Why is the IndyCar GP so poorly attended (Update)
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| Simon Pagenaud takes the checkered flag to win in 2016 before a huge crowd |
05/11/17
A reader writes, Dear AutoRacing1.com, What is IndyCar thinking? They schedule the IndyCar Grand Prix at Indianapolis 2 weeks before the Indy 500 and expect to sell tickets for it? How many tickets do they think the local market can support in the span of 2 weeks – the Grand Prix, Indy Qualifying and then the 500? Are Indianapolis fans rich or something? I suspect many live paycheck to paycheck.
With those empty grandstands that you can shoot a cannon into and not hit anyone, IndyCar comes across to the world as a complete loser. Sponsors run for the door.
If you choose to publish this letter can you put one of those head butting emoticons after my name? Thanks. Mordichai Rosen, Los Angeles
Dear Mordichai, Will they ever learn? Sometimes we bang our head so hard against a wall at the silly things IndyCar does that it hurts. The IndyCar GP is never going to take off. For some reason, Indianapolis race fans have never supported road course racing. Formula One flamed out. IMSA flamed out. The MotoGP flamed out. The crowds just never got behind road course racing. They need to deep-six the GP and move the second IndyCar race to the end of the season and run a 400-miler on the 2.5-mile oval to end the IndyCar season. It will be spectacular. Will it outsell the 500? Hell no. But it will draw at least 100,000 (and probably a lot more) and that would make it the 2nd biggest race on the schedule overnight. Mark C.