Oreo/ESPN on Iowa and Bullrings

[garyshell]

Actually there was a warning of severe thunderstorms.

And folks in the midwest take those sorts of warnings VERY carefully. The rest of the country may think that to be insignificant, but if you have EVER seen a tornado in the flesh, trust me, you would heed the warning too. Severe thunderstorms can turn to tornado watches and then warnings in a very short window of time measured in minutes.

Gary

[call_me_andrew]

I was hoping Memphis would replace Nashville, but Memphis seems to have gone under.

I'd love to see an IndyCar race at Martinsville.

[Mark in Oshawa]

I was hoping Memphis would replace Nashville, but Memphis seems to have gone under.

I'd love to see an IndyCar race at Martinsville.

Memphis didn't seem to go under, Dover Motorsports closed it and is selling it off because it was a money pit...

[Mark in Oshawa]

That's a very important point that gets lost in the Tony George/IRL/Champ Car/CART fiasco. I firmly believe that NASCAR was on the upswing in 1996 and regardless of what AOW did from 1996-2010, it would have dropped off in prominence as compared to NASCAR. Would it be better off today had the split not occurred? Yeah, probably. But i think we'd be looking at a series still on ABC, but some races on ESPN1/2, and getting maybe 1.2's to 1.3's and 5.0's for the 500. In other words, profitable #'s but nowhere near competition for NASCAR. People like to put the blame everywhere but on actual content, and I think the reality is that the American public's racing interest shifted heavily towards stock car racing starting in the mid-late 90s and no matter what CART did, it would not have been able to hold onto its place as a solid competitor to NASCAR.

I am going to just say slitting your wrists when you might be bleeding away some support is just stupidity, but alas, that was OW racing in the late 90's.

Handing the market over to NASCAR, maybe for good.

[BT46B]

I hate bullrings. Always have. Learned to appreciate large ovals when CART came to LB in place of F1 and any tv coverage became a mix of the two. Still think road races and large ovals are a decent combo of racing skills. If Indycars are to have a chance they have to offer something else than F1 does. But it has to be GOOD. Quite a conundrum.

[chuck34]

I hate bullrings. Always have. Learned to appreciate large ovals when CART came to LB in place of F1 and any tv coverage became a mix of the two. Still think road races and large ovals are a decent combo of racing skills. If Indycars are to have a chance they have to offer something else than F1 does. But it has to be GOOD. Quite a conundrum.

So you want something different than F1, but you hate short ovals, and are sort of so-so on large ovals???????

Dirt tracks maybe???

[garyshell]

So you want something different than F1, but you hate short ovals, and are sort of so-so on large ovals???????

Dirt tracks maybe???

Figure-8!!!

Gary

[chuck34]

Figure-8!!!

Gary

Figure 8 trailer races are about the most exciting and hilarious things going. :-)

[Mark in Oshawa]

I hate bullrings. Always have. Learned to appreciate large ovals when CART came to LB in place of F1 and any tv coverage became a mix of the two. Still think road races and large ovals are a decent combo of racing skills. If Indycars are to have a chance they have to offer something else than F1 does. But it has to be GOOD. Quite a conundrum.

Hating Bullrings while liking the large ovals proves you are not watching closely. Large ovals are more like NASCAR...just foot to the floor stuff. Watching an Indycar on a tight short oval like New Hampshire, the Milwaukee Mile or Iowa is where a good driver can make time and do things. Diving in amongst the endless traffic to get through, taking different lines as the track changes, having to outbrake people to get the preferred line or to take a position....you have elements of road racing while having the oval track conditions of having to deal with traffic constantly and adjusting as the track makes radical changes.

Short ovals are the toughest for strategists and in many ways the mental conditioning of the drivers....