New Design and a "Thank You"

Well, obviously if you're reading this post, you've seen the new site design. I think it adds a lot to the site, I hope you all like it as well. Thanks to my top secret designer - big fan. As we continue to grow our membership, we will continue to make improvements to the site and add more and more functionality and content.

I also wanted to thank one of our very own, xorpheous, for putting together a banner for IndyCar Garage - check it out in the "photos" section of the site... looks awesome! It's so great seeing everyone interact on the site and keep our fellow members up to date on the series news...and to think, the season hasn't even started yet.

Can't wait for Saturday!

Bring on the sponsors!

IndyCar officials and Peak Performance Products representatives announced today that Peak Motor Oil will be the official sponsor of the pole award at each race in the 2008 season. Although some of these types of sponsorships existed in years past, it almost means a little more this year. These are the types of sponsors that will help the series grow and attract and retain the best drivers. Ok, bring on the season already!

Personal Blogs...Start one on your page!

I just saw a thread started on Talkback that got me thinking about IndyCar Garage. I want to encourage everyone that is a member of the site to use the blog feature on your personal page. For some, it will be a great entry into the world of blogging. It's not hard at all and it's a really great way to start discussions about the sport that everyone here is so passionate about. It's also a great way to continue to have our community bring great coverage of the IndyCar Series.

For an example of what/how to blog on this site, check out TopKartGirl's page. She's got a blog that is up to date and usually offers some insight that she has on the IndyCar Series, or, just a general post about what's on her mind. It will give you an idea on what a blog looks like on this site as well as what people can see, comments they can make, etc.

For newcomers to the site, it's a great way to get to know the existing members quickly and get involved in the site. Anyway, that's just my two cents...if you do start one, shoot me a message on the site and let me know so I can check it out.

Ok, now I'm really interested...

So, as of a few days ago, Forsythe Racing was not going to make the transition to the IndyCar Series. Now, there appears to be a strategic partnership between Forsythe and Conquest Racing. Conquest, as we all know, has confirmed that Franck Perera will drive one of their cars this season. Their other driver has yet to be named...

Could it be PT? He's still under contract with Forsythe Racing so that would make sense. What's interesting (and I'm not really suggesting anything by saying this) but Forsythe Racing also has ties to former open wheel racers - A.J. Allmendinger, Patrick Carpentier and Jacques Villeneuve who are currently (struggling) NASCAR drivers. Could be some interesting developments in the next few days.

Texas Motor Speedway: The Challenge

So, have you seen this story? I know it's NASCAR, but this is just too ridiculous not to talk about on any race-related site.

Eddie Gossage, President of Texas Motor Speedway, has stated that he will give $15,000 to any NASCAR Cup driver who throws his helmet on the track during competition from now until April 6th. Wait....what?

The reasoning behind offering this ridiculous reward is that NASCAR "needs to bring some drama back into the series." What's next? Hitting each other with metal chairs after the race? Maybe Hulkamania? The worst (and most hilarious) part of this, is that there are people who AGREE with this....

(Excerpt from SportingNews.com)
Speedway Motorsports Inc. Chairman and CEO Bruton Smith, told of the reward, noted that "a lot of good things come out of Texas that are extremely clever. We need drama. We don't have enough drama anymore. We need somebody to get out of the car and slap somebody."
http://www.sportingnews.com/yourturn/viewtopic.php?t=367655

Wait a minute, you agree with throwing your helmet at another driver ON THE TRACK, DURING A RACE?

NASCAR, go ahead and add some drama....I hope the IRL keeps its drama on the actual race.

Will Paul Tracy have a seat?

A post in the forum section of the site regarding Paul Tracy's future in the IndyCar series had quite a bit of response from other members. Clearly, it's a hot topic. I think the reaction of the members (19 replies already) shows just why Paul Tracy should have a seat in the series...somewhere. That kind of knee jerk reaction shows the connection that PT has with open wheel racing and the kind of following Tracy generates.

He was one of the most accomplished drivers in the Champ Car series and it's most recognizable driver. Bottom line...he brings eyes to the series. People will talk about him and the series on and off the track -- that's a good thing. The IRL has only reached that kind of following with Danica (modeling/advertising) and Helio (dancing). I know some aren't big fans of him, but at least they have some kind of connection to him -- love/hate.

So, this begs the question...where will he find a seat? Vision would seem a likely place - Tony has already invested quite a bit of money to make this merger work and to not have the most popular driver in the CC make the switch, could devalue the move. Another rumor is that Ganassi has toyed with the idea of fielding a third car - it's also one of the few teams that can afford Tracy, who has said that he wants $1 million/year.

Thoughts on the interview with TG and KK....

I hope that a lot of you caught the interview on SPEED this evening. The interview with Tony George, and former (isn't it great to say former) Champ Car World Series owner, Kevin Kalkhoven, provided some insight on where they believe the series should go and what the next few years will look like.

It's pretty clear that that direction that the IRL was going before this merger is the direction they will continue on. Specifically, the oval, street and road courses will make up the series. I believe this is the best possible race structure. The street/road courses will appeal to former Champ Car fans, some US-based F1 fans, and generally a younger fan base. The ovals will appeal to the older generation that remember the series for what it was before the split.

There was some discussion of the 2010 season when the new chassis will be introduced to the series and how that will affect that quality of racing. It seems like the series is really excited about that year - probably wishing it was coming in 2009, not 2010. I think in the coming years we're going to see some interesting additions to the cars...the different sets of tires, I think the nose on the cars will change, there was even discussion of using the turbo feature that the Champ Car series had. I'm not so sure about the turbo but I love the other two additions and I think they could bring a lot to the IRL.

As for this year, KK made reference to a few teams from Champ Car that have committed to racing in the series this year (which we knew) and a few others that were seriously considering it. My guess is that the few that have already committed will be the only teams that actually compete. The other teams may run the 500 and maybe some of the road courses, but not the entire season. Testing for Homestead starts tomorrow and they're going to need to play catch-up.

Will be interesting to see who shows up this week at Homestead. Can't wait!

Finally...

Well it finally came. The answer we have been waiting to hear for the last few days (or for more than 10 years for some). The series have merged and there is now one open-wheel series in the US.

So as excited as everyone has been for this news, I think there have been some who haven't really stopped to think about what this could mean for the series...A few thoughts of mine below...

- More sponsor dollars. Splitting a target market into two series and then splitting sponsor dollars between the two series just doesn't make sense. Advertisers going after the type of consumer who follows open-wheel racing now have a single series to put money into. I think this can only be a good thing for both sides.

- More talent in the series. The best of the best in US open wheel racing. This will make for more exciting racing, including more cars competing for spots in each race. Qualifying will become more important which will cause teams to improve in order to compete amongst themselves and improve the level of racing in the series.

- Names. Like it or not, Champ Car did have some big name drivers in the series. Fan favorite (ha!) Paul Tracy and son of legend Bobby Rahal, Graham, the influx of big name drivers to go along with the stars of the IndyCar series will provide fans the opportunity to build some team/driver loyalty in the same way that NASCAR has done. The merchandising opportunities with that kind of driver loyalty are huge.

- More races. This one is pretty simple for the fans - we love it! But, this also adds a few more races to get sponsors -- that's a good thing.

- Bottom line...the merger means more money for the series. More money = the absolute best and most popular drivers = the best and most popular racing.

What do you think will be the biggest results/changes coming away from this announcement?

Not yet...

Well, sounds like the press conference may be on hold. Originally rumored to be scheduled for 11:45, that time may be pushed back...We'll do our best to keep everyone posted as I find out information and I urge you all to do the same!

One of the most interesting developments is the IRL Japan race (4/19) and the current Champ Car Long Beach Race (4/20) and the possibility that if the series merged they could run both races. The Champ Car racers would race Long Beach and the IndyCar drivers would race Japan and both races would count in the points (at least that's the way I've read it). I think that's not an ideal scenario but if it helps bring the merger to a quicker end, I'm all for it.

Again, we'll keep you posted today as best we can!

Ready...Set...Wait....

When my friend called me Tuesday morning and told me the rumor he had heard about the merger and how it was actually going to happen, I was thrilled to death. Still am. Is it just me, or is anyone else feeling like it's been a year since we first heard the story break. Wait, maybe I'm just thinking of the past 12 years that the series have been split....who knows...

Well, in any event, I'm excited for tomorrow. Just in case you haven't gotten a chance to check out Curt Cavin's blog on IndyStar (who by the way, has some great IndyCar coverage and is featured on the indycargarage.com front page) I figured I'd give you a quick update on what is rumored to be the latest...And again, I have to give Curt Cavin's GREAT coverage of this story all of the credit for this update...I just want to make sure our community has the update as well...

Tony George and KK are having dinner at a restaurant downtown -- (this is my guess -- I'm going to go with St. Elmo's or Harry & Izzy's) and Cavin says he is unsure of whether they will actually reach an agreement tonight. The press conference is tentatively scheduled for 11:45 am EST tomorrow. Word on the street is that it will be a live stream on indycar.com -- I wish I could provide it to our members, but alas, I don't yet have that kind of access....

We'll keep you posted on the latest news tomorrow as best we can!