The struggle to fill Indy 500 field-again
 |
| The Indy 500 limps into in Centennial running in 2016. |
Speaking of filling the field for the 98th Indianapolis 500, we at AR1 currently count 27 confirmed entries (see below). More are rumored, and we imagine IMS will do whatever is necessary to have 33 competitors. But with only two engine manufacturers, Chevrolet and Honda are stretched already to supply 33 engines between them.
Also, if there were greater incentives in place as outlined before, this annual struggle to fill the field would not be the gargantuan task it is. Further, more manufacturers might be interested, resulting in more competitors. Yet IndyCar and IMS choose to continue spending precious company resources to insure competitors will show up, rather than investing the capital necessary to provide compelling reasons for competitors show up. While there have been positive developments such as the announcement of Verizon as title sponsor, a fundamental understanding surrounding the nature of the problems persists.
Let the record show, we here at AR1 take no pleasure in highlighting the beleaguered state of a sport we love. We also acknowledge that the Indianapolis 500, diminished as it is, remains an iconic racing and sporting classic.
However, as the Indy 500 approaches its Centennial running in two years, the sport limps along, struggling to maintain what little relevance and popularity it can. Worse, because the race no longer sells itself, IMS has taken to marketing Carb Day concerts and the like, hoping the low-rent carnival goers may in their drunken haze, catch sight of a race car.
What would Tony Hulman think of this struggle to fill the field for his beloved 500? Will the Centennial running of the iconic race demand such handouts to insure a full field?
To conclude, we at AR1 would like to reference our January editorial suggesting the Hulman George family divest of the IndyCar Series. Simply put, as the sport of Indy car racing approaches what should be its finest hour, it remains a rudderless ship without clear direction, with leadership that fails to understand the core issues plaguing the sport.
Below, are the confirmed entries as of 3/20/2014:
2-Montoya
3-Castroneves
5-Villenueve
7-Aleshin
8-Briscoe
9-Dixon
10-Kanaan
11-Bourdais
12-Power
14-Sato
15-Rahal
16-Servia
17-Saavedra
18-TBA
19-Wilson
20-Carpenter
25-Andretti
26-Busch
27-Hinchcliffe
28-Hunter-Reay
34-Munoz
41-Plowman
67-Newgarden
68-Tagliani
77-Pagenaud
83-Kimball
98-Hawksworth
03/20/14 Year after year IndyCar struggles to barely fill the Indy 500 field. Why? Because the teams rely on a welfare program, the Leader's Circle, instead of the series investing that money to put all the races on ABC network TV. As a result the TV ratings are so low on NBC Sports Network that teams are not able to find their own sponsorship in most cases.
How do you sell a 0.2 rating to a potential sponsor? You can't. As Albert Einstein so eloquently stated, the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results.
So here we are, another year, same program, same results. Following is Robin Miller's mailbag answer to a question about this year's Indy 500 field and bringing in retired drivers to fill the field:
Q: What is going on here? Jacques Villeneuve, Robby Gordon, and Paul Tracy? Is IMS behind this? My theory is IMS is afraid that they won't have 33 cars for the 500. They don't want young drives that no one knows, so the PR department are wooing these veterans with name recognition to come race. Joe Mullins
RM: I think your theory is partly correct. Derrick Walker recognized it was going to be a struggle to get to 33 last winter and he approached Jacques. Then it appears somebody at IMS or IndyCar found a sponsor that liked Villeneuve and that’s how the deal came together. Tracy may have an outside shot with Dreyer & Reinbold and Gordon is interested but I don’t know of anything for him yet.