Very nice tribute to Danny....also known as the "Goin' Samoan" and "Danny On-The-Gas". Believe me, the heart rate jumped when you saw and heard the black #25 Interscope Racing "Batmobile" pull onto the track! (PS: What has happened to your standard podcast intro? Miss it! Good stuff!)
He sounded an awesome guy! And seemed fondly remembered! So funny story, I was trying to edit the intro as we couldn't keep up with the weekly feature videos, so wanted a slight change! But then had issues exporting the new intro! So by accident it just fell out of things. Will try to sort a new one!
Yes , they need at least 20 with ideally one of the races in a foreign country (Close to U.S.) each year like Canada, Mexico, Brazil, Argentina (Maybe bring back Buenos Aires circuit), etc.
Buenes Aires would be interesting, not sure if there is a working track there anymore. I think an international round in one of the countries near to the U.S is not a bad idea at all. I feel it is something IndyCar are seriously exploring
@@IndyFanatics An international say after Indy, would bounce off the great race and carry that momentum into say Rio? .....Cars would be well sorted to put on a big show in Brazil. 3/4 way into the season after plenty of US races, then dip down into Mexico to hype the second half capitalising on the race for the Championship. That's still only 19 races which should be acceptable.
The biggest issue with the international race besides the travel and jet lag stuff is cost. Who would cover the travel and freight costs. For part time or smaller full time teams, that’s a cost they might not be able to handle.
Milwaukee would be great if the stupid fairgrounds board would respect the track. But also I would rather have road America and an oval elsewhere. Wouldn’t want to sacrifice road America for Milwaukee
Remember Danny O's his old exploits as well as the fill in role for Brayton (and the other old codgers they were trying to get to fill in - Sneva, Big Al and Johncock Ha)
Regarding Homestead in August, can you say miserable heat & humidity? Even though they have lights and can race at night...Homestead will need to be run at the beginning or the end of the season. It's a great track, a pure oval, 1.5 miles, no PJ1, progressive banking -One can pass in the high lane if you have the cahinkeys to drive it up there.
Races needed to be added is a second Canada race, a Mexico race and a few more ovals (Miami, Milwaukee, Chicagoland, Phoenix?, Richmond) and add back Watkins Glen and Cleveland (not that I’m biased towards this track). Target should be 20-25 races from Late Feb - Late Sep with no double headers
A couple more rounds would be good, maybe add a second one in Canada and/or one in Mexico, maybe South America like say Brazil. 20 or so would be a good number overall. A couple more ovals would be good, preferably a short (Milwaukee) and a superspeedway (Fontana; shame looks like it's being turned into a half-miler). Perhaps bring Cleveland back. Another thing I think they should do is perhaps spread out the season a bit. The usual February/March-September is a pretty short timeframe, I'd personally rather an October/November finish.
It needs more venues. Running 2 separate indy gp races is excessive. Nobody attends the one in May because the 500 is the week after. I'd drop the May gp race and add another road course, maybe Sears point, or maybe another oval
Yeah, the fact Barber is in May this year slowly loses the month of May exclusivity to Indianapolis and the later date in the season is paired with NASCAR which is a smart idea so maybe another venue in May in place of the traditional first Indy GP is a smart idea
Yes more races, and that's because I just really enjoy IndyCar and any content around it, and a new chassis is needed to go along with the new engine, and it would not hurt my feelings if hybrid was dropped just saying. IndyCar needs to get Richmond back on the schedule and I would love to see them come to V.I.R, that would be AWESOME
Yup you and me both Chadwick! The more IndyCar the better! Yeah I don't think the hybrid engine is essential, but I think it's essential to the engine manufacturers! Richmond would be great to see back and I'm taking V.I.R is a local track for you?
@@IndyFanatics Virginia International Speedway it hosts IMSA and Trans Am and yes lol it is 3hrs from me, but a whole lot of professional drivers have it as a favorite track, you should look it up
There's always a swing one way or another for type of tracks but 20 does feel a good number on a calendar but not essential. The breaks correct are the main issue
Personally, I’d like the schedule to be 20-25 Races with the Season Finale on a Superspeedway. Fontana ideally. Milwaukee, Phoenix, Richmond should return for short tracks. In addition to Fontana… Homestead-Miami, Pocono, Las Vegas, and Michigan for Superspeedways. And for Road & Street Courses, COTA, NOLA, Houston, Baltimore, Watkins Glen and Road Atlanta. Unfortunately, NASCAR, ISC, & SMI has too much of a monopoly, owning these tracks apparently blocks Indycar from making advances to getting dates at some of these places especially for ovals.
Yup, the fact that Indycar have very little say in these tracks I a big stumbling block! Think the tracks you suggested would be great additions. Though think IndyCar will just never go back to Vegas because of Dan, just feels the legacy of that one hangs over any attempts to race there.
Fontana will no longer be a superspeedway in a few short months. The SoCal area just doesn't embrace big time racing was one would hope. Riverside and Ontario, two of the best tracks ever, are testament to that. NASCAR has it's own issues when it comes to that. The bloom is definitely off that rose, and they are scrambling. When their TV deal is up in a couple of years, it won't be pretty. IndyCar has a chance to benefit from that. Unfortunately, Indycar racing rarely misses an opportunity to miss an opportunity.
@@scottmiller1531 Yeah it's sad, maybe Roger Penske won't miss as many opportunities as they used to. I went by what remains of Ontario when I was out there. Some of it's under a Mall now. I prefer flying into Ontario as opposed to that cluster called LAX. I liked Riverside too. The Cup boys didn't like it so much because Dan Gurney in the Wood Brothers 21 beat them what was it 9 years in a row? Back then the Wood brothers never ran the full schedule anyway. So yes, it sounds like they're going to put in a half mile oval @ fontana and find out... If you pave it will they come?
@@GregBrownsWorldORacing I have my doubts as to how long the new track will survive. They (ISC) seem to be taking the same path KMart did when it comes to Fontana, opting to slowly bleed to death as opposed to the quick kill. I would defer to your expertise as you live in the area. I watched parts of the Clash at the LA coliseum and it did nothing for me. NASCAR rise was based on fair-weather fans, and alienated many core fans. They now look like the aging uncle trying to be cool by buying beer for his nephews friends. I would agree on Penske. He is likely more competent than previous leadership the sport has hand since the inception of USAC, though that's not a high bar.
Milwaukee would be great but I’d rather have a short oval elsewhere because I wouldn’t want to sacrifice road America for Milwaukee. Not sure if Indy car would want 2 races in essentially the same market like Wisconsin
Yes, I wish we go up to 20 races, I remember when I started following INDYCAR back in 2013, I remember there was 19 races. If there were races that I would add; I would have Watkins Glen, COTA, Mexico City, Montreal, Mont Tremblon, Circuit Tori Rivieries, Nashville Superspeedway, Cleveland, and Milwaukee.
Reckon they need to race in Montreal, Mexico City GP Circuit and Rio GP Circuit, ...extend into Nth and Sth America onto F1 raced circuits, and prove to be the more interesting brand of Motorsport, at least on the American Continent. The talent and racing is there atm to gain ascendency.
20 races (in no order) 1) St Pete 2) Homestead 3) indy gp 4) Indy 500 5) Milwaukee 6) Road America 7) Toronto 8) Long Beach 9) Barber 10)Mid Ohio 11) Iowa 12) Gateway 13) laguna seca 14) Richmond 15) Phoenix 16) Chicagoland 17) Detroit 18) Nashville 19) auto club 20) Michigan 5 short ovals 5 big ovals 6 true road courses 4 street course Not too much of any type of track, each track is different, the markets are pretty spread out and the markets that get hit twice are 2 different experiences.
@@MaximumBooger I'd agree with that, some level of variety fro sure. Though I would say it hasn't produced bad races since 2020. But I think it's an easy place on the calendar as Penske owns the speedway and trying to strengthen relations with NASCAR
NO. Too much races is bad. I don't mind a 2nd IMS road course race, I consider it a good track. Why add soo many similar 1.5 mile ovals, they all look the same and race the same. Indy and Texas are 2 different track with different styles of racing, and so are Gateway and Iowa. Chicagoland and Kansas are too similar. 14-17 races is the sweet spot, and 20-25 is just overkill. Milwaukee, Phoenix, and RIchmond are good tracks, but they would not bring a crowd. The most i'd like in terms of more races are two Iowa races, one in the day and one at night.
Very interesting argument! Arguably it is a pretty sweet spot for the calendar! And less races mean more opportunities for drivers to race other things like sports car events, though I know Sebring clashes this year. You definitely want a unique aspect to the races on the calendar. I like the IMS Road course I think it has a good configuration. But the states are blessed with great race tracks and it would be cool to see another one of those on the calendar like a Watkins Glenn or Road Atlanta
Fact: We've always thought Chip Gannassi looked like a Chicago wise guy. Conspiracy/Speculation: How else can he afford to run so many cars in so many series? We're pretty sure it's not from prize money he earned as a sub average indycar driver. He probably knows what it's like to have several bodies in the trunk/boot. Absolutely we need more indycar speculation on Indy Fanatics
Speaking of rich/wise guys - Last week Rick Hendrick (old boss for Jimmie in Cup & Current Kyle Larson) Pledged $200,000 to Samaritan's Purse for Ukraine Refugee relief & extra money for each lap his cars led. They won the race in Vegas so it totaled $302,000... Then Mr Penske, not to be outdone pledged a Million $ to World Kitchen.. Racing is keeping up their end in refugee relief...**Stewart-HAAS won this afternoon, wonder if Gene Haas has some spare change?
Short answer is no. They need to focus more on what they want to do and do it. Nashville was as success last year, but we'll see how the attendance holds up in the coming years. I've seen many "events" start strong, only to fade. IndyCar has long suffered from an identity crisis. They have a still-fractured fanbase, many of whom view the past with varying degrees of rose-tinted glasses. It has long been an axiom that a compromise is an agreement that neither side is happy with. It has long been my view that this describes that ovals vs twisties debate. I fully realize that many view it as a strength and I would not begrudge them this view, I am saying it has the very real potential of creating "fair-weather" fans, depending on circumstance. I've known many who love ovals and hate road/streets, and vice-versa. Not intending to be a downer, I just get concerned when I see things that didn't go well before get tried again. History doesn't repeat itself, but it does rhyme.
Very good argument and interesting points made for the case of no Scott. Rewarding your loyal fans rather than pandering to less invested fans is always more preferable. But money always comes into play. How big is big enough? Is IndyCar big enough now? I don't know but I guess the people at the top of the sport will decide that. I imagine that there will be additional races in the future, but the focus will be on strengthening what they've got. My main issue is the scheduling, but I get for fans like us who will watch every race regardless, its more of a mild inconvenience, than any sort of make or break
@@IndyFanatics I don't ever wish to sound negative as I love Indy style racing. It just depresses me in many ways that it is not as big as it should be, I would personally love to see a much less expensive, "common" formula, with much less manufacturer involvement, to really expand the pool of both drivers and fans. You could have two separate series (oval and non-oval) with driver cross over for both and everyone comes together in May for a star-studded 500. I don't know quite how it would work, points-wise, maybe Indy would be non-points, but with a massive purse. It will never happen, but like I say, it is a wish.
@@scottmiller1531 no, no Scott you've seen it all and history has made you understandably cautious. To work within your means and build from there is always a smart idea. Though the split series I think will always be a dream like you feel!
@@IndyFanatics You are very kind, but there is much I've not seen, just read about. You have thrown yourself into the fandom, and are fortunate to be in a time where information, news, and video is at your fingertips. As a result, you have a solid understanding of the sport that, at times, made being a fan tough. Passionate fans like you are so important for a series. Though we (in the abstract) may disagree on things, we agree on far more, and that is the important part.
@@scottmiller1531 Discussion I think is the word I'd use for our comments. It's what helps shape opinion and further understanding of topics and to see multiple different perspectives of issues within the sport we love. Appreciate the comments and your time as always Scott. Look forward to the next discussion! 😊
"There was no plan B!" The thing is, if you want a race on the 2022 calendar, you need to conclude the negotiations before the 2021-2022 offseason. Yeah, you can adjust the calendar if something falls into place, or as you need to to accommodate venues, but in general, if you're going to race at a place, you should know it before the end of the previous season, so you're not leaving gaps you can't fill.
Being prepared is key. But I will defend Roger in the aspect of I imagine its bloody difficult to put together a race calendar and when your major competitor in NASCAR owns a lot of those tracks I imagine it becomes a lot more difficult. But the first half of the seasons schedule is less than ideal
@@IndyFanatics true, but my thinking is that you leave yourself enough time to do all this. Trying to get Homestead for 2022 so late that you're leaving a gap you couldn't fill isn't how you do that.
@@waverod9275 I don't know. Maybe negotiations looked positive and it was a last minute pull out from Miami? But yeah that gap I don't think is the ideal solution for future calendars!
Yes, I don't see why they wouldn't fix Texas. I think they have already done maybe 5 repaves to that joint. Eddie Gossage seems to have the will & the money, but I think he may need a bigger indycar crowd to make the changes. Here is the vicious cycle, if the fans don't come because the racing is bad, Where's the incentive to change the track if nobody attends?
@@GregBrownsWorldORacing In the past there was great racing and great turnout. Ever since they put in that black stuff, the racing got bad and the fans stop coming. My "conspiracy" theory is indycar racing at texas was getting better then nascar, that's why they put that stuff, to improve nascar racing at the cost of indycar. No sence racing there if tms doesn't care.
Please, no international races. It has been tried numerous times before and never ends well. As a Yankee, I would say, partly in jest, "Get your own series."
@@GregBrownsWorldORacing Eddie Gossage has recently stepped down from his position at TMS, which might not bode well for the future of IndyCar there. Gossage has long been a big supporter and his absence adds to the issues you pointed out.
Few More ovals and the Glen and I would be happy..new chassis yes but no way in hell should they go hybrid..i absolutely do not want to see IndyCar become f1 or formula weeeeeeeee.(electric motor sound)
I know, losing the sound is really tough, but I think the manufacturers want relevance and hybrid and electric engines are relevant. It's a change that I don't think can be stopped, only slow.
Just going to throw this out here, I think Johnson could have finished mid-pack if he hadn't burned his red tires up. He was close to Sato before his lap times dropped into a well.
I think you may be right there Mark! I think it was a big step up from his St Pete last year and it sounds like he is here for the long term! So will be interesting seeing how he continues to develop!
Indycar should go in the opposite direction of F1 to allow Indycar drivers to moonlight as IMSA drivers. I propose 15 races in the following order: St. Petersburg, Barber, Long Beach, Laguna Seca, Buriram (Thailand), IMS road course clockwise, IMS oval, COTA, WWT, Iowa, Road America, Mid-Ohio, Nashville, KymiRing (Finland) and IMS road course counterclockwise MotoGP configuration. IMSA should race at COTA as a support race for Indycar. I originally wanted IMSA to support the Miami GP, but they already have 2 races in the state of Florida. Indycar should not race outside the US for more than 2 races due to cost. Fewer races increases the importance of each race. Racing in Mexico and Canada does little to increase Indycar's audience due to their close proximity.
Interesting! Actually lose races, go more of a super formula route where it partners with super GT. I don't know if that will ever happen, I think that would then leave a lot of good Endurance drivers without a seat if the IndyCar guys all come across! An interesting concept though!
@@IndyFanatics Because IMSA's and Indycar's schedules overlap, they could only participate as part-time drivers for the endurance races or anything longer than 6 hours. There's only 3 races that meet that criteria for 2022.
IndyCar need at least 20 races, from March to November. The gap between the end of the season and the start of the next is way too long imo, also IndyCar should try to return to Mexico and Brazil, I’m pretty sure that a race in those countries would be a massive success.
Yup, Mexico in particular would be huge for Pato. Brazil would be massive if Helio was still there and TK raced for a special round there! The gap genuinely does feel too long. But does it just make you want it more when it's back? 🤷🏻♂️
Very nice tribute to Danny....also known as the "Goin' Samoan" and "Danny On-The-Gas". Believe me, the heart rate jumped when you saw and heard the black #25 Interscope Racing "Batmobile" pull onto the track! (PS: What has happened to your standard podcast intro? Miss it! Good stuff!)
He sounded an awesome guy! And seemed fondly remembered!
So funny story, I was trying to edit the intro as we couldn't keep up with the weekly feature videos, so wanted a slight change! But then had issues exporting the new intro! So by accident it just fell out of things. Will try to sort a new one!
Yes , they need at least 20 with ideally one of the races in a foreign country (Close to U.S.) each year like Canada, Mexico, Brazil, Argentina (Maybe bring back Buenos Aires circuit), etc.
Buenes Aires would be interesting, not sure if there is a working track there anymore. I think an international round in one of the countries near to the U.S is not a bad idea at all. I feel it is something IndyCar are seriously exploring
@@IndyFanatics
An international say after Indy, would bounce off the great race and carry that momentum into say Rio? .....Cars would be well sorted to put on a big show in Brazil.
3/4 way into the season after plenty of US races, then dip down into Mexico to hype the second half capitalising on the race for the Championship.
That's still only 19 races which should be acceptable.
The biggest issue with the international race besides the travel and jet lag stuff is cost. Who would cover the travel and freight costs. For part time or smaller full time teams, that’s a cost they might not be able to handle.
Watkins Glenn, Pocono, Milwaukee, Cleveland, Montreal....
All would be great additions!
Milwaukee would be great if the stupid fairgrounds board would respect the track. But also I would rather have road America and an oval elsewhere. Wouldn’t want to sacrifice road America for Milwaukee
Remember Danny O's his old exploits as well as the fill in role for Brayton (and the other old codgers they were trying to get to fill in - Sneva, Big Al and Johncock Ha)
It was a pretty great last performance at the 500 that's for sure!
Regarding Homestead in August, can you say miserable heat & humidity? Even though they have lights and can race at night...Homestead will need to be run at the beginning or the end of the season. It's a great track, a pure oval, 1.5 miles, no PJ1, progressive banking -One can pass in the high lane if you have the cahinkeys to drive it up there.
Yeah I think the gap now would be perfect for Homestead! It really would be a great return to the calendar, but not sure how possible it is!
Homestead in August would be a lot hotter than when INDYCAR raced in Houston in June 2014.
2024 needs to have a new chassis and engine/hybrid at the same time. Also the mythical 3rd engine supplier!
The mythical 3rd engine supplier would be great, but I won't get greedy, I'd settle for the hybrid engine and chassis
An Indycar needs to be within 10 seconds of an F1 car.
@@black_sheep2520 it doesn't need to be if the racing is great, preferable yes, but it has to be adaptable and cost effective
Races needed to be added is a second Canada race, a Mexico race and a few more ovals (Miami, Milwaukee, Chicagoland, Phoenix?, Richmond) and add back Watkins Glen and Cleveland (not that I’m biased towards this track). Target should be 20-25 races from Late Feb - Late Sep with no double headers
I think as a 5 year plan with IndyCar's continues growth it would look a really good plan to me
A couple more rounds would be good, maybe add a second one in Canada and/or one in Mexico, maybe South America like say Brazil. 20 or so would be a good number overall. A couple more ovals would be good, preferably a short (Milwaukee) and a superspeedway (Fontana; shame looks like it's being turned into a half-miler). Perhaps bring Cleveland back. Another thing I think they should do is perhaps spread out the season a bit. The usual February/March-September is a pretty short timeframe, I'd personally rather an October/November finish.
It needs more venues. Running 2 separate indy gp races is excessive. Nobody attends the one in May because the 500 is the week after. I'd drop the May gp race and add another road course, maybe Sears point, or maybe another oval
Yeah, the fact Barber is in May this year slowly loses the month of May exclusivity to Indianapolis and the later date in the season is paired with NASCAR which is a smart idea so maybe another venue in May in place of the traditional first Indy GP is a smart idea
Yes more races, and that's because I just really enjoy IndyCar and any content around it, and a new chassis is needed to go along with the new engine, and it would not hurt my feelings if hybrid was dropped just saying. IndyCar needs to get Richmond back on the schedule and I would love to see them come to V.I.R, that would be AWESOME
Yup you and me both Chadwick! The more IndyCar the better!
Yeah I don't think the hybrid engine is essential, but I think it's essential to the engine manufacturers!
Richmond would be great to see back and I'm taking V.I.R is a local track for you?
@@IndyFanatics Virginia International Speedway it hosts IMSA and Trans Am and yes lol it is 3hrs from me, but a whole lot of professional drivers have it as a favorite track, you should look it up
Not sure if they need more but a calendar without long breaks would be nice.
20 would be ideal. Personal bias for more road course.
There's always a swing one way or another for type of tracks but 20 does feel a good number on a calendar but not essential. The breaks correct are the main issue
I agree with Steven...where did Pato go???
Some say they are still looking for him now!
Yes we need more races new chassis along with the new engine and hybrid system for 2024
Personally, I’d like the schedule to be 20-25 Races with the Season Finale on a Superspeedway. Fontana ideally.
Milwaukee, Phoenix, Richmond should return for short tracks. In addition to Fontana… Homestead-Miami, Pocono, Las Vegas, and Michigan for Superspeedways. And for Road & Street Courses, COTA, NOLA, Houston, Baltimore, Watkins Glen and Road Atlanta.
Unfortunately, NASCAR, ISC, & SMI has too much of a monopoly, owning these tracks apparently blocks Indycar from making advances to getting dates at some of these places especially for ovals.
Yup, the fact that Indycar have very little say in these tracks I a big stumbling block! Think the tracks you suggested would be great additions. Though think IndyCar will just never go back to Vegas because of Dan, just feels the legacy of that one hangs over any attempts to race there.
Fontana will no longer be a superspeedway in a few short months. The SoCal area just doesn't embrace big time racing was one would hope. Riverside and Ontario, two of the best tracks ever, are testament to that.
NASCAR has it's own issues when it comes to that. The bloom is definitely off that rose, and they are scrambling. When their TV deal is up in a couple of years, it won't be pretty. IndyCar has a chance to benefit from that. Unfortunately, Indycar racing rarely misses an opportunity to miss an opportunity.
@@scottmiller1531 Yeah it's sad, maybe Roger Penske won't miss as many opportunities as they used to. I went by what remains of Ontario when I was out there. Some of it's under a Mall now. I prefer flying into Ontario as opposed to that cluster called LAX. I liked Riverside too. The Cup boys didn't like it so much because Dan Gurney in the Wood Brothers 21 beat them what was it 9 years in a row? Back then the Wood brothers never ran the full schedule anyway. So yes, it sounds like they're going to put in a half mile oval @ fontana and find out... If you pave it will they come?
@@GregBrownsWorldORacing I have my doubts as to how long the new track will survive. They (ISC) seem to be taking the same path KMart did when it comes to Fontana, opting to slowly bleed to death as opposed to the quick kill. I would defer to your expertise as you live in the area. I watched parts of the Clash at the LA coliseum and it did nothing for me. NASCAR rise was based on fair-weather fans, and alienated many core fans. They now look like the aging uncle trying to be cool by buying beer for his nephews friends. I would agree on Penske. He is likely more competent than previous leadership the sport has hand since the inception of USAC, though that's not a high bar.
Milwaukee would be great but I’d rather have a short oval elsewhere because I wouldn’t want to sacrifice road America for Milwaukee. Not sure if Indy car would want 2 races in essentially the same market like Wisconsin
It is Eddie Cheever in the Menard car not Danny.
Short answer: Yes
Long answer: HELL YES!!!
I think both the short and long answer are compelling arguments 😂
Yes for sure!!!! More ovals!!!! More Drivers!!!! More Teams!!!!
Like 20 races
Would be a good number for the schedule for sure!
Yes, I wish we go up to 20 races, I remember when I started following INDYCAR back in 2013, I remember there was 19 races. If there were races that I would add; I would have Watkins Glen, COTA, Mexico City, Montreal, Mont Tremblon, Circuit Tori Rivieries, Nashville Superspeedway, Cleveland, and Milwaukee.
All great options for tracks being added Eric! Definitely think there is scope for atleast a couple more races!
Reckon they need to race in Montreal, Mexico City GP Circuit and Rio GP Circuit, ...extend into Nth and Sth America onto F1 raced circuits, and prove to be the more interesting brand of Motorsport, at least on the American Continent.
The talent and racing is there atm to gain ascendency.
I think they are definitely markets Indycar should look to target!
Am not sure our neighbours to the North want many Americans up there now.
@@GregBrownsWorldORacing
Nah! forget them Canada!...go South into Brazil and Mexico, that's 2 more
F1 tracks to win the crowd.
@@rodbrown8306 So you're saying use Mexico City (with the baseball stadium) and Interlagos?
ahh i think right now, 17 is already enough. maybe we can add it to 20 (put some special international races outside US)
Yeah 17 feels a good number, a few kore wouldn't hurt, just get the scheduling closer together!
@@IndyFanatics but really tho, i want to watch indycar again around brands hatch, or move to silverstone once.
Streets of Vegas at night. Beat F1 to the punch. Don't need more ovals IMO, but honestly, more races more fun!
That would be a great race, but F1 will always get the priority there now I feel!
100% need more
Strong answer! As IndyCar fans we could always watch more races!
20 races (in no order)
1) St Pete
2) Homestead
3) indy gp
4) Indy 500
5) Milwaukee
6) Road America
7) Toronto
8) Long Beach
9) Barber
10)Mid Ohio
11) Iowa
12) Gateway
13) laguna seca
14) Richmond
15) Phoenix
16) Chicagoland
17) Detroit
18) Nashville
19) auto club
20) Michigan
5 short ovals
5 big ovals
6 true road courses
4 street course
Not too much of any type of track, each track is different, the markets are pretty spread out and the markets that get hit twice are 2 different experiences.
Indycar needs to get this right and release the new chassis and engine packages at the same time. Plain and simple
Think your right Joe! It's a big change and to get it right feels a big moment for the series!
I think you could add a couple races but IMS road course needs 1 race at the absolute maximum so change the 2nd race to another track.
Yeah that's true! Absolutely a 1 race max. Shouldn't be any replica rounds, though not too opposed to Oval double headers.
At minimum the second IMS road course should be ran in reverse.
@@MaximumBooger I'd agree with that, some level of variety fro sure. Though I would say it hasn't produced bad races since 2020. But I think it's an easy place on the calendar as Penske owns the speedway and trying to strengthen relations with NASCAR
I feel like Indycar needs more races but they should have a race in Mexico and Europe and places like that
They should definitely have one in Mexico! Europe may be a little more difficult!
@@IndyFanatics that is true
I think Indycar should have 18 races a year with 6 street races, 6 ovals and 6 road races and alternate them in that order.
NO. Too much races is bad. I don't mind a 2nd IMS road course race, I consider it a good track. Why add soo many similar 1.5 mile ovals, they all look the same and race the same. Indy and Texas are 2 different track with different styles of racing, and so are Gateway and Iowa. Chicagoland and Kansas are too similar. 14-17 races is the sweet spot, and 20-25 is just overkill. Milwaukee, Phoenix, and RIchmond are good tracks, but they would not bring a crowd. The most i'd like in terms of more races are two Iowa races, one in the day and one at night.
Very interesting argument! Arguably it is a pretty sweet spot for the calendar! And less races mean more opportunities for drivers to race other things like sports car events, though I know Sebring clashes this year. You definitely want a unique aspect to the races on the calendar. I like the IMS Road course I think it has a good configuration. But the states are blessed with great race tracks and it would be cool to see another one of those on the calendar like a Watkins Glenn or Road Atlanta
You both need to visit the Indy 500 the greatest race on planet Earth
We desperately want to! We are saving any money we make from the channel and adding it to our Indy 500 fund!
Fact: We've always thought Chip Gannassi looked like a Chicago wise guy. Conspiracy/Speculation: How else can he afford to run so many cars in so many series? We're pretty sure it's not from prize money he earned as a sub average indycar driver. He probably knows what it's like to have several bodies in the trunk/boot. Absolutely we need more indycar speculation on Indy Fanatics
😂😂😂 Chip Ganassi is a mob boss who ordered hits on rivals back in the 80s. Jeez those conspiracies could get wild
Speaking of rich/wise guys - Last week Rick Hendrick (old boss for Jimmie in Cup & Current Kyle Larson) Pledged $200,000 to Samaritan's Purse for Ukraine Refugee relief & extra money for each lap his cars led. They won the race in Vegas so it totaled $302,000... Then Mr Penske, not to be outdone pledged a Million $ to World Kitchen.. Racing is keeping up their end in refugee relief...**Stewart-HAAS won this afternoon, wonder if Gene Haas has some spare change?
I'm sure the latest Discord discussion had nothing to do with this
Shhhhhhh 😉
LETS GO COLE QUERKWOOD!
WOOOOOO GO COOOOOLLLE 😂
Freakin yes
A definitive answer 😉
Short answer is no. They need to focus more on what they want to do and do it. Nashville was as success last year, but we'll see how the attendance holds up in the coming years. I've seen many "events" start strong, only to fade. IndyCar has long suffered from an identity crisis. They have a still-fractured fanbase, many of whom view the past with varying degrees of rose-tinted glasses.
It has long been an axiom that a compromise is an agreement that neither side is happy with. It has long been my view that this describes that ovals vs twisties debate. I fully realize that many view it as a strength and I would not begrudge them this view, I am saying it has the very real potential of creating "fair-weather" fans, depending on circumstance. I've known many who love ovals and hate road/streets, and vice-versa. Not intending to be a downer, I just get concerned when I see things that didn't go well before get tried again. History doesn't repeat itself, but it does rhyme.
Very good argument and interesting points made for the case of no Scott. Rewarding your loyal fans rather than pandering to less invested fans is always more preferable. But money always comes into play. How big is big enough? Is IndyCar big enough now? I don't know but I guess the people at the top of the sport will decide that. I imagine that there will be additional races in the future, but the focus will be on strengthening what they've got.
My main issue is the scheduling, but I get for fans like us who will watch every race regardless, its more of a mild inconvenience, than any sort of make or break
@@IndyFanatics I don't ever wish to sound negative as I love Indy style racing. It just depresses me in many ways that it is not as big as it should be, I would personally love to see a much less expensive, "common" formula, with much less manufacturer involvement, to really expand the pool of both drivers and fans. You could have two separate series (oval and non-oval) with driver cross over for both and everyone comes together in May for a star-studded 500. I don't know quite how it would work, points-wise, maybe Indy would be non-points, but with a massive purse. It will never happen, but like I say, it is a wish.
@@scottmiller1531 no, no Scott you've seen it all and history has made you understandably cautious. To work within your means and build from there is always a smart idea. Though the split series I think will always be a dream like you feel!
@@IndyFanatics You are very kind, but there is much I've not seen, just read about. You have thrown yourself into the fandom, and are fortunate to be in a time where information, news, and video is at your fingertips. As a result, you have a solid understanding of the sport that, at times, made being a fan tough. Passionate fans like you are so important for a series. Though we (in the abstract) may disagree on things, we agree on far more, and that is the important part.
@@scottmiller1531 Discussion I think is the word I'd use for our comments. It's what helps shape opinion and further understanding of topics and to see multiple different perspectives of issues within the sport we love. Appreciate the comments and your time as always Scott. Look forward to the next discussion! 😊
Why do youtubers not understand what a podcast really is?
Because we are very stupid people 😉
"There was no plan B!" The thing is, if you want a race on the 2022 calendar, you need to conclude the negotiations before the 2021-2022 offseason. Yeah, you can adjust the calendar if something falls into place, or as you need to to accommodate venues, but in general, if you're going to race at a place, you should know it before the end of the previous season, so you're not leaving gaps you can't fill.
Being prepared is key. But I will defend Roger in the aspect of I imagine its bloody difficult to put together a race calendar and when your major competitor in NASCAR owns a lot of those tracks I imagine it becomes a lot more difficult. But the first half of the seasons schedule is less than ideal
@@IndyFanatics true, but my thinking is that you leave yourself enough time to do all this. Trying to get Homestead for 2022 so late that you're leaving a gap you couldn't fill isn't how you do that.
@@waverod9275 I don't know. Maybe negotiations looked positive and it was a last minute pull out from Miami? But yeah that gap I don't think is the ideal solution for future calendars!
Awesome show!
Thanks Keeley!
YES!!!! 20 WOULD BE GREAT. Unless they change the asphalt, get rid of Texas. Would like to see some international races.
International races would be great but do come at a cost! I think 20 is a good number to aim for! Yup Texas does need to get sorted!
Yes, I don't see why they wouldn't fix Texas. I think they have already done maybe 5 repaves to that joint. Eddie Gossage seems to have the will & the money, but I think he may need a bigger indycar crowd to make the changes. Here is the vicious cycle, if the fans don't come because the racing is bad, Where's the incentive to change the track if nobody attends?
@@GregBrownsWorldORacing In the past there was great racing and great turnout. Ever since they put in that black stuff, the racing got bad and the fans stop coming. My "conspiracy" theory is indycar racing at texas was getting better then nascar, that's why they put that stuff, to improve nascar racing at the cost of indycar. No sence racing there if tms doesn't care.
Please, no international races. It has been tried numerous times before and never ends well. As a Yankee, I would say, partly in jest, "Get your own series."
@@GregBrownsWorldORacing Eddie Gossage has recently stepped down from his position at TMS, which might not bode well for the future of IndyCar there. Gossage has long been a big supporter and his absence adds to the issues you pointed out.
Few More ovals and the Glen and I would be happy..new chassis yes but no way in hell should they go hybrid..i absolutely do not want to see IndyCar become f1 or formula weeeeeeeee.(electric motor sound)
I know, losing the sound is really tough, but I think the manufacturers want relevance and hybrid and electric engines are relevant. It's a change that I don't think can be stopped, only slow.
Flying Hawaiian 🤙
RIP Danny
Danny OnGas. His 1969 NHRA season was epic.
@@scottmiller1531 Did he race at OCIR?
@@randygravel2057 Not sure. Where is that? I'm less familiar with drag racing.
Sorry one groove
Just going to throw this out here, I think Johnson could have finished mid-pack if he hadn't burned his red tires up. He was close to Sato before his lap times dropped into a well.
I think you may be right there Mark! I think it was a big step up from his St Pete last year and it sounds like he is here for the long term! So will be interesting seeing how he continues to develop!
Yes, Should have 18 Min and should have 20. And not with double headers counting for two races.
Yup there are so many great tracks in the U.S there are definitely enough for 18 unique races!
They have ruined Texas motor speedway with the pj1 making the racing one through for Indy cars
Yup it's been really difficult for Texas in recent times! I hope we can get racing back there that produced some classics in the past!
Indycar needs more ovals!
Indycar should go in the opposite direction of F1 to allow Indycar drivers to moonlight as IMSA drivers. I propose 15 races in the following order: St. Petersburg, Barber, Long Beach, Laguna Seca, Buriram (Thailand), IMS road course clockwise, IMS oval, COTA, WWT, Iowa, Road America, Mid-Ohio, Nashville, KymiRing (Finland) and IMS road course counterclockwise MotoGP configuration. IMSA should race at COTA as a support race for Indycar. I originally wanted IMSA to support the Miami GP, but they already have 2 races in the state of Florida. Indycar should not race outside the US for more than 2 races due to cost. Fewer races increases the importance of each race. Racing in Mexico and Canada does little to increase Indycar's audience due to their close proximity.
Interesting! Actually lose races, go more of a super formula route where it partners with super GT. I don't know if that will ever happen, I think that would then leave a lot of good Endurance drivers without a seat if the IndyCar guys all come across! An interesting concept though!
@@IndyFanatics Because IMSA's and Indycar's schedules overlap, they could only participate as part-time drivers for the endurance races or anything longer than 6 hours. There's only 3 races that meet that criteria for 2022.
@@black_sheep2520 yeah the Sebring clash is not great! Bare minimum drivers should be able to compete in Rolex 24, Sebring and Petit le mans
IndyCar need at least 20 races, from March to November.
The gap between the end of the season and the start of the next is way too long imo, also IndyCar should try to return to Mexico and Brazil, I’m pretty sure that a race in those countries would be a massive success.
Yup, Mexico in particular would be huge for Pato. Brazil would be massive if Helio was still there and TK raced for a special round there! The gap genuinely does feel too long. But does it just make you want it more when it's back? 🤷🏻♂️
Well anything past Early September is harder because Indy car would want major broadcast to races and the nfl takes up sundays on major networks
COTA
Would be good to see back!
More ovals for sure
Yup, would love more ovals!