My Plan for the IRL Part III
6) I would contact the International Speedway Corporation and ask for and demand a race date at Michigan, Phoenix, and California Speedways. IndyCar fans have been clamoring for a return to these historic open-wheel tracks and there is no reason why a deal can’t be reached to return the IRL to tracks that have historically produced great racing.

Also, in regards to the 2010 schedule, I would immediately give a date to Road America, another venue that deserves a permanent place on the IndyCar schedule. Furthermore, I would also be in contact with the city of Cleveland, Ohio and make them an offer to return to the Burke Lakefront Airport, yet another course that fans desperately want to see on the schedule and another track that will produce exciting, side-by-side racing, which is what this series desperately, desperately needs.

And while I understand the economic benefits of having a race in Brazil next year, I think we need to make sure that our house is in order here in North America before we start looking to expand our presence elsewhere in the world. Let’s not start making the same mistakes that previous open-wheel series made (CART) and ignore our fans here in the United States, just to make a quick buck in another country.

7) I would establish in conjunction with the United States Automobile Club (USAC) a scholarship program that would not only provide a car, but also additional capital that would give the champion(s) of the Silver Crown, Midget, and Sprint Car series the opportunity to compete in the Indianapolis 500. Fans want to see young, American drivers compete and win in an IndyCar much like A.J. Foyt, Mario Andretti, and others did when IndyCar racing was at its peak. If open-wheel racing is going to succeed in this country, and it can, it needs to be with American drivers competing alongside one another. I’m not saying there is anything wrong with foreign drivers competing in the IRL. The series should be grateful that drivers like Scott Dixon, Helio Castroneves, Tony Kanaan, and others have decided to come and compete in such a fine series. However, the problem is that right now out of the top-20 drives in the IndyCar standings only five of them are from the United States.

We cannot market a series to the American public if 75% of the drives they see competing each week they can’t relate to, let alone pronounce their names. I’m not saying that we should give a ride to a driver just because they happen to be American, what I’m saying is that we need to give every opportunity to American drivers who want to compete in an IndyCar. Right now unfortunately that opportunity isn’t there. Thus, this is why I would work with USAC to develop, market, promote and provide opportunities for their championship winning drivers.

As you can see above my plan to take the Indy Racing League to the next step is well thought-out. You can also tell I am someone who is confident that he can accomplish everything that I promise to do. You and I both know there is a lot of work to do, and the ideas and suggestions that I have listed above are just the beginning of how I plan on making IndyCar racing in this country relevant again.

Sincerely,

The Racing Geek
Posted: 7/2/2009 8:25:16 PM
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