It’s been a couple of weeks since it was announced that Fox had bought a significant stake in both IndyCar and the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, and it’s taken me that long to sort through how I feel about the whole thing.
Of course, like anything at the start, it’s all kittens and rainbows. Fox is going to promote the series like never before! The influx of money will be a good thing to drive the series forward! This is all going to be so awesome, and down the road IndyCar will be back to where it was in the 1990s!
That’s all well and good…if it actually happens. And I know one year is a small sample size, but what has Fox done for us so far?
Ratings are awful. Attendance is awful. There is still the yearly drama as to what races will be on the schedule, and which ones will fall off. And don’t get me started about Mark Miles and his “we’re racing (insert awesome place here) next year!”, only to find out it was never close to happening.
Mexico City anyone?
The idea that throwing money at IndyCar is going to change things is ridiculous. You can throw all of the money you want at something, but if you don’t solve core problems or make changes, all the money in the world won’t help. It’s like having a million dollars in debt, winning a million dollars in the lottery, and spending it on a McLaren P1.
You might have a nice car to drive around in, but you’ve still got bills to pay. Cool ad campaigns, Dave Portnoy (gag me with a f–cking spoon), and other “promotional” ideas don’t help if the product doesn’t inspire the hell out of you.
If you can’t put a compelling product forward, people aren’t going to pay money to see it, and they sure as hell aren’t going to watch it on TV.
I know what most of you are probably saying…IndyCar is awesome! Great drivers! (Sometimes) competitive races! Storylines for days!
I say that too, but people like you and me aren’t the ones that need convincing. No sport can be popular without the interest of the casual fan. And if you start pushing away the hardcores, you have a serious problem.
I see that happening with IndyCar. That’s a serious problem.
Lately there has been lots of talk about what it would take to “fix” IndyCar. Holy shit, that’s a conversation we’ve been having since, well, forever. It’s definitely something I’ve written about several times over the years.
But since we are at another crossroads, let’s revisit it again.
If I became the IndyCar czar for a day, here’s what would happen.
Let Doug Boles Run
Did you ever see the movie about the great racehorse Secretariat? There is a scene before the final Triple Crown race, the Belmont, where Penny Chenery, the horse’s owner, tells jockey Ron Turcotte to just let him run.
Did that happen? Who knows? But that day Secretariat won the race by 31 lengths and won the race in a record time that still stands. It made for great drama.
And in that vein, it’s time to turn Doug Boles loose.
I’ve long said that I think Mark Miles is part of the problem. He’s old, arrogant, out of touch, and fresh out of ideas. I mean, does he even like IndyCar? I see him at races, walking around, dressed all corporate, wearing an IndyCar vest when it’s 90 degrees…but I never see him smiling, having fun enjoying his job.
I’ve walked past Roger Penske many times, and many times he’s given me a smile or a hello. I’ve seen him do that to others as well. Never had that happen with Mark Miles.
I cringe at the fact that the series ever let’s him sit down for interviews, because all of his quotes are word salads, doublespeak, and shows that a man who has been involved in the series for more than 13 years has no clue about how it ticks.
Most of what Doug touches turns to gold. He has the pulse of the fans — because he was and is one — and has the passion and energy to make things happen.
Now, it’s time to let him run.
Boles is a people’s champion, and no doubt the growth of the Indianapolis 500 over the last several years has been attributed to the work he has done. And not just the 500, as several other events at IMS have become big hits as well.
I mean, outside of the 500, the 2024 eclipse event is the most memorable thing I’ve ever experienced at the track.
Doug is in touch with the pulse of racing. He should be the face of IndyCar, and he should be the one leading the meetings as to how to grow this sport.
New faces bring new ideas, and it’s time for that to happen.
Get New Car(s)
I know, I know, the new chassis is (allegedly) a couple of years away. And it’s much needed, as the series hasn’t had a new one since 2012.
But one new chassis — especially from Dallara — isn’t going to change things. There needs to be at least two chassis suppliers in the series. I’ve been a fan of IndyCar for more than 45 years, and having different chassis (and engine) suppliers is what made for excitement.
Dallara has been loyal, and has built a car that has saved the lives and careers of almost everyone in the paddock. But rolling out 26 identical-looking cars does nothing.
Formula 1 isn’t popular because it’s compelling racing. One of the reasons it’s popular is that they build cars that are sexy as hell. IndyCar was popular when the cars were sexy as hell. They looked great and they sounded like fighter jets.
People love fighter jets.
Does it cost more money? Sure it does. But if you want to get fans excited, throw out a couple of new designs and see the reaction. It wouldn’t disappoint.
content, content, content
I can’t say this enough. Like cash, content is king.
Let’s be honest, IndyCar is lacking. The website is full of AP-style stories that don’t tell stories, most teams’ social media is lacking, and even one team has no social media presence at all!
I mean, you are a team in the premier open wheel series in the country and you don’t have a content manager? I e-mailed them and offered to help…never heard back.
But the point is, you have to give people stuff to consume. You know who does it best?
Formula 1.
I know they have tons of resources, both at the series and team level, in both money and personnel. But look what a team does in one race weekend and compare to what goes on during an IndyCar weekend.
Let’s be honest about something: Formula 1 isn’t a competitor. As a longtime IndyCar writer pointed out after the Fox acquisition, it cost more money to buy a stake in a single F1 team than it did to buy a stake in the entire IndyCar series.
There is nothing wrong with saying: “this is what the biggest racing series in the world does, and even if it’s on a smaller scale, we should try to do the same thing”.
Articles, blogs, videos, podcasts. Saturate the market with content, and make it diverse enough that it appeals to a wide swath of people. IndyCar touts some of its people as “storytellers” — have them tell some stories.
As a sportswriter, some of my favorite moments have come when I’ve been able to interview a subject or listen to someone talk about what it’s like inside the game.
An example. Dario Franchitti wins the 500 in 2012. At the time people were wondering what he had left to accomplish, what he had left to prove.
Fast forward to Milwaukee a couple of weeks later. After struggling in practice and having the slowest time, he comes back a few hours later and takes pole. In the press conference, he started talking about how everything is like a puzzle, how much fun it is to work on that puzzle, and how satisfying it is when all of the pieces come together and fit.
It was absolutely fascinating. When I covered pro baseball, I loved talking to former major leaguers and learning how they approached pitchers or hitters. One of the best was when former outfielder Bobby Dernier talked about hitting against Dwight Gooden in his prime.
I couldn’t get enough. It was incredible insight.
That’s what I’m saying. Take us into the minds of drivers, take us in the cockpit, get our blood pumping. But most of all, inspire us. Tell us why these drivers do what they do.
Go to the IndyCar YouTube page. Outside of race replays, what are the most-watched videos? James Hinchcliffe going 1-on-1 with compelling people.
So with that in mind, what stops IndyCar from having it’s own in-house YouTube show? A weekly show during the season, and once a month in the off-season, that covers the series in-depth?
They have a production company. So, nothing.
I could go on and on, but the point is that if you want to get people’s attention, you have to do something different. You can’t force people to consume your content, you have to give them a reason to want to.
Demand more from your in-house content people, demand more from the teams. Stop expecting individual drivers, fans, and other entities to do the work for you.
If you don’t want to mimic F1, try the NBA, which reaches a massive global audience thanks to it’s marketing and content. Here’s a story that breaks it all down.
In other words, step up your game. There are way too many things that are competing for people’s time, and if you are just going to blend in with the rest, people aren’t going to find you worth that time.
Is this post overly critical?
Yes.
Do I have all of the answers?
No. I hardly have any, but, then again, I’m not paid a large amount of money like the people who are supposed to have them.
All I’m saying is…do SOMETHING, goddamn it! It’s like this series has spent the last 25 years wishing its life away.
It’s time guys. Push the chips to the middle of the table, and go all-in.
Because if not now, when?
Your INDYCAR Experience 