http://auto-racing.speedtv.com/artic...sted-from-ims/
Printable View
So....... Where does that leave, well, everything really?
Man unbeleivable. But now that he is gone who can we blame now?
Another thought how will he keep the IRL afloat without the Speedway money?
Quote:
Originally Posted by the bro
dingdingdingding....
I suspect team owners phones are ringing off the hook right about now
That sound was my jaw dropping through the floor.... I'm in shock
my early prediction:
as this plays out (over time) it will have much less effect on the IMS and the I500.... and a more significant effect on the IRL
I'd say Humpy's in.
This is surprising, but not really that much if you think about the state of the league and the speedway the last 6-10 years... I see the league being sold off to team owners/private investors. While IMS needs the series to support their big race, clearly they will not be making the handouts they have in the last several years. There are pros and cons to this for both current team owners, drivers, and fans. In the short term, I don't think this the best news for the series, but maybe it's something that had to happen.
I'm guessing not.....well seeQuote:
Originally Posted by chuck34
I suspect they will put someone in place that wont make a lot of waves..
I'm guessing there thinking stability on the homefront as Tony and the IRL will be forced to make changes in management/ownership of the IRL
and lets all be honest.... Tony had to sell the 600milliondollar Vision.....it's no where near what he said it would be 15 years ago...
China...street coarses.. temporary ovals.....11 americans on the starting grid etc etc
and the lowest TV ratings the sport has ever experienced
Hmmm, he's out of a job but still heading up the IRL. On a side note, I wonder if this is why Humpy was sniffing around on Sunday.
Gary
Just checked the IMS website and the IRL website. No official press releases or announcements yet.
damn yr right i had fun making fun of tony and blaming him for everythingQuote:
Originally Posted by the bro
he was the punch line to many of my jokes but now :(
Quote:
Originally Posted by The instant classic
But have any of our criticisms of him been about his role at the Speedway or as head of the IRL. Remember he is ousted from the Speedway job NOT his IRL one.
Gary
with less on tony's plate maybe now he will trun around indycar?Quote:
Originally Posted by garyshell
my guess is tony was kicked from indy speedway after the poor ratings the 500 got
Well I guess his work was done and they couldn't take it any more. He single handedly killed open wheel racing in the US, Ruined the traditions of IMS, and he's burnt through the family trust fund like a bag of marshmallows at a bonfire. My question is why it took them so long? From teh reported layoffs and fire sale, sounds like the family just did a budget check and realized they're stone flat broke. I'm just suprized he didn't manage to place a 10ft tall bronze of his mug atop the pagoda before he was voted out. Karma.
Well, there goes the scapegoat... I hope everyone has their water wings on because it sure sounds like it's swimming time to me.
I am no fan of TG - but this cannot be good for the IRL - look for CART part deux before 2010 with Chip Ganassi playing the role of Pat Patrick, Jimmy Vassar as Dan Gurney and Roger Penske appearing as himself....
This is something that has been rumored for years. But at this point it's still a rumor. All I've found is Robin's story and no second-source verification, so we don't know how accurate it is.
That said, we've heard for years that the Hulman/George family wasn't happy with how Tony was running things and were considering a change in leadership. Perhaps this is clearing the field for Humpy Wheeler to take over the speedway operations.
The other question is, does TG still have control of the IRL. Since the IRL and IMS are quasi-independent agencies its not clear as to whether he's no on longer in charge of one or both. If there was a coup to remove him at IMS there could easily be one going on at the IRL.
I think best case scernario is that Humpy Wheeler takes over Indy and someone like Tony Cotman or Vicki O'Conner takes over the IRL.
Your right about that, but it sounded so good.Quote:
Originally Posted by garyshell
Do what Oral Roberts did when his boat was sinking?Quote:
Originally Posted by the bro
http://img.timeinc.net/time/daily/20...berts_1026.jpg
"If I don't get some money for the IRL, I'm going to be called home!!!"
BTW, for those who have been operating under the (mistaken) belief for years that Tony George owned IMS, how is that theory working for ya now? :dozey:
This is big news. I don't like this at all. It spells bad news, and I'm sure right about now, the IRL is getting calls from just about every promoter they have, every team owner and probably every single sponsor they have or are trying to acquire.
I've thrown something up on the blog, I don't want to type out the whole thing here. Check out the blog for my opinion on the situation.
I'm sorry man, I couldn't hear you over the sound of the blatant self promotion.
Still no attributed sources but the Indy Business Journal has an unnamed source.
Seriously, The family needs to get out in front of this quickly.Quote:
Tony George was voted out as chairman of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway last night by the IMS board of directors after 20 years in charge, SpeedTV.com is reporting.
IMS board members include George's mother, Mari; his sisters Josie, Nancy and Kathy; attorney Jack Snyder and George himself.
George, 49, will reportedly retain his position as CEO of the Indy Racing League, which he founded in 1996. George is the grandson of Tony Hulman, who rescued the Speedway from probable demise in 1945.
A racing industry source told IBJ that Tony George's mother and sisters became fed up with the financial losses incurred by the Speedway and Indy Racing League.
George's dismissal comes less than one month after his wife, Laura, was removed from her job as staff adviser at the IMS.
IMS officials were not available to comment this morning, but sources said that the IMS board hopes to talk to H.A. "Humpy" Wheeler, one of the foremost promoters of NASCAR and former president of Lowe's Motor Speedway in North Carolina, about a possible management position.
http://cms.ibj.com/ASPXPages/6iframe...8489&NoFrame=1
So since the formation of the IRL in 1995 was said to be Tony George taking his ball (which apparently never was his to begin with)and starting his own game, this must be the instance where that ball has been taken away from him... so what happens to his game ?
Why don't you think that Humpy will be asked in? You are right about pretty much everything else in your post. The family wants stability on the homefront, he (TG) "blew" through loads of cash, and they aren't where they wanted to be.Quote:
Originally Posted by Ken
So why not bring in someone with a stellar track record of running race tracks? In my mind it makes perfect sence that if the family really wants IMS to start making serious money again that you would bring in someone like Humpy. And who else out there is like Humpy other than Humpy?
Quote:
Originally Posted by MDS
I bet Roger Penske is on this. Danny Sullivan said it best, "When the music stops, Roger always finds himself a seat.
It will be interesting to see what Penkse does now.
I am thinking it would make sense that Roger Penkse will have a BIG PART in helping the IRL go forward.
Could include guiding the series as well as partial ownership?
I wouldn't doubt it.
in the words of the jigsaw killer (from the movie saw)Quote:
Originally Posted by ChicagocrewIRL
GAME OVER!
If this is all true, TG will NOT be leaving the IRL. Remember that the IRL and IMS are seperate.Quote:
Originally Posted by timshag
Speechless..........
TG had to go, there is no doubt in my mind, but I don't know about Wheeler being the guy to take over. If you look for some of his thoughts on OW that he's said in interviews over the years, it may give you something to think about. If he can actually understand OW and what it's fans want to see, then maybe it would work. If he tries to make it NASACR OW Racing, then I can't see ow going in a direction that I want to see.
The article states he is still CEO of the IRL. He still controls the ball and runs the league, just not one of the stadiums.Quote:
Originally Posted by ChicagocrewIRL
That's the position CART was in and that didn't end up well. It's not just one of the stadiums, but THE stadium. IF IMS creates a new set of specs for IC, then what does TG do? That would be ironic, TG leading a breakaway serieas apart from IMS. :s mokin:Quote:
Originally Posted by beachbum
Yeah, because full fields of mostly sponsored cars, a 36-race schedule, and competitive passing on oval tracks would be such a horror to endure.Quote:
Originally Posted by DBell
They should have run the idiot off on the very day that stepchild, the IRL, was born. While they're at it, they ought to hire A.J. Foyt so they can fire him too.
Well, the series generally controls the specs, not the track. George was in the unique position to be able to dictate as he did starting in 1995. It would depend on how different the specs were from the IRL specs. I don't think anyone at IMS is THAT dumb in this climate.Quote:
Originally Posted by DBell
The IMS board surely could adopt new specs that any competetors would have to abide by to compete, however they wouldn't necessarily be those of the IRL. It wouldn't upset me in the least to see the specs for the 500 itself opened back up to encourage far more competetors as it was in the CART days when the race was run under USAC( but PLEASE! no more USAC) CART had their specs, IMS had theirs for the 500. There's penty of cars appropriate to run at Indy outside of that ugly Dallara.
Anyone have a 1993 CART rule book laying around anywhere?? That would be an ideal starting point for new regs IMHO. Can we get mulligan on a 14 year old mistake?
The "Ball" is the IMS and the 500. He no longer controls either.Quote:
Originally Posted by beachbum
I chose not to follow CART after the split solely because it did not have the 500. Any open wheel series in North America MUST have the 500. It is for love of the Speedway and the 500 alone that I am an IRL fan.
irlfanatics.com lol
Very true. But since we now know that the IRL isn't profitable (according to Anton himself), where does he now get the money to run the IRL, if it's to become (truly) independent of IMS? I don't think the family will let him fall completely on his face - since they still have some skin in the game too. But it looks like his days of playing in the family trust fund like it's his own personal piggybank may be over.Quote:
Originally Posted by beachbum
Actually, I think this is TG's way of nicking the scoopmeister Robin. So far all of the reports credit Robin Miller, no independent confirmation.
But then again all of this is still solely rumor without any official press release from the Speedway.
Unfortunately, you may be right.Quote:
Originally Posted by Wilf
http://www.indystar.com/article/2009...usted+from+IMS