Its official. . .

With the (soon to be complete) downfall of CART, mediocre IRL, and purchase of Speedvision by Fox, quality televised opened-wheeled racing in the USA is near extinction. . .

http://charlotte.bcentral.com/charlotte/st.../15/story6.html

 

There's only one motorsport that has any interest for me, and that's Formula 1. What's this move going to do to Speedvision's Grand Prix coverage?

 

Oh Boy! Exclusive NASCAR Racing <rubbing hands togather>...............................YUK!:rolle yes: OOOOOOOOH Jeff Gordon my Hewhoe!........................................... ....NOT!

 

That's all bad...

 

It's apparant there is not a market for open wheel racing here in the U.S.
If there was you can bet it would be all over the tele just like NASCAR. Say what you will but CART should take some marketing lessons from those good ol' boys.

GO Jimmy Spencer #26

 

the question on my mind right now is...

will Dick Trickle make a comeback?

anyone else a member?
http://www.dicktricklefanclub.com/

 

>>>It's apparant there is not a market for open wheel racing here in the U.S. <<<

Actually I'm going to disagree with you Charlie. . .

There was/is a market for open-wheeled racing in the U.S. However, the CEO's of both leagues (IRL & CART) have done their best to destroy it. . . Remember, prior to the split, fans loved Indy styled cars and the racing they provided. . . The drivers (i.e., Unser, Andretti, Foyt, etc) were household names. . . However, the split forced fans to choose: do I like the tracks, or do I like the drivers/car technology. . .

Further complicating matters is the fact that the AVERAGE American race fan can't watch F1 on TV. Therefore, not being able to appreciate the talent and technology. . . People don't want to get up at 5 or 7am to watch a race at Monza or Melbourne. . .

Bottomline, NASCAR has done a GREAT job at marketing a GOOD product.

In contrast, CART has done a LOUSY job at marketing a VERY GOOD product; F1 doesn't bother to market (at least here in the US) an EXCELLENT product; and IRL only markets its title race (the Indy 500). . .

Is there a market for open-wheeled racing?. . .Yes.
Do the organizations have to work at keeping it?. . . Absolutely.
Can people become apathetic to something they really like? The recent events speak for themselves.

 

I think CART and IRL will probably combine at one point. I realy don't like IRL since the cars, technology, and drivers were inferior to CART. Unfortunately, with all the maunfacturers pulling out of CART, that series is going to have to do something drastic to survive.

 

This is so stupid... typical of mass-media, but stupid. There is already 10 or more hours per week of NASCAR coverage per week, sometimes as much as 25 hours. This includes NASCAR WC, BGN, and trucks, spread out over ESPN/2, Fox, and various other affiliates. All 3 races are shown, plus qualifying (really exciting!), and hours of discussion afterwards. Do we really need more?

Ice has a good point, there is a market/interest but for most people it's too involved to get it. For me to get speedvision, I'd need to step up from premium cable ($40/mo) to the all out digital package ($75/mo) which also includes the movie channels like HBO. Or, scrap cable (and lose my cable modem possibly or end up paying more for it) and get a dish, and still pay $50+. I suspect this is fairly common for people who like racing but don't watch TV enough to justify that kind of cash.

And even when open wheel races are on, the coverage is so shitty, it's almost comical. I'd prefer if they didn't have commentators, so I could just listen to the engines, and figure out who was who by myself. The commentators don't even know how to pronounce some of the names.

As an example of quality open wheel coverage, last weekend's CART race at laguna seca ran long due to the number of yellow flags (a bit overzealous by the race officials but that's another story...). The ESPN people showed the checkered flag, and the winner doing a nice donut in the Hairpin, and then cut immediately to A PRE-TAPED FISHING SHOW. Talk about insulting! I have seen NASCAR coverage go 2 hours past it's scheduled end, without a person flinching, while usurping other live broadcasts (sports or news). And people wonder why the ratings for open-wheel races suck.

Too bad for speedvision and open-wheel racing fans. As much as I like NASCAR, I don't think I could handle any more of it then is already shown every week.

 

This is all f%cking Tony George's fault. Tony George is an absulute horses pizutti. "My mommy and daddy gave me this nice track and I'm going to have to have all the power, money, and -- most importantly -- attention or I'm going to take my marbles and go home. That man (well maybe not, he's not human) has personally destroyed the beautiful American sport of open wheeled racing. Irl sucks -- it turns my stomach. I'll watch the Indianapolis 500, but only because CART drivers win big time. I'd like to tell you what I really think, but I'm afeared the authorities would be all over my rear.