State of Indycar 2012 Highlights

[DanicaFan]

In case you missed the State of Indycar show lastnight, here are the highlights as to what came out of it. It does look very promising. Other than the lack of ovals on the schedule, and no Danica, I am looking forward to this year's Indycar season.


Andretti Sports Marketing to promote Milwaukee Mile Race in June 15-16th[/*:m:1bcgb6vl]
Ed Carpenter Signs deal with Chevrolet[/*:m:1bcgb6vl]
Arie Luyendyk, Johnny Unser, and Gary Barnard are new race stewards[/*:m:1bcgb6vl]
New Verizon IndyCar Mobile App available on all devices (iOS/Droid)[/*:m:1bcgb6vl]
IndyCar Mobile App features Augmented Reality from Gravity Jack (didn't see this, everyone says on twitter it looks really cool)[/*:m:1bcgb6vl]
INDYCAR 36 - New 1/2 hour reality show on NBC Sports Network following a driver/team during the weekend of a race, will replay 2-3 times per week after initial airing.[/*:m:1bcgb6vl]
LIDS, a hat makng company signs multi-year agreement with Indycar[/*:m:1bcgb6vl]
New INDYCAR website to launch for St. Pete (1st phase), 2nd phase during Indy 500.[/*:m:1bcgb6vl]
New INDYCAR Webstore and INDYCAR Gear Club also launching in March[/*:m:1bcgb6vl]
ABC to televise St. Pete, Indy, Belle Isle, Milwaukee, Toronto and Mid-Ohio (6 races in 2012); same crew as 2011.[/*:m:1bcgb6vl]
Versus TV crew to return in 2012 on NBCSN, with addition of Townsend Bell as Pit Reporter, minus Lindy Thackston[/*:m:1bcgb6vl]
Rubens Barichello to test at Somona with KV on Feb. 25 & 26[/*:m:1bcgb6vl]
All 2012 Firestone Indy Lights races to be televised.[/*:m:1bcgb6vl]
Manufacturer's Trophy added in 2012[/*:m:1bcgb6vl]
Discover Card and Bank of Omaha partner with Indycar with a new rewards credit card[/*:m:1bcgb6vl]
Fuzzy's Vodka becomes official vodka of the Indycar Series[/*:m:1bcgb6vl]
Firestone Tires signs agreement to stay with Indycar through 2014[/*:m:1bcgb6vl]2011 IZOD IndyCar Series award winners

Championship driver: Dario Franchitti
Herff Jones Championship Driver Award (ring valued at $5,000): Dario Franchitti
Ritmo Mundo Championship Driver Award (diamond watch valued at $100,000): Dario Franchitti
Championship team: Target Chip Ganassi Racing
Championship team sponsor: Target
Championship team managers: Scott Harner and Barry Wanser
Chief Mechanic of the Year Award: Kevin O’Donnell
Sunoco Rookie of the Year Award ($50,000): James Hinchcliffe
Second place championship driver: Will Power
Second place championship team: Verizon Team Penske
Third place championship driver: Scott Dixon
Third place championship team: Target Chip Ganassi Racing
Tony Renna Rising Star Award: James Hinchcliffe
BOSCH Platinum Award ($10,000 for highest-finishing driver using Bosch spark plugs): Dario Franchitti
Raybestos Road & Street Course Challenge ($25,000 cash or product): Will Power

2011 Firestone Indy Lights award winners

Championship driver (mini Firehawk Cup): Josef Newgarden
Herff Jones Championship Driver Award (ring valued at $4,000): Josef Newgarden
Ritmo Mundo Championship Driver Award (watch valued at $25,000): Josef Newgarden
Championship team (mini Firehawk Cup): Sam Schmidt Motorsports
Chief Mechanic of the Year: Sean Birmingham
Second place championship driver: Esteban Guerrieri
Second place championship team: Sam Schmidt Motorsports
Third place championship driver: Stefan Wilson
Third place championship team: Andretti Autosport
Firestone Painting Award: Josef Newgarden
Greg Moore Legacy Award: Josef Newgarden
Gregory & Appel "Securing Tomorrow" Award ($5,000): Josef Newgarden
Raybestos Road & Street Course Challenge (10,000): Josef Newgarden

[garyshell]

Again the mobile app is Verizon only... ridiculous.

Wonder if the LIDS deal includes distribution at their retail outlets.

Wonder if the Gravity Jack app is also Verizon only. Bet it is. Sucks.

Anxious to see what else besides the Indycar 36 show, NBC Sports has up their sleeve. I bet we see NBC sports on a lot more cable systems than we say Versus. And some crossover advertising for the channel if not the races themselves. Suddenly this "horrible idea of a TV deal" as pronounced by the doubters, is looking a bit better.

Nice choices for race steward. Was there mention of the removal of the "discretionary" aspect of the rules interpretation?

Nice to see Townsend on pit lane. Wish it was Tommy Kendall though.

Gary

[heliocastroneves#3]

I'm glad to see Arie Luyendyk being a steward, just because it's such a great guy and I think he knows exactly when someone is doing wrong things on the track and when someone's not. This all sounds promising, because I even see it happen the IndyCar Series will be broadcasted in The Netherlands very soon, and then finally the period of having to watch it via a livestream will come to an end. :)

I may assume the A.J. Foyt oval trophy and the Mario Andretti road course trophy won't return, due to the lack of ovals? Of course this doesn't matter as we're having the manufacturers trophy anyway. :D

I think we will have a great season of IndyCar racing anyway, Randy Bernard is really doing a great job. In the future I just hope to have a more balanced schedule, and then IndyCar is the perfect form of motorsports in my opinion. I'm already lookin' forward to St. Pete, thanks for summing this all up by the way DanicaFan.

[FIAT1]

Step in right direction, but nothing that we did not know. Randy's statement that F1 don't have fans in US makes him look silly. Single restart at Indy is great move. I hope for a great season.

[numanoid]

Two important things missed in my opinion.

Race attendance was up 9.8% missing their goal of a 10% increase. I think they want an additional 10% this year. TV audience was up 28% exceeding the 15% they were shooting for. They are going for another 15% this year.

[SoCalPVguy]

I'm glad to see Arie Luyendyk being a steward, just because it's such a great guy and I think he knows exactly when someone is doing wrong things on the track and when someone's not. This all sounds promising, because I even see it happen the IndyCar Series will be broadcasted in The Netherlands very soon, and then finally the period of having to watch it via a livestream will come to an end. :)

I may assume the A.J. Foyt oval trophy and the Mario Andretti road course trophy won't return, due to the lack of ovals? Of course this doesn't matter as we're having the manufacturers trophy anyway. :D

I think we will have a great season of IndyCar racing anyway, Randy Bernard is really doing a great job. In the future I just hope to have a more balanced schedule, and then IndyCar is the perfect form of motorsports in my opinion. I'm already lookin' forward to St. Pete, thanks for summing this all up by the way DanicaFan.

Will the A.J. Foyt oval trophy punch Arie Luyendyk in the nose ?