Iowa/Cleaveland Head to Head

[Old3Fan]

I watched both races and Nascar too as I always do. Nascar and CC were both superior to the IRL yesterday. That track engineered by Rusty Wallace is a disaster and I predict will not be on the IRL schedule next year. No passing, too dangerous and too costly in repairs to cars. A good place to hold a Demolition Derby with $100 junk cars, but that is about it for me.

[RGM Fan]

Horrible biased comparison RGM Fan, I dont need to explain why. I know numbers speak for themselves but we are not compairing apples to apples here. There are a great many factors you are choosing to ignore.

Well the most basic comparasion is the IRL put on a demolition derby while the Champ Car held a race.

[Alexamateo]

Well the most basic comparasion is the IRL put on a demolition derby while the Champ Car held a race.

Yeah, kind of like last year in Cleveland when 6 cars wrecked out :

[Chris R]

I hate to say it, but the NASCAR race yesterday was the most entertaining of the three and the backstory was really good (Montoya winning, coming from the back and being only the 3 guy to win in AOWR, NASCAR and F-1...)

We can argue all day about what was the better race etc. The fact is both open wheel series are putting out a very similar product and on any given weekend either series can produce a great race or a dud. It sounds like Cleveland was the better race of the two but I think the IRL had a better presentation on the TV.

And so us fans trudge on hoping the light at the end of the tunnel is the sun and not a train....

[luvracin]

Well the most basic comparasion is the IRL put on a demolition derby while the Champ Car held a race.

uh-huh... so Paul Tracy punting 2 people off track is racing??

[Mark in Oshawa]

I think as someone who didn't find the Champ Car race on his Satellite Menu (it must have been on, but when programming my VCR, I couldn't go on a maybe), I watched only the Iowa event. Would I have liked to have had both? You bet, I would have watched Cleveland live if I had a choice, but realistically I had to pick one to tape. That said, I ended up watching some of Iowa live. Interesting track, I like short ovals, I like the furious laps but for drama, the Cleveland race had a little of everything. ABC/ESPN does a good job with the IRL events for pushing the broadcast and they do the hype thing well, but for the most part, the racing does NOT always match the hype. The truth is I enjoyed the NASCAR boys at Infineon probably as much if notmore than any OW race I have watched this year. If NASCAR ran 10 or 15 road courses a year, I would likely barely notice OW racing any more because 43 guys scratching and clawing at each other makes for great visuals, and big ugly race cars turning left and right against their will is always fun.

Lets face facts, some weeks the IRL puts on a better show, and other ones the CCWS boys put on a great show. This weekend, it sounds like Cleveland was. Put 30 strong cars out there in either series, and we are not talking about this nonsense on which series is best, because there would be one series with a lot more interest and intrigue.

Til we get one decent series with all the players, then we really are arguing over which tag team partner is going to be pinned by the champion......

[EagleEye]

Lets face facts, some weeks the IRL puts on a better show, and other ones the CCWS boys put on a great show. This weekend, it sounds like Cleveland was. Put 30 strong cars out there in either series, and we are not talking about this nonsense on which series is best, because there would be one series with a lot more interest and intrigue.

Til we get one decent series with all the players, then we really are arguing over which tag team partner is going to be pinned by the champion......

Amen.

[ChicagocrewIRL]

Overnight ratings: IRL drew a 1.2 on ABC, Champ Car a 0.7 on CBS.

[Mark in Oshawa]

Combine the two to get almost a 2.0 and maybe, just maybe, you've got something to talk about.

This has been my point all along, and yet people like me who say a merger is the only way OW racing survives to any sort of level we recognize are lampooned by the die hards on here.

IT has to be a merger of equals to make people happy, but make no mistake, it has to happen. If CCWS just collapsed, I wouldn't watch the IRL likely for I don't like the directions it has taken, and the whole ethos in which it was formed, but at the same time, I realize the role Tony will always play because of the race he runs and controls, and he has the greatest facility in North America. Neither side can be ignored, nor wiped out. The problem is neither side is ready to giveup anything to make it happen. I guess losing money is fun...

[FerrrariF1]

I watched the Champcar race and not the IRL race (no desire to) but I saw the reviews on ESPN and Speed Channel and I know I made the right choice. I don't watch races to see them go in circles (A can always watch NASCAR for roundy round)