I wonder if Robin is still celebrating????

[BT46B]

The Fact is Milwaukee's promoters never paid the IRL or NASCAR for their races there a year or so ago. The IRL didn't reject Milwaukee, they just cannot afford to race for free. Furthermore, the idiots running the fairgrounds have stuck their noses into that mess.

If ovals are not on the IRL sched, that is a shame, but everything isn't what it seems. Also, for anyone to say Richmond was worth it attendance wise wasn't really looking at the acres of empty grandstands. It may have had more people, but it wasn't a successful event. Texas is successful. Chicagoland or Kansas will have to draw on their on merits. The point is, those who want the IRL to stay with an oval component also have to realize you don't want to race before empty grandstands. Sponsors want to put money into races where it appears there are fans. Sponsors don't want to tune in to the race they are helping bring to the public, and realizing the public has not shown up.

Oval racing is part of the history of the IRL, but the fans have to show up and support the events. People can knock street races all they like, artistically they are not always great races, BUT if 70000 people pay good money at the site to watch them, then you have to look at that seriously and understand they have a product there. You may not like it, but people are PAYING THEIR DOLLARS TO WATCH. If 20000 are sitting in the stands at Kansas because they don't HAVE To be forced to take IRL tickets to get their NASCAR tickets, then you are getting 20000 hardcore fans to be sure, but it doesn't look good and isn't making money for anyone.

The fact is, I want ovals to be part of the IRL, but if they are all cookie cutter foot to the floor tracks, then you might as well give up. Flat ovals put on the best show for this type of race car. New Hampshire, Phoenix, Gateway and Milwaukee should be the types of tracks kept around...

As for me, I started watching street races at Long Beach when they were still F1 and the were absolutely hairaising!!! It was very difficult to lower the bar when ChampCars or whatever they were still called then came to LB the hairpin became a hard right and they never came screaming down Elm again (and turning in you rface if you were against the fence) Listen, I adjusted because I love motorracing but there was nothing like the first few races I went to. I, too, enjoy a GOOD oval for Indycar but an oval is an oval for me because then I first went racing the street courses had more shunts (most on purpose) than anything we see these days.

[Mark in Oshawa]

Boy....I am not sure I have much left to say after the Bob and Tony show.......

I will say this. Both of em have points. They need TV AND fans at the track. Fans at the track they can likely get, but they may end up losing an oval or two because of it, but if they cannot get eyeballs on TV, then the sponsors will go away, and bye bye racing...

[call_me_andrew]

I will say this. Both of em have points. They need TV AND fans at the track. Fans at the track they can likely get, but they may end up losing an oval or two because of it, but if they cannot get eyeballs on TV, then the sponsors will go away, and bye bye racing...

You can make a similar argument for archaic TV blackout rules.

[e2mtt]

Boy....I am not sure I have much left to say after the Bob and Tony show.......

I will say this. Both of em have points. They need TV AND fans at the track. Fans at the track they can likely get, but they may end up losing an oval or two because of it, but if they cannot get eyeballs on TV, then the sponsors will go away, and bye bye racing...

What did Bob & Tom say? I haven't heard them in a long time, but I remember they were big Indy 500 fans.