There’s no love loss between Andretti Autosport teammates Tony Kanaan and Danica Patrick.
That much has been obvious for much of the last year.
But the brewing disdain bubbled to the surface anew last weekend in Iowa.
In his post-victory comments at Iowa Sunday, Kanaan thanked his “two teammates” Ryan Hunter-Reay and Marco Andretti.
He said the two gave him a pep talk the night before the race.
But where was Patrick during the Andretti team kumbaya sing-along? Either not invited, or didn’t bother to show.
What is clear is that Kanaan seemed to go out of his way to thank Hunter-Reay and Andretti while omitting any mention of
Patrick. Kanaan is smart enough not to make such a slip unintentionally.
This May, Kanaan said Patrick needed an attitude adjustment, reminding her (quite publicly) that the crew she complained
about at Indianapolis this year is the same one that helped her take fifth overall in the IndyCar Series last year.
The relationship between Kanaan and Patrick appears to be hitting a new low.
This is bad news for Patrick, voted by fans as the series’ most popular driver. And it’s also bad news for Patrick’s
business associates.
Motorsports marketing experts said getting sideways with a well-liked and respected figure like Kanaan could erode her image.
It’s one thing to stomp around in pit lane once in a while and snarl at Milka Duno, but Kanaan is not someone she wants
to cross swords with. First, he’s her teammate, and American sponsors like athletes who at least play well with their
own teammates.
Not only is he her teammate, but Kanaan is highly respected in the paddock and also has a sizable fan following, especially
in race happy Brazil.
Fans already uneasy about Patrick’s remarks concerning her crew at Indianapolis won’t take kindly to her war
with Kanaan.
As an aside, I think Patrick was somewhat justified in her comments in Indianapolis. Her car simply wasn’t up to snuff.
Nevertheless, she may want to re-think her public relations and team-building approach.
TK as he is known to his followers is one of those guys who is quick with a smile, but who people in this sport pay attention
to when he speaks words of admonishment.
Patrick isn’t the only one at risk here.
Andretti Autosport could be torn apart by such a feud. Neither driver is going anywhere soon. Kanaan signed a five-year deal
with the team in 2008 and Patrick signed a three-year deal with Andretti last year.
This is another headache series CEO Randy Bernard could do without as he fights to increase race attendance, TV ratings,
sponsorship sales and sanctioning fees.
Maybe it’s best that Patrick is going away to the world of NASCAR right now. Maybe the hostilities will cool with a
little separation. Maybe a little time behind the wheel of a fendered car will help her see more clearly.
But Patrick isn’t the only one who needs a sightline—and attitude—adjustment.
If Patrick isn’t the most popular driver in the IndyCar paddock these days, it’s important to remember she’s
still the highest profile open-wheel racer, and still one of the best assets this series has.
It’s difficult to say from a distance, who’s right and who’s wrong in a feud such as the one brewing between
Andretti’s two stars.
But Kanaan might want to ponder Patrick’s relative value to this series before letting loose with his next salvo. You’d
have to wonder if it’s wise to take shots that in some small or big way help take down one of the series’ biggest
stars.
In the end, it won’t matter if TK is justified in his stand.
Dead right or dead wrong?
Either way, you’re still dead.
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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.
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We loved lakehouse and think the Arbor Village would be a great location. It is less than 2 miles from over 1000 rooftops in the 225,000 to over 1 million range. Many people could use the great fishers trail system to bike or walk there. Just an idea Scotty -- but maybe something closer to 3 Wiseman would good. The only microbrew in area is Ram (boring)
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True, it's an ESPN production, but ESPN is just another name for ABC Sports, or what used to be ABC Sports since ABC Sports no longer exists as a name. ESPN=ABC Sports= ESPN. ESPN is, according to Forbes "the world's most valuable media property" worth $40 billion. Despite that, they fired 400 people this week.
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The Prestige was a great flick.
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Larry - even though the race is on ABC, ESPN does all of the work, so that is why ESPN is mentioned. Most sports on ABC are called something like "ESPN on ABC."
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My oldest daughter graduated from IU with a Secondary Education degree. She graduated with honors and spent 3 years trying to find a teaching job in Indiana. Many of her fellow education degree graduates still don't have teaching jobs. As schools downsize and cut budgets, less teaching jobs are available. I'm not sure I see why we feel the need to bring more teachers to Indiana.
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Anyway, Nielsen reports that, on average, about 0.3 people care
The IZOD IndyCar Race Series (what a burdensome name)could use more soap opera and less same/same drivers and team owners reciting the kumbaya IRL (oops) litany over and over.
Danica created her own problems when she threw her team under the bus. Every driver knows you just don't do that in public. In the garage, yes. Kanaan just verbalized what every other team and drivers were thinking, "Danica, quit being a Go Daddy brat, suck it up and deal with the race car you get."
Meanwhile, as Milky Dunno gets black flagged off the track in Iowa, Townsend Bell and Paul Tracy sit at home and wonder why.
SteveR, I think what you say has some merit, but I think it's an incredible risk any time your main star's image is dinged. High risk, high reward? Maybe. We'll have to see. One thing I think we can all agree on is that Milka needs to pick up the pace. That was pretty tough to watch Sunday. Thanks for reading ... and commenting.
TK labors in relative obscurity with twice the talent of his fueding teammate who is a household name. I can understand the frustration of thast, which he masks fairly well. But the fact is, she gets the goods. TK wins races nobody watches. To quote Marcos Ambrose: "It is what it is, mate."
Secondly, I think you must have taken a 2 year nap. Fernando Alonso and Lewis Hamilton haven't been teammates since 2007. Last year was 2009.
People say things like "Why is Danica so slow this year?" Why doesn't anyone ask "What's wrong with Eddie Jones this year?"
The so called 'true' race fan wants to beat up on Danica and her attitude simply because they don't like the attention she gets. But she has been much more classy in handling this supposed feud than TK. Honestly, I appreciate the emotion she brings to the game..not everything makes you smile and happy...sometimes a true competitor is mad and she isn't afraid to show it.
Sorry to say but TK's win shows that outside of hardcore race fans there is little excitement about his win (there has been no coverage in my area)...contrast that with Danica's second place and people cared and were excited about it and it received coverage.
A feud doesn't hurt either one in my opinion and it actually is something for people to talk about.
People say things like "Why is Danica so slow this year?" Why doesn't anyone ask "What's wrong with Eddie Jones this year?"
In closing, as I was reading your article, I found myself wondering who could write this stuff and have any credibility in sports journalism. Big strike out, Dude.
Where's the journalistic business end of all this...the lowest TV ratings in AOW history, and the lowest attendance in IOWA history. That's the news here...IZOD has a buyout clause. Also does Versus.
Track rentals/creative sanctioning upcoming on tracks that previously dumped the unappetizing unmarketable IRL series. REPORT on that...please. Me thinks the IBJ is cutting the IRL a break this year. It's ok, we've got the TRUTH and will report it here.
Of course we still have the haters making predictions. Now they are predicting IZOD, which is spending millions to promote the series, as pulling out and Versus to do the same. Since they have been wrong about 99% of the time, I am happy to hear these predictions.
The IRL must be getting it right since the haters have gone to talking about how bad of a title sponsor IZOD is to IZOD leaving. They realize how well the sponsorship is going and how IZOD is tapping into the HOllywood crowd which is a great way to market the series.
So should we start taking bets as to when the haters do their annual ritual of changing the demise date for the IRL from 2011 to 2012?
Controversy is almost always a good thing. Go through the history of racing and you have your feuds, be it Unsers vs. Andretti's Gordon vs. Earnhardt or Foyt vs. everyone.
Next couple of weeks will be interesting to see what the IRL decides on chassis.
What's that you say Mrs. Hospenthal, NASCAR's money is calling and Indy lure has nothing left today....hey hey hey.
Ed Carpenter has NO ride but Mrs. Hospenthal does.....start shaving your legs Ed 'cause the IRL will need another soft porn model to pump it's series.
No Danica, no cars for Drayton to watch.
- IRL star MILKA DUNO will finish outside the top 20 AGAIN.
- IRL star Danica Patrick will race in NASCAR this weekend.
- IRL AGAIN will see abysmal TV ratings, a trend that has continued ALL SEASON LONG.
-Randy Bernard will continue to promise things he can't deliver.
-IRL be in the RED financially AGAIN for the 15th season.
-IRL owners, the Hulman family, will continue to fetter away $$$ down the loser property called the "IRL" for the forseeable future.
-7-11 will bolt to NASCAR.
-Toronto will again set record attendance lows for the race and the IRL.
-Honda will pull out.
-IRL will start to "rent" oval tracks now that NASCAR took them to the cleaners all these 15 years.
-IRL will continue to give tix away to fill empty grandstands to make it look like folks like the series when viewed on TV.
-IZOD activation won't work.
-Versus 10 year contract won't work.
-Comcast will tell the IRL to pond sand.
All reasonable predictions...many will come true.
how do you pond sand? sorry, could not resist.
Everything a race fan could want...
They thought the worst case scenario for the ratings, was if there was rain and the race delayed or postponed. No one predicted that ratings would go down, and they thought a bump of 30% or more was and seemed a reasonable target.
When that did not happen and the ratings came out (and were the worst, ever) there was an unscheduled meeting between Izod and Indycar. Any plans for RHR were dropped, and discussions turned to how to move forward, if at all, in 2011.
Izod, and Indycar officials fully expected an increase, not a decrease in ratings from the series premier event. This decrease hurt in more ways than most of you know. In addition to Izod, you might just start to notice more rumors about teams loosing sponsorship $$.
The thinking was that things culd not get any worse...the reality is that it did get worse, and no one knows how low will it go. Izod will not ride on a loosing horse....
IF Izod comes back, then I would vote for RB for President of the US (Though given the dunce now in office, I would vote for a fig...). What I hear is they should be back in 2011 but the series is bracing and preparing for the worse. If they can keep them onboard for 2012, and pick up some engine mfgrs, that would be good. If not, look for re-worked Dallara's for a few more years.
SERIOUSLY....how can a for-profit-business sustain the $$$ losses without Return On Investment with LOWEST Indy 500 TV ratings on record, 15 "in the red" years, $644M spent for the IRL in 2010, AVersus 0.30 TV ratings. And you folks think NBC/Comcast wants this? ONLY if they can buy it Lock, Stock and Barrel.
I know they are BEGGING ovals to take 'em, essentially GIVING AWAY the series to places like NH Loudon and Milwaukee. Strangely, there was NO interest then (when those tracks ran the IRL) and led to the IRL being DUMPED. This deal is going full circle with the IRL's great economics. Pitiful.
Chief seems to think he has insider info that is somehow better than the insider info he has had on here the last few years as to when the IRL will go under.
And Burl seems to think he knows what the IRL will evolve into.
Seems like the three amigos have been busy of late. Forgive me if I take your "inside" info with a very large grain of salt.
What's funny is NH dumped the hapless IRL in '98 after 2 years of FAILURE. Things that make you go hmmmm...WHY don't they use economic impact info from the IRL years?
Because the IRL SUCKED in '97 and '98 in new Hampshire.
I got word from NASCAR and RoC modified sources in NorthEast that they are anxious to show up the IRL (AGAIN) on the NH oval. Bring it on.... :D
Holmatro is seriously reassessing their Indy Car sponsorship after the Texas debacle.
Izod got a sweet deal...so sweet that they won't even sponsor their driver anymore this year.
The preeminent team in Indy Car has 2 cars without sponsors. Many others are either without major sponsorship or under sponsored. A large percentage of the grid is there because of ride buyers.
Their be all that ends all, signature event had 1000's of empty seats and lower TV numbers.
This does not matter since the biggest race of the year records the lowest ratings ever, down from last year. There were some interesting (read panic) meetings the past few weeks and Izod is not at all pleased. They had expected an increase, of a point or more. That did not happen, and spin mode is in play.
And that folks, is bad news.
there was a lot of talk/smoke about key metrics when the Izod deal was inked.....
I would think a increase in the i500 rating was at the top of the list
If they believe it ain't working and they have a Legal out they are gone. Those are big "if"s though.
It all comes down to if they can sell more alligators because of the deal.
The Iowa Corn Indy 250 drew the smallest crowd of its four-year run at Iowa Speedway on Sunday
Indy Car had better get their a*s in gear. There is another series that will soon be exploding on the scene on a network that is much better than VS. I have seen the network plan and they have full backing.
The Indycar races, will not be on NBC unless they buy time. Period, and that is not going to happen any time soon.
As I have said in the past, the ratings are so low, it is a non discussion; NBC is not interested, unless they get paid to air races. The ratings needed to go up significantly, and that has not been the case. The ABC numbers are down right horrible. Izod, the best supporter the sport has had, is on the verge of making it one and done, since the ratings bump that was promised for the 500, did not occur.
That is the big rumor going around the paddock. It is just a rumor...but two things happening behind the scenes provide credence to the rumor.
#1 IZOD's refusal to continue it's sponsorship of their boy RHR.
#2 ICS talking to other companies about series title sponsorship. I know of 2 companies that have been contacted.
That can mean one of two things. The IZOD title deal is conditional until another big sponsor with a bigger checkbook comes along or that IZOD is out.
Comcast got most of the NBC affiliates onboard. Comcast has agreed NOT to shift certain (popular) sports programming to cable, but instead will leave it on free over-air. Can you imagine how they'd react if Comcast tried to force sports programming on them which gets sub 1 ratings, and whose marquee event has been falling in the ratings for 15 years???!!!
Comcast is in this deal to make money, not to find ways to prop up the IRL and lose money (or make enemies of its affiliates).
But, all I hear is . You are darn right the fanbase is fractured and upset. And it's going to stay that way until someone does something about it. And, I know some fool will say "good, don't let the door hit you on the way out"....but I used to spend thousands each year on this sport...and I'd bring 3 or four more people with me when going to the races. But I'll NEVER go again, as long as the IRL continues to exist.
What could the problem be???? Bwahahhahaha!
still love the fact that they do not ask for an apology for the thousands of investors who lost millions when cart took their money in the IPO and then killed itself as Chief would say.
As evidenced by the LACK OF POPULARITY of the IRL and it's $644 million dollars spent to get this far, it's YOU that should demand an apology for the swindling of the AOW sport propagated by Tony George and the gang of idiot who started the IRL....but you don't.
IF Mr. Randall Bernard is sincere he will follow through with HIS offering of an apology and elimination of the IRL brand. I didn't write ANY of the articles suggesting he would do apologizing, but, I read them all.
Or was Mr. Randall Bernard's faux apology nothing but a cheap way to get attention for the condensed TWO WEEKS OF MAY that was so long ago now and did so poorly with TV ratings and attendance and such?
CART is dead but gets almost the same TV ratings as the IRL zombie which gets 0.30. Keep praying for uphill waters Iman, you reap what you sow.
See the attendance at Louden? Pretty poor. Seems everybody is hurting, even the biggest racing series.
Who is really running the IRL? Yup, Iman, the two biggest teams in the IRL are propped up with CART IPO money. They ca$hed out now it's ok to screw the CART IPO investors because it's all IRL now...huh?
You are a hypocrite for supporting the IRL which is full of CART IPO leeches, yet you cry wolf for all the downtrodden common people who banked on CART et al PENSKE etc. What's wrong with you?
Also, again pointing out NASCAR attendance to prop up the failing and ailing IRL series TV and attendance doldrums. We know your tricks Iman. Just wait, The Glen is this weekend.