Bruton Smith voices concern about indycar's future

[Wade91]

http://www.indystar.com/article/20090814/SPORTS0107/908140356/1052/SPORTS01/IRL+continues+to+trim+oval+races

maybe he wants more IRL races at his tracks?

[Chris R]

I am not sure what his angle is - it is not like SMI is chomping at the bit for more IRL races....

Also, CART did not go broke because of "parking lot races" - Champcar did - CART went broke as a direct result of "the split" .... it was doing quite nicely before that...

That being said - I favor more permanent tracks over temporary tracks in general......

[drewdawg727]

Actually, Champ Car went broke with using their new car too fast.

[Lousada]

I am not sure what his angle is - it is not like SMI is chomping at the bit for more IRL races....


I thought they were, with New Hampshire and Las Vegas being turned down by the IRL.

[Jag_Warrior]

I'm with Chris. I don't quite understand where Smith is coming from either. Several years ago, Smith blamed the IRL for falling quarterly earnings at SMI. And if I'm not mistaken, he booted the IRL out of Atlanta and Charlotte. I don't know what happened with Vegas. But yeah, unless he's lobbying to get more IRL races, what's his problem?

[MDS]

I think this is a product of the discussion last year when they were talking about adding Las Vegas and New Hampshire to the schedule only to have New Hampshire turned down two years running and Las Vegas falling through because the IRL wanted to race at the track's club-level road course.

[vintage]

That article is totally self serving for SMI. Since they don't own any road courses, and want the IRL to accept whatever crappy deal they proffer, then why not bash the series?

I'm sure if Bruton opens his wallet, the IRL will show up. It's all about the Benjamins!

[call_me_andrew]

SMI owns Sears Point.

[Chamoo]

SMI owns Sears Point.

That is a poor excuse for a road course these days.

[Wade91]

That is a poor excuse for a road course these days.
its a pretty cool track with all the hills and stuff

[Mark in Oshawa]

Well first off Bruton doesn't really care THAT much about what the IRL does unless they race at his tracks.

He is mad because they turned down New Hampshire for a race that hasn't happened yet at Gillette Stadium. He has a point. If the local people in New Hampshire want the IRL, why is the IRL resiting? We need ovals that provide good racing and when CART was going to NHIS the racing was fantastic. I don't think Bruton is wrong on this one and it makes sense for the IRL to go there to keep the oval/street balance and to serve this NE market. If the track owner and promotor wants the series, go and put him in as a partner. Make sure the success of this date is incumbent on their sales people and marketing as well as yours. Give it a two year trial. It may be 3 years before they get that street track at Foxboro anyhow, and I am not sold on it being the success a race at NH would be if Bruton's people went all out.

Whether NASCAR is there two times a year or not is not the point. You have to compete for the same fans at some point and you wont beat NASCAR by avoiding them.

[call_me_andrew]

I heard Bruton invested a lot in Sears Point, but I didn't really notice it until I watched a tape of a NASCAR race there in 1992. All the hills and giant concrete walls made it look like a mini-Bathhurst.

[nigelred5]

Improvements or not, (It is a great track for smaller cars) Sear Point still looks like a glorified club track, which is exactly what it is. They have to use a layout that makes it f ar too twisty to keep the speeds of the Indy cars down to safe level.

[call_me_andrew]

Would you rather they skipped the carousel for turn 4A?

Anyone else find it a bit odd they're worried about keeping the speeds down? I mean these cars were built with oval racing in mind.

[Mark in Oshawa]

I think whether they run the NASCAR version of the track or the one with the Carousel, I just think the track is too twisty and not generous enough in passing zones. Not sure what they can do to fix it either.

[Mark in Oshawa]

It's a beautiful track. And a very nice one for good competition among the SCCA club classes. The bigger cars have out grown it, like many others, Laguna being one of them.

I think you could say the same about Barber, but they are going there anyhow.

I don't know what can be done either. This car should show better and be more raceable on road courses than it appears to be.....

[grungex]

Why? It was never meant to be a road racer.

[Mark in Oshawa]

Why? It was never meant to be a road racer.

It wasn't designed to be a road racer, but in road course trim it is not exactly useless either. That said, I hope the new generation of Indy Car does put a better show.

Barber however I think will be too tight. Fast cars need room to get a speed differential. A track like Road America or Road Atlanta would show these cars better than Mid Ohio or Barber. Not that I hate any of these tracks....just a reality I think.

[call_me_andrew]

Not sure what they can do to fix it either.

I think they could start by replacing the tire barrier in NASCAR 11 with a SAFER barrier. No reason it would be too fast then.

[grungex]

It wasn't designed to be a road racer, but in road course trim it is not exactly useless either.

Then again, I never said that.

[The instant classic]

just a crazy crazy crazy idea here but what if Bruton Smith is trying to be buddy buddy with the IRL cuz he wants to buy the series or IMS?

[Mark in Oshawa]

just a crazy crazy crazy idea here but what if Bruton Smith is trying to be buddy buddy with the IRL cuz he wants to buy the series or IMS?

Bruton WANTS an IRL date for New Hampshire because his man on the scene up there has fans that want the IRL back. Therefore Bruton is now interested whereas he wasn't before.

He hasn't the money to buy something like IMS, and I doubt highly he would buy the IRL, that isn't his schtick. Furthermore, he has a ton of money tired up in his recent racetracks, and I suspect he will sit on what he has. If he was to bid on another oval, Dover or Pocono would be the ones I suspect he would make a run at, and I cant see the Mattioli's selling after all they have said, and Dover ....well they own the casino attached as well and they really have no need to sell now do they?

[The instant classic]

Bruton WANTS an IRL date for New Hampshire because his man on the scene up there has fans that want the IRL back. Therefore Bruton is now interested whereas he wasn't before.

He hasn't the money to buy something like IMS, and I doubt highly he would buy the IRL, that isn't his schtick. Furthermore, he has a ton of money tired up in his recent racetracks, and I suspect he will sit on what he has. If he was to bid on another oval, Dover or Pocono would be the ones I suspect he would make a run at, and I cant see the Mattioli's selling after all they have said, and Dover ....well they own the casino attached as well and they really have no need to sell now do they?
i can see a New Hampshire race in 2011

i always try and stay away from promoter talk i dont know them well
but what other track does he own?

[Mark in Oshawa]

i can see a New Hampshire race in 2011

i always try and stay away from promoter talk i dont know them well
but what other track does he own?


What tracks does Bruton Smith own besides New Hampshire? Charlotte (Lowes) Motor Speedway, Atlanta Motor Speedway, Texas MS, Las Vegas, Infineon/Sears Point, Bristol and Kentucky.

[Lee Roy]

Whether NASCAR is there two times a year or not is not the point. You have to compete for the same fans at some point and you wont beat NASCAR by avoiding them.

You're right. There are two NASCAR Cup races at Texas and yet the IRL has arguably their best attended race there outside of the Indy 500.

The "two NASCAR Cup races excuse" is just a convenient rationalization.

[Mark in Oshawa]

You're right. There are two NASCAR Cup races at Texas and yet the IRL has arguably their best attended race there outside of the Indy 500.

The "two NASCAR Cup races excuse" is just a convenient rationalization.

It is that sort of thinking that got the IRL into trouble in my opinion. They had this oval strategy and they didn't stay committed to the idea. So either they were never serious about it ( my theory ) or they were run by idiots ( this also could be true ).

[Jag_Warrior]

So either they were never serious about it ( my theory ) or they were run by idiots ( this also could be true ).

Both.

[nigelred5]

You're right. There are two NASCAR Cup races at Texas and yet the IRL has arguably their best attended race there outside of the Indy 500.

The "two NASCAR Cup races excuse" is just a convenient rationalization.

I agree it's a poor rationalization for poor Indycar attendance, but there are several tracks with two Cup dates that can't fill either of them and haven't for a while.

[The instant classic]

What tracks does Bruton Smith own besides New Hampshire? Charlotte (Lowes) Motor Speedway, Atlanta Motor Speedway, Texas MS, Las Vegas, Infineon/Sears Point, Bristol and Kentucky.

thanks!

i have been to almost all his tracks it looks :p : still trying to get to Vegas and Sears some day

[Mark in Oshawa]

thanks!

i have been to almost all his tracks it looks :p : still trying to get to Vegas and Sears some day

From what I have seen and heard, his tracks are a bit more luxurious and more fan friendly. Some of the ISC tracks were really behind until the last 5 years when an effort was put in to jazz them up. That said, ISC tracks are not dumps either and any track with a Cup race is still miles ahead of most tracks anywhere. Bruton tho is the king. Look at pictures of Bristol in 1969 and then 1980...and then AFTER Bruton took it over and today. You can see the money he spends on a facility to bring it to "his" standards.

Also owns at Charlotte the Zmax Dragway, with FOUR lanes and two trees, making it the Taj Mahal for drag racers...

[Jag_Warrior]

Also owns at Charlotte the Zmax Dragway, with FOUR lanes and two trees, making it the Taj Mahal for drag racers...

And did he ever bust some b#lls to get that built! And don't forget the dirt track in the same area.

Considering SMI's assets, I don't see that Smith would have any interest in buying or financially helping the IRL. Why would he buy something that has never turned a profit and is seemingly not getting any stronger? Smith has a LOT more riding on the NHRA than the IRL - and he hasn't exactly come to the NHRA's rescue. So again, if he gets a date for a cheap enough price, I think he'd be happy with that. But he's not going to bend over backwards to do anything for the IRL... cause he doesn't have to.

I want to go to the drag strip in Charlotte though! I've heard nothing but good things about that place. And yeah, most of the SMI tracks that I've been to are fairly nice.

[call_me_andrew]

And SMI owns a few dirt tracks too.