Bull.....

Bull rider CEO- more like bull shiite
Desperate times call for desparate measure but this is a 7-second ride to nowhere.

DeFerren Racing-OUT, Vision Racing OUT, NHL Racing 1-car.... The poor economy and lack of sponsors result in little hope of a bid field, especially when the 800# gorilla, also struggling now, hogs all the sponsorship money from well nown consumer products.

When the not-lamented TG said that if Indycar didn't make a profit by 2013 it was done, I am afraid my friends that's where its headed.

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Originally Posted by methanolHuffer

Hey, anything at this point is worthy of a try.

He may be a genius, he may only have to like success more than he does the sport he is running.

I just can't imagine somebody that doesn't share the passion of motorsport delivering an acceptable end product.

TG may have outwardly claimed to have loved the IndyCar series - but let's be honest, he loved the control and power just a bit more. In fact he always kind of believed it was owed to him for some odd reason.

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Racing is a business. Many people who have loved it have driven it into the ground, although I wonder where TG's love of the sport came from because he sure never understood it.

This guy built a property out of nothing....and it right now is healthier than the IRL so I would have to say he is already more successful than Tony George.

The Hulman family controlled Indy and the rules there.
It didn't matter wether it was AAA, USAC or CART at Indy you played by the Hulman rules not your own.
TG wanted to extend that control to CART. When they balked he set up the IRL.
Well he won the battles but in the long run lost the war and if he has not destroyed open wheel racing certainly has left it in sad shape.
Now that he can't access family money to run the series, or even his own team, it is obvious he is not willing to spend his personal money.

As far as I can tell, the news today is that Vision Racing probably won't race this season (they'll still be at Indy IMO). Not good news, but is this a huge loss to the grid? Not a huge loss, imo. Second piece of news is that a new CEO will be on board, one with some success on his resume (granted, in a very different type of sport). This news is not bad news. Not great news, but I think it takes some work to paint it as a strong negative. Beyond that, everything else that has been posted here is pure speculation. Rumor is that Graham will be racing for De Ferran, and Cavin has said even within the last week, that Lloyd is very close on a 2nd full time car at NHL. So I think what we're seeing is a little crack of negativity that a lot here and looking to exploit for their usual sky-is-falling laments. Fortunately, they still don't have a lot to back those sentiments up. Still business as usual at the IRL, for better and worse.

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Originally Posted by Mark in Oshawa

HOLD IT!!! Who says the guy who runs the PBR would be a bad fit? Hear me out. He took a sport, that most people wouldn't watch normally if they were in Cheyenne on that DAY, and got it on ESPN, and got their purses up and got people like that hubby of Jewel's on ABC's "Dancing with the Stars" Maybe you guys have to grasp the guy MAY have a clue of how to take something obscure and to maximize it.

Listen, I have no idea if the guy will succeed, but at least with Indycar, we know it was a big deal once. Pro Bull riders were NEVER a big deal except in a few Western cities in the US and Calgary. With Indycar, the bones are there, so in my mind, the outside the box hire just might work. God knows all the "experts" have screwed this mess right into the ground.

I am of the opinion this guy would be no worse than any one else they could hire, and likely is better than any other option.

As for NASCAR coming to pickup the pieces, if they are not here within the year, they wont be. The price isn't going to be lower than it is now unless it dies and then it will be too far gone to save. I think a new, ad hoc run what you brung formula will be the way at the Brickyard and a few one off events might sort of coalese, but it wont be the IRL....and it will be small scale with just American drivers with the odd Canadian. I guess Scotty will like it.... but it wont be close to even THIS series.

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Mark, I agree. I'm not going to overly hype up this guy's credentials, but for him to take professional bull riding, a very very niche sport, and break it out in the last couple years into a somewhat mainstream 2nd or 3rd tier televised sport, is pretty damn impressive. I even watched 20-30 mins of bull riding last year. Not my thing, but they did a good job promoting it and it had a good tv production. They also had a cool event at Penn Station 2 years ago with PBR doing an exhibition outside the Garden.

As far as NASCAR, the only reason they'd buy it, is to bury it. Which in theory is a possibility.

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Originally Posted by NickFalzone

As far as NASCAR, the only reason they'd buy it, is to bury it.

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Why bother. CART dug it's own grave and buried itself. Champ Car jumped into the same grave before all the dirt was packed it. Just sit back and watch the IRL continue shoveling. They're almost down to 6 feet.

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Originally Posted by NickFalzone

As far as NASCAR, the only reason they'd buy it, is to bury it. Which in theory is a possibility.

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There does not appear to be anything left to "bury" a little acne cream ought to take care of it... :(

No group will ever buy it without getting a fairly long land lease to have control and use of the IMS.

Two things that will probably not be combined.

After all, the family and any potential buyers would concede that an open wheel series' success is directly related to being able to participate in the Indy 500.

No sane person will run a series like this without having some guarantees that they wont be locked out of that race. In fact - they will need to control that race as if they own it.

It's kind of like our Govna Mitch (IN) and the toll road deal. Lot's of people are going to be mad - but it might make sense for the family to take an investment as a positive opportunity.

What does it mean by "head", does that mean getting rid of Brian Barnhart? Provided that is the case, then this shouldn't be too bad anyway. Bull Ring might have nothing to do with racing, but this head might be smart enough in making good business decisions. One simple example for you all to chew over. Tony Cotman, a widely regarded upright and intelligent person in the managing side, made many irritating calls when he was in charge of the race.