Originally Posted by DBell
Sure. Why didn't the IRL use this as an opportunity to at least say what general concepts they would like to see in the coming years in the form of technology come into the sport. Whether it be a KERS system, hybrid engines or whatever, show that someone in the series is thinking of a long term concept of how the IRL will develop.
There is very little evidence that I've seen that suggest the IRL has a big picture plan on how they will make the series attractive to auto manufacturers. Going by current TV ratings and a downgraded TV package for the future, marketing value doesn't seem to be that attractive of an option at the moment. So it has to be something else to get a company like BMW, for example, motivated to make the financial commitment to join. Relevancy is becoming a large looming question mark for all of auto racing as the world changes. Some series like ALMS,LMS and F1 are addressing this issue. The IRL needs to at least show it's thinking about it. To me, the IRL going to a conference like this and putting out the information it did says they have no long term direction. For a the IRL, a series that desperately needs a couple of manufacturers to join in 2 years, this was a needlessly wasted opportunity. They can't afford this. They have to be on the ball at every opportunity to convince companies that this series is worth investing in.