The IndyCar Series still has a race on its calendar for Aug. 19 in Qingdao, China, but the race is anything but a certainty.
According to sources inside the series, race promoter, Yinxin Investment, has not paid a multi-million dollar sanctioning
fee owed to IndyCar, little marketing for the race has been done, tickets are not on sale and current Qingdao government officials
are waffling on whether or not they’ll be able to hold the inaugural street race this year.
While a race in such a far-away place might seem relatively insignificant to a U.S.-based series, the loss of such a race
would mean the loss of considerable exposure in an un-tapped market. Qingdao is a city of 8.7 million along the East China
Sea. But there's more at stake than exposure in that market.
If the race is cancelled, the IndyCar Series will run afoul of its agreement with title sponsor, Izod. That deal mandates
the series has 16 races. IndyCar Series CEO Randy Bernard has recently acknowledged issues with the race in China, and while
he said there's a back-up plan, he hasn’t said what alternatives might be.
Some have speculated the series will try to hold a replacement race at Road America in Wisconsin or even on the road course
at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway or at Lucas Oil Raceway.
Any of those solutions would seem to have problems. First, the series is already set to race in Milwaukee later this month,
just a little more than an hour from the Road America course in Elkhart Lake. Two races in such close proximity would likely
hurt attendance at both events.
IMS and IndyCar officials have been resistant to holding an IndyCar race on the Speedway road course and timing could be
difficult with a NASCAR and MotoGP race already on the slate. Either road course or oval at Lucas Oil Raceway is likely too
small for the open-wheel cars.
There's also talk that any replacement race might be pushed to the end of the season to give the new venue time to plan
and promote the event. The problem with that is promoters for an IndyCar Series race on Sept. 15 in Fontana, Calif. have already
been promoting their event as the series finale.
The race in China isn’t Bernard’s only problem. Izod, the lifestyle and clothing division of Phillips-Van Heusen
Corp., has slowed its promotion of the series this year and appears to be looking to get out of the six-year deal three years
before it expires.
According to several IndyCar sponsors, league officials have been approaching current sponsors about picking up the title
sponsorship deal starting next season.
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Welcome to The Score, your place for hard-hitting sports business news, fast-breaking updates and fuel-injected debate. Buckle up. I'm your host, Anthony Schoettle, IBJ sports reporter.
IndyCar's China race, Izod title sponsorship in jeopardy
June 11, 2012
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Can IBJ please stop referring to this property as "Kessler Mansion"? What a ridiculous title for the biggest, bloated, blight in our city. It's not a mansion. At best, it's an ideal site to shoot low-budget porn. Ahhh! Another business use!
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Its stories like these that prove that a Ball State diploma is worth less than the paper that its printed on. A real institution of higher learning would have taken care of this long ago. No way should this crap be taught in a SCIENCE class.
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It is such a shame that King Ballard has made Indianapolis into Chicago south with all of the rampant corruption.
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How many of these 1,259 bills were actually heard and voted on on the floor vs how many were shot down in committee?
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When a an arrogant young guy with essentially no experience and no qualifications for the job, was dropped into an Administrator position out of nowhere by his "mentor" in the Mayor's office things seemed fishy. Sometimes things are what they seem.
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The sport just cannot sustain a quote/unquote "series" anymore like other sports.
It does not mean the Indy 500 has to be a stand alone. But things seem to dictate a small, third-tier, schedule of a race here and there with a fairly decent purse and a deal where if you buy tickets to that event, you get either free tickets or sustantially--discounted tickets to the Indy 500. Maybe even throw some package deals together for travel, motel, etcetera...doesn't have to a grandise thing. Just make it work.
Come to Gateway and watch the big cars in the 300-miler Saturday night, get two Southeast Vista tickets half-price to next year's Indy 500. Likewise, Pikes, Phoenix, whatever....
The sport is too expensive and irrelevant. A new IndyCar should cost $200,000 to $250,000 tops, with motor. Maybe even less. A budget of $500,000 to a million for the first-class teams should get you a four, five race schedule that is not so much a "series" as we know it today, but support schedule of decent paying races that allow teams to at leats break even and go for broke at Indy where the purse must be the highest possible so that a small team that starts 33rd, lasts 35 laps before the motor blows and finishes 31st, can make enough money in that one race to have paid for the entry, the race, and tow or three more later that summer.
It can be done. Everyone has to think SMALLER, and throw away the notion this sport can sustain a series as we know it. Those days are long gone.
Too bad the geniuses at 16th and Jonestown jettisoned the Australia race by inflating the sanction fee so much that the government over there said that the IRL wasn't worth it. Now you got nothing...
I'm with Burl, flush this thing....did ya see the attendance at Texas? Pitiful. I can't wait for TV ratings to come out. AND, Milwaukee tix sales are virtually non existent. All us haters knew once you change the sanction fee model from pay to FREE it would turn the series upside down. This too will be pinned on Rodeo boy.
What a refreshing vibrant direction this series is heading.
Finish 2012. Call it done. Do not waste anymore money of something so few care about.
Not even my IndyCar racing buddies I go to the "500" with watched Texas Saturday. That use to be must-watch TV.
One of them is turned off by all the foreigners. Another buddy onloy watched Indy anyhow but used to watch Texas, at least, because it was such a show. Now we have even lost guys like that.
Close up shop. Cut losses. Call it what it is. Irrelevant. Resonates with the public about as much as Dario. In other words, whoc ares?
The Texas race while somewhat fun to watch was really sad with the lack of attendance.
And now the China race is going south?
Burl's scenario - while definitely not what IndyCar wants to consider - makes a lot of financial sense for the future of the series. Like it or not, IndyCar has de-evolved into a niche series. Maybe one slight notch higher than the Rolex series (and not for long).
Let's face it, the gear-heads of my generation 50yrs+ are not being replaced by fans who appreciate American open wheel racing. They've either gone to NeckCAR or don't care about racing at all.
Somewhat like the popularity of horse racing and boxing now being well past their time. Sad but appears to be more true with every passing year.
Answer: Because Randy is the head of IndyCar and it's his job and responsibility to make sure the series is safe for the drivers and the fans. I would expect Ropin' Randy to make double/triple sure IndyCar venues are safe for all. Especially after last year's Las Vegas debacle on a track not suited to IndyCar racers.
Just because Penske/GM held the race, the fact remains the track was/is old and apparently no testing (by any group) was done to see if the surface could withstand the new racers. That's a major safety oversight.
Yet you say "the league got paid. And they still managed to have a race." Really? What about fan interest, I don't think Detroit had much of that.
This year's Indy 500 was indeed a great one but the rest of the IndyCar series is not being well received, has gotten no media coverage or fan attendance.
I'm not being a hater. Just stating the facts and what you can plainly see on TV - as in there were NO fans in the stands at Texas Saturday night. Really sad.
There were not alot of fans in the stands saturday which is sad because it was a good race. That is probably why Randy is rethinking that approach on whether to go back next year. It has to be viable.
These two either inform Mr. Bernard how it will be or ignore him altogether so as not to waste time. Corrective interviews are quick and to the point, I am certain.
Sadly for all involved, termination is near for all.
When a new schedule comes out, supporting the Indy 500, in the manner I have suggested, small-scale, almost pro-am in nature, I think it would be best for the H-G family to consider the exclusion of said parties.
I would much rather see a WoO team or an SCCA team hire a Clauson or a Meira and run Indy for the pure love and hell of it, and then go have a beer and a bratwurst, then Mr. Penske and Mr. Ganassi gloat and self-serve. And so would just about anybody else who had paid money and time to follow this sport over the years.
It is all about Indy. Make it so. And add in a 300-miler here, a twin 150's there, on a summer night over there, or a Fall Sunday there, so real race car driver's from whatever discipline they are in, can get a little IndCar seat time, an extra pay check, and get ready for the next May.
IIt has been proven out, people do not watch the Indy 500 or an Indy Car race to see Chip Ganassi or Roger Penske or any blowhard owner. The few who do watch are there to see gunners go elbows out to win the Indy 500. The talk was about Takuma Sato this past month, not Ganassi.
This is a Month of May and summer night Saturday sport, burgers, beer, and balls. It is not a corporate tassle-loaferd CEO exhibition, "rebuilding" cities, and "partnering" with target demos and "branding" gobbeldy-gooks on city streets over wine and cheesecake.
This sport is about one thing and one thing only: The Indianapolis 500. MAN and machine. Nuts and guts.
Time to fold this mess and call it an epic disaster. Do it now, while there may be some money left, or a small enough debt load to brign the focus back to Indy and three or four races here or there on a hot summer Sunday in the middle of August, where a man can park his sprinter or sports car and get a little IndyCar seat time, looking ahead to May. Guess what? There are dozens of studly race car drivers with methanol for blood who would run the dog out of a Dallara just to get a sip from that bottle.
So, I guess there is a positive in all of this.
What failure this series is...Milwaukee, Baltimore, Qingdao...low of no sanction fees from most tracks, and most others wanting severe discounts. No promotion or marketing. IZOD getting out. No one watching on NBCSN cable outpost.
This is how AOW is being run today. Great job IndyCar. Superb work...I could do a better job with my eyes closed.
Adding to the epic stupidity, incompetence, and general stinky-poopiness of the powers-that-be ocer at ICS: Maybe angering ICS, which thinks/thought/maybe has the 2012 season finale. A track should know for certain, in Mid-June, it has the season finale in the given season it is/was/could be be hosting the season finale. But Randy says, oh, maybe not. It is only three months out. Give us time.
Only in the IndyCart Series could they mismanage this into insulting an ICS track.
What a horse turd of a racing series. Please, please, please put it down. Euthanize it and end the suffering.
FACT ALERT FOR INDYCAR MINIONS: Randy Bernard's attempts (so far) to create new or revive dead races has been pathetic. Here's the truth:
1. His first attempt to run a revived Milwaukee tanked attendance wise. Randy & his minions just threw the promoter he hired under the bus and moved on to the next sucker. "Let's get Mikey to try it. YEAH!!!" To be continued...
2. Randy's attempt to run Loudon was so bad attendance wise they were a "one & done". Nobody seems to blame him for that one either.
3. The only thing that saved Randy from being raked over the coals for the ridiculously low attendance at Las Vegas after all those free tickets were offered was Dan Wheldon's death & the Hollywood SFX crash that took his life. That race was supposed to be Randy's baby. It went out with the minion's bath water too.
4. Although Detroit was OK attendance wise, 2 hour pothole delays never convince new fans to return to a new/old race. Someone convinced Randy that patching up Detroit with the same stuff Penske patched MIS up with in 1985 was a wonderful idea. Uhh, OK. BTW, didn't Randy hire Beaux Barfield, whose fault Detroit apparently was? Nope, the bus driver & passenger that ran over Beaux disagrees.
5. Baltimore is now on it's THIRD promoter in two seasons and started six months late selling tickets for the 2012 race. That was a Bernard original. Again, not picking competent promoters TWICE reared it's ugly head as Randy's minions buried theirs.
6. China, Randy's latest gem, was vaporware from the start. So far, the city's new mayor, whose name Randy's minions probably can't spell or pronounce, is the latest to get a great look at bus axles tonight. Apparently, he gets blamed for all the stuff that wasn't done in the five months BEFORE he took office. That's minion math for ya!!!
When someone fails SIX TIMES in less than two years at doing something, are we really supposed to believe their seventh attempt will be any better? How many CEO's even get six chances to fail these days? INDYCAR chose to hire a CEO who was clueless on running or reviving auto races. They got exactly what they asked for. Too bad it wasn't what they needed.
Randy was praised for bringing INDYCAR to profitability. The confirmed loss of China's reported $8 million sanctioning fee & the apparent impending loss of IZOD, who reportedly contributed between $10-$15 million to the bottom line, has put INDYCAR right back where Randy started. Time to put the rodeo pony out to stud and bring a racing stallion in to fix what never should have been broken in the first place.
All of it is post-CART ugly and failure.
Time to flush away the whole sha-bang. Flush it good too, because it stanks!
1.Randy threw together Milwaukee in a short span of what like 6 months. Is that enough time? No. Did Randy go to Milwaukee and hand out flyers and then nobody show up? No. He trusted the great people of Milwaukee to do it. It didn't have good attendance. Instead of the promoters being blamed its Randy. News Flash. Why did he even try? Because that's what the fans wanted was a race at Milwaukee. You call it a failure. I call it listening to fans and giving them what they want. Were you there? Did you watch? So I am going to say thanks Randy for giving us a race at Milwaukee. Michael and his group are going to do a great job this year.
2.Once again, It was all Randy to run at Loudon. Let's not place any blame on the fact that the weather was bad at Loudon, it was the first race back in years and we were only given once chance. Per your usual stance, 100% Randy. Not the track organizers who whore themselves out to Nascar. Given the chance to race there again the attendance would have went up. Especially with the new cars.
3. Sad Sad Sad to say that Dan Wheldon's tragic death was what saved an event. What saved the event was lots of time to plan, and great promotion in a familiar arean for Randy. He drew the tv ratings he was projecting to get. He sold out the corporate hospitality suites, and the attendance was fine. The track is so big that unless it isn't filled to capacity it looks empty. Like the brickyard 400.
5. I already addressed why Detroit was a success in my post above. You just couldn't come up with anything. Attendance was good, they patched the track up like professionals and got on with the race.
6.China is China. Its unfortunate. Randy did not lose any money so he will have to get creative when finding another race. Big deal. Indycar is not the first and last racing series that has had a date cancelled in China. Even the almighty F1 has had issues in dealing with China. That's how it goes. Politics always get in the way with anything.
In your last paragraph you point to the sactioning fee of 8 mil. I do not know the financials but I would bet that since they had a contract in place with China, they get some monetary gain as I would assume there is a cancellation clause and some money down to secure the event. As for the Izod issue. Only an assumption at this point. And you are blaming Randy for Izod leaving. I addressed this already above as well but you obviuously have your hate goggles on. You say that Randy has failed six times in only 2 years. You only concentrate on what you percieve are failures and do not look at the things he has accomplished. A typical hater. Thanks for calling me honest by the way.
FACE IT dood, EVERYONE hates the 2012 IRL series. The NASCAR mods steal the show everytime.
It's the speedway's fault for letting this all slip so far into the toilet. Blame everyone BMC, everyone EXCEPT the problem. RAndy is over his head and the lEeegue stinks. Texas TV ratings? Stink. Milwaukee? Stink. Baltimore? Stink. China? Stink.
All because of the ineptitude at 16th and Jopnestown. Look it all up...it's the truth.
I disagree with it, but I respect it. What was the Texas TV rating? Detroit TV rating? Do you think the series can survive on 0.7 and 0.14 TV ratings?
I know you think Randy's done a good job, but it's not enough. It's reflected in everything as of late. He just is not the answer.
Randy can go back to piggy-pig races and tilt-o'-whirls. And he's got the buckin' bronco thing. Maybe he can make calf-ropin' a trend-rage for three or four years.
Dario is skeert and Marco is bored. They can go run the sport cars.
Penske and Ganassi can run the fable cars over in NA$CAR to get speed kicks.
Put this thing down this year and go out with some dignity.