Where is everybody ?

[SoCalPVguy]

I estimate an attendance of 10-12,000 maximum ! This is embarrassing, makes 30K at Detroit look good. Stands are sparse at best or empty, looks like about 100,000 fans came disguised as empty seats !!!!

Indy car must dump this horrible location immediately !!!!

The racing was good, too bad nobody saw it.

[garyshell]

It did rain pretty hard for a while before the race started.

Gary

[anthonyvop]

It did rain pretty hard for a while before the race started.

Gary

And so they all packed up and left?

Rain pretty hard at Le Mans also and yet they have record #'s

[garyshell]

And so they all packed up and left?

Rain pretty hard at Le Mans also and yet they have record #'s

We both know that oval fans and road course fans have a significantly different tollerance for rain. Yes a lot of them packed up and left. At east that's the third had info I got.

Gary

[FIAT1]

We both know that oval fans and road course fans have a significantly different tollerance for rain. Yes a lot of them packed up and left. At east that's the third had info I got.

Gary

Agree, rain started at 15 min before the start. Many people have left because it was looking bad and many of us did not think it will start. I'm going to this race for last 25 years and I will not compare it to 90s ,but today race had line of fans waiting everywhere to get in, including infeild and I did not see that in last 8 years ,therefore I will tell you that this year is first year that I have positive thinking on the future of this race and we know now that it's on Fathers day again,same date will help.

[heliocastroneves#3]

I think Gary is right, otherwise they wouldn't have decided to come back next year.. But FIAT1, how was the weekend at Milwaukee? I'm thinking to go to The Mile next year and now it is sure they will race there next year as well... I already can't wait..

[anthonyvop]

Same old excuses.

[nigelred5]

They keep racing if it rains at LeMans.. IF I'm a walk up, it's pouring rain that is obviously going to cause an extreme rain delay or a wash out, I"m probably not going to plunk down $100. Everyone seems like they are happy with the turnount and it's back next year. I did get to see a few laps yesterday. I stepped outside to do a little more work on the beach house, came back in and NASCAR. Had to go to the worthless indycar app t osee a tweet to know it was another rain delay, then of course, we don't get ESPNnews and I gave up. I was impressed they initially moved the Nationwide race to ESPN when the race was delayed.

[garyshell]

Same old excuses.

How many oval races are run in the rain? If you walk up to buy a ticket to an oval race and it is pouring down ran are YOU going to spend the money and go in on a wish and a prayer? Not likely.

Given the rain issue, I was surprised to see as many folks in the stands as there were.

Gary

[FIAT1]

I think Gary is right, otherwise they wouldn't have decided to come back next year.. But FIAT1, how was the weekend at Milwaukee? I'm thinking to go to The Mile next year and now it is sure they will race there next year as well... I already can't wait..

Milwaukee race is great,fast and fans are the best.This race is on the way of rebuilding as fathers day weekend race. Problem with oval racing you never know the weather and many locals buy ticket on the day of the race. Great track and racing,but to come from another country just to see a race in Milwaukee I would suggest come to stay and see great city of Chicago and go to the race from there, as many drivers do.

[jarrambide]

They keep racing if it rains at LeMans.. IF I'm a walk up, it's pouring rain that is obviously going to cause an extreme rain delay or a wash out, I"m probably not going to plunk down $100. Everyone seems like they are happy with the turnount and it's back next year. I did get to see a few laps yesterday. I stepped outside to do a little more work on the beach house, came back in and NASCAR. Had to go to the worthless indycar app t osee a tweet to know it was another rain delay, then of course, we don't get ESPNnews and I gave up. I was impressed they initially moved the Nationwide race to ESPN when the race was delayed.

Try to see if you can use ESPN3 (they actually changed the name to watchespn, this is the 2nd time they have tried to change the name).

WatchESPN.com is a web page that even tough is free, you can only use it if you get internet from one of their internet supplier partners, we used to live in a small town just outside of the metropolitan area, we had only one internet supplier, I couldn't use ESPN3, but we moved to the civilization and now I can use the web page, which I use to watch lost of games from the La Liga, the Spanish football league.

The good thing is that they let you create an account, you don't need one to use the web page if you are at your home an dyou use one of the aproved internet supplier, but if you are outside of youy home, you can use your account to get permission to stream their content.

[FIAT1]

...........

[FIAT1]

Same old excuses.




IndyCar: IndyFest 225 coming back to Milwaukee next year - Chicago Tribune (http://articles.chicagotribune.com/2012-06-16/sports/ct-spt-0617-bits-indycar-autos--20120617_1_ryan-hunter-reay-iowa-speedway-milwaukee-mile)

[Marbles]

ct-spt-0617-bits-indycar-autos--20120617-001

Damn, I can't remember where I left my Indycar Decoder ring!

[Marbles]

IndyCar: IndyFest 225 coming back to Milwaukee next year - Chicago Tribune (http://articles.chicagotribune.com/2012-06-16/sports/ct-spt-0617-bits-indycar-autos--20120617_1_ryan-hunter-reay-iowa-speedway-milwaukee-mile)

Okay, got it. :) I think this Millwaukee event came across as something on the rebound... a long but well deserved rebound. I haven't ever had that feeling in the past decade.

[anthonyvop]

When was the last time was Milwaukee a successful event?

By Successful I mean full stands and decent TV ratings.

[nigelred5]

IIRC, when it was still the weekend after Indy, when Carl Haas was the promoter and it was actually promoted, before CCWS and when the grandstands where rebuilt. That huge grandstand is probably great for spectators, but it sure makes the place look empty. What's the capacity now?

I think Michael is on the right track. Add the festival atmosphere, compress it into a 2 day event, but keep it off Father's day. A move back to the traditonal weekend after Indy would make a big difference as well. I'd swap Detroit and Milwaukee, give oval fans a three race swing and a couple ovals to detox from oval overload after Indy.

[heliocastroneves#3]

Milwaukee race is great,fast and fans are the best.This race is on the way of rebuilding as fathers day weekend race. Problem with oval racing you never know the weather and many locals buy ticket on the day of the race. Great track and racing,but to come from another country just to see a race in Milwaukee I would suggest come to stay and see great city of Chicago and go to the race from there, as many drivers do.
Thank you for the suggestion! Now I'm pretty sure that when I have holidays next year, my girlfriend and I will go to Chicago and that we will go to the Milwaukee IndyFest as well, as the icing on the cake of our holidays. :)

[Lousada]

Look at the grandstands in 2009:
_3B-bkRuKmw
Where did it go wrong??

[heliocastroneves#3]

They didn't return in 2010, not because of a bad attendance but the track still hadn't paid IndyCar if I'm right... Don't blame me if I'm wrong because I don't know the exact situation of two years ago. The grandstands... Once they were filled in Kentucky, Chicagoland and Homestead as well.. But, a terrible attendance at Homestead and Chicagoland in 2010, and a terrible attendance at Kentucky last year... And now all those races are, for now, lost. Lack of promotion has been the issue at the tracks listed above but I don't believe that has been the case with Milwaukee. Also, the rain has had a lot of influence. I'm pretty sure the attendance of next year will be much better and when it doesn't rain, almost every grandstand will be filled.

[anthonyvop]

That huge grandstand is probably great for spectators, but it sure makes the place look empty. What's the capacity now?



Spectator capacity is only 45,000. Not large by any stretch of the imagination.


Look at the grandstands in 2009:
_3B-bkRuKmw
Where did it go wrong??

Not bad about 70-80% full

[anthonyvop]

Lack of promotion has been the issue at the tracks listed above

Can't speak for Chicago or Kentucky but I know that wasn't the case for Homestead, They spent $$$ every year promoting that race. Radio & TV adds. Billboards on all the major highways. Newspaper ads and articles and lots of personal appearances Remember a large % of drivers in Indycar call South Florida Home or spend a lot of time here

[FIAT1]

Look at the grandstands in 2009:
Where did it go wrong??


... there was a great race,than there is two series,than there is two races on the same track,night race,day race,than there is unification,then cancelling, new date, off again than on again...well you get a picture. I think it will grow from here as long there is a good racing and a same date.

[djparky]

When was the last time was Milwaukee a successful event?

By Successful I mean full stands and decent TV ratings.

when it was called the PPG CART IndyCar World Series and it raced just after Indy