Is the open wheel world better off than it was a year ago?

[underpowered]

Is the open wheel world better off than it was a year ago? Your post was pre-season. Some of us waited until after the last race to revisit the topic you initiated.

Yes. It has some way to go, but at least the money is being invested in one series now.

I dont think it was good for AGR though. They are finding it harder to compete now that there are more entrants.

[SoCalPVguy]

This is an excellent thread. I have given this some though all year.

Overall the answer is YES because, in no particular order: 1) It is unified into one series, therefore the fan and media confusion has been eliminated; 2) There is no other open wheel racing competition for sponsor dollars; 3) Confusing races have been eliminated (i.e. "Indy" cars that don't run at Indy); 4) Competing telecasts have been eliminated and telecast quality is somewhat improved; 6) Sponsorship has increased over last year; 7) Driver quality is improving; 8) Media coverage has increased; 9) With the increased responsibility of running a unified series, the IRL leadership has improved personnel (example: Cotman) and ideas such as more road/street racing, and improved competition items) PtP, etc. 10) An overall much larger field (26+ cars) and deeper competetive field than when separate series; 11) Indy 500 is a part of a unified instead of an "orphan".

With these improvements does that mean that open wheel is healthy, sound, and thriving. NO, of course not- not even close. For example being the all star center on a midgets basketball team dosn't mean you can play in the NBA....

I think that the damage of the 13+ year split and fan animosity have damaged OWR to the point that it may never regain its peak poularity which I estimate to have occurred in about 1995. I can see a scenario whereby OWR takes two steps forward and one step back over the next ten years or so. It took a 13 year split to make this mess and it may take another 13 years together to heal it.

Some of the challenges and areas needing immediate improvement with OWR are as follows: 1) The VERSUS telecast idea is horrible, until OWR is on an over-the-air network or basic cable network, it is doomed to be a second tier sport like hockey and bicycle racing; 2) Sponsorship for both the series and all cars must be found and this will be tough in a lessening economy and in competetion with the monopolistic Nascar; 3) A more appealing and cost-effective car chassis-engine combination must be implemented, one that mirrors both high-tech and a "green" elements; 4) With sponsorship comes the elimination of unqualified ride-buyer drivers. 5) Losing locations and venues must be dropped and more popular venues must be added.

I'll probably post more when I think of them.

[SarahFan]

Yes.

United we stand... Divided we fall.

it's funny..... I was one of the first guys probably 4 or 5 yeras that sriosly started to preach unification...

what did i get for it

counted down... numerous times at the wagon.... and told repeatedly at TF that CC had nothing worth unifying with...


so from the CC side I was right as it failed..... and from the IRL side I was right as the IRL has become CARTII...

so here we are.....is the sport better off.....clearly the answer is Yes as there is now one series instead of two...

problem is Tony seems dead set on ignoreing the past and repeating the same mistakes the doomed CC


I enjoyed the on-track product in 2009 more than I have in some time..... but from a BIZ aspect and from we have seen transpire the past 8 months....i simply don't understand how we as fans couldn't still be concerned about the health of the sport as TG and the IRL navigate it's future

[Lousada]

This year is another year the IRL has declined in popularity. This despite the unification. If Champcar went another year, both would have shrunk at an even more rapid pace. So, the openwheel world is not better off, it's less worse off.

[DBell]

Better off in that there is one series, but the showed little improvement on the troubles that plague AOW. Growth is stagnate, sponsors remain elusive and the new TV deal,imo, is a step down. The fan base that is left is fractured, maybe beyond repair. Many question or don't believe that current IRL management is capable of leading OW back to prominence. I think a big key to whether the sport will really grow again is if new manufacturers come in 2 years. If it remains a spec series, then I don't see much changing.

Another question that could be asked is AOW growing, treading water or circling the drain.

[garyshell]

This year is another year the IRL has declined in popularity.

By what measure? Car count was up. Track attendance was up, over all, as was TV viewership. Sponsorship was up. So how do you arrive at that conclusion? Mind you, none of these were up by huge amounts, but up nonetheless.

This despite the unification. If Champcar went another year, both would have shrunk at an even more rapid pace.

I agree 1000%.

So, the openwheel world is not better off, it's less worse off.

A quibbling of semantics at best.

Gary

[SarahFan]

Track attendance was up, over all, as was TV viewership.

Gary

?

[Chris R]

Yes, the heart is beating again but the pulse is still pretty weak....

[Pat Wiatrowski]

NO!

[bblocker68]

I have a sneaking suspicion that the Champcar guys who say "no" never knew what it was like before the split?

I have to say yes because I am not nervous about next year like I was 12 months ago. We had no clue what was going to happen at this time last year. We were all freaking out, wondering if we would have anything to look forward to. The product is not the best it can be, not by a long shot, but I have more confidence in the future going into 2009 as I've had in a long, long time.

That would reaffirm my "yes" answer.