make the mistake of closing my visor right away, luckley my friends help me out and raise it up so it doesn’t get foggy.

The finger is pointed at me and I begin to walk to my IndyCar two seater. I will be riding in the brand new IZOD two seater, the same IndyCar two seater that Mark Walhberg rode in prior to the drop of the green flag for the 2010 Indy 500. Today the car is wrapped in Venom livery after Andretti Autosport driver Marco Andretti.

I sit down in the car and immediately get told to drop my shoulders more and sit back more, it feels like I am almost laying back to sun tan. I am all strapped in and I reach for my visor and the IRE staff tells me that they will take care of it, my ride is now on deck. 30 seconds pass and my visor is shut and Stephane hits the gas, I immediately feel like I am doing 75 mph on the high way because of the acceleration out of pit lane, in reality I probably was only doing 40 mph. The car reaches the back stretch and I start to realize how fast we are going to go and we haven’t even reached our first lap let. I start to look around and try to take in everything that is around the track. I have been to the track several times over the course of my life, but never at these speeds. We reach turn four and I try to find my 500 seats, but its no luck, I don’t even think I saw the North West Vista, just a bit of Stand J. We fly down the main straightaway and take the green flag (no one is waving though).


I would guess we are up to 150 – 160 mph going into the first turn of my first lap, as we go through the turn, I feel like my whole body is going to go straight through the ride side of the tub of the car, but it never does, the feeling was surreal. We get through two and hit the back stretch of my first lap, I start to feel my helmet lift up, I realize that air is starting to lift it up because we have increased our speed to around 180-190. I had no clue how we would get through turn three, and before I realize it, we are in the short shoot between three and four. Speaking of four, it’s a blur and I barley catch the birds nest seats at the top.

We come down the straightaway to complete my first lap and I still have no clue how we are only going 180 mph, it felt so much faster. I try to spot my family and wife inside of turn one near pit lane, but the four dozen people standing down there just look like a small spot, in reality I just saw some red spots. Going through turn one the second time makes me feel the G force more than ever, as my head is almost pulled to the left. I see the turn two suites and think of the several wrecks that took place there in last months 500. We enter the back straightaway and I remember everything being quicker than the first lap and I start to realize my ride is quickly coming to an end after this lap. I manage to spot the North West Vista this time and check out the Pagoda on the front straight. We cross the yard of bricks at full 180 mph, but it feels much faster. I start to appreciate how cool of a gift this was, and don’t want my ride to end yet, but my head is feeling a little weird.


Turns one and two feel just like the first two laps and I try to slow things down in my head as we go down the back straightaway, as we get into turn three, Stephane starts to let off the gas because he will be entering pit road after he gets through four. As we come into the pits, I guarantee we would have been given a speeding penalty if it had been a real race. We cross the yard of bricks at what feels like 150 mph, probably only 80 mph and come into where we started.

The Aftermath

The IRE asks how my ride is, I am almost speechless, but I tell them it was amazing, and I am speaking the utter truth. The helmet and face mask come off and I am walking back to my friends and family. They ask me about it, its hard to describe, we snap a few more pictures and then I take the walk back to the garage and get out of my first suit. All I could think about during that walk was: It’s already over?

How to make the July 14th Announcement work

Indianapolis Museum of Art pictured above

(Site of the July 14th announcement)


The IZOD IndyCar Series is about to announce the most important decision in the short 15 year history of the Indy Racing League. In just over a week, at the Indianapolis Museum of Art(IMA)(pictured above), Randy Bernard and the rest of the series will announce which chassis package will used for the next generation of IndyCars. Opinions vary on which way the series is leaning and per Bernard on IndyCar.com; a vote will be take the morning of the announcement. I find it hard to believe that they will be voting on the morning of July 14th, but lets just believe for the sake of arguing. IndyCar Garage gives the IZOD IndyCar Series several ways to make the July 14th announcement historic, special and newsworthy.

1. The date itself is a step in the right direction

The original date for the chassis announcement was scheduled for June 30th, lucky for IndyCar, Randy Bernard saw a wide open window a few weeks down the road, and yes that window was July 14th. July 14th is one of two days out of the year when no professional sports will take place, therefore it makes for one of the slowest days in sports throughout the year. The World Cup will be over, hopefully Lebron has made up his mind, and even the Sprint Cup series in NASCAR is even off the weekend of July 18th. Bernard knew this and took the opportunity to not let the announcement get washed away to the back page of newspapers. Bernard made a great play in postponing the announcement.

2. Get T.V. COVERAGE for this event.

VERSUS wants to build up IndyCar right? Then tell VERSUS, your partner for 12 of 17 races, that they have to do a one hour program about the announcement. VERSUS should have a mini-stage setup at IMA, Bob Jenkins and crew should be there live. They should be interviewing team owners and drivers prior to the announcement and then carry the press conference live itself. Will this one hour program get huge T.V. ratings? Probably not, but it at least gives your die hard fans and possibly new fans a chance to watch it on T.V. You also can pitch this program to your new sponsors for 2011 and beyond. Don’t tell sponsors to watch it live on IndyCar.com, send them a DVD of the Versus program if they miss it. You can tell me IndyCar.com is an option, but I don’t think that your going to get near the audience on IndyCar.com as you would on VERSUS. I’ll make the NASCAR analogy, if the Sprit Cup was about to introduce a new car, SpeedTV would be all over the announcement and coverage. VERSUS should and needs to step up for this announcement.

3. The announcement itself should blow everyone away

I don’t care if your selecting Dallara as the new chassis manufacture for 2012, you better find a way to blow everyone’s socks off, including Robin Millers. I’ve heard every possible theory of who and what is going to be selected, but whether it be Dallara and Lola, just Lola, just Dallara, or all five manufactures, something needs to buzz about this announcement. Dallara has said they would build the car locally in Speedway, Indiana. Have the Speedway Redevelopment commission at the press conference to help them talk about how Dallara will bring jobs, money and investment into Speedway. Other possible solutions? Have celebrities at the announcement to draw more press, a really cool idea would be a prototype of the new car, but that seems very unlikely, unless Delta Wing is selected and they push it around. Have livery on the new car when its unveiled, anything that can give people more to talk about it, is very good.

4. Announce that IndyCar has secured another engine manufacture, such as Ford or Chevy and have them at the announcement with the chassis.

The engine package was announced almost a month ago, well the new engine formula per say. Honda is the only engine manufacture that has committed to 2012, and they have said they welcome competition. Have Ford and Chevy both at this announcement, and have them promote their intentions to participate in the 2012 IZOD IndyCar Series season. This gives you multiple engine manufactures confirmed for 2012 and forces the press to talk about the chassis and engine combination in the same story.

5. Have Jimmie Johnson, Kasey Kahne, and Kurt Busch all at the press conference

Why would you want all three of these American NASCAR drivers at the press conference? Well simple, once the chassis and engine selection is announced, these three drivers walk into the press conference and announce their intentions to participate in the 2011 or 2012 Indy 500 under the new engine rules that now allow them to participate in both series. We all know many NASCAR drivers can’t run the Indy 500 because of the start time and engines. This allows the four time defending Sprint Cup champion to be present at an IndyCar press conference, and also gives you the youngest new star (Kahne), and a veteran that is in the Penske stable (Busch). Now you have the NASCAR fans crossing over to your press releases to see why their favorite’s drivers are going to try IndyCar.

Connect the dots on Jimmie Johnson for a minute:
1. Bernard meets with him at Eldora Speedway and rumors circulate that

he is in for the Indy 500
2. Johnson takes laps with four time Indy 500 champ Rick Mears to promote the Brickyard 400. (Johnson grew up idolizing Mears)
3. Johnson told local Indy media that he would run the 500 at some point
4. Rumors have been circulating that Johnson is going to form his own IndyCar team at some point, this will give him the opportunity to win the Indy 500 and be considered one of racing greats, along with A.J. Foyt and Mario Andretti.

6. Lastly, give IndyCar fans something to talk about for more than 24 hours.

This point kind of ties in with #3 above, but IndyCar needs an announcement that the racing community is going to talk about for 10 – 14 months. Bernard has done a great job of rekindling energy and buzz into IndyCar, but the announcements that he has made, just don’t seem to last past more than week. Fans talked about the Delta Wing for months because it was so radical, most of the talk was more bad than good, but they talked, analyzed and gave opinions, something IndyCar needs desperately. Cheers to hoping the July 14th announcement is special!