Franchitti & Dixon Part of IndyCar Problem

The Republic loves Pressdog. Good-natured satire is hard to find in the Age of Colbert, but the Dog does it right. We also appreciate his ability to blend fan-based insight and hilarious one-liners.

Reporting from Chicagoland this weekend, P-dog subtly identified the primary obstacles that prevent IndyCar racing from producing a racing product that is competitive in the marketplace. These, of course, are the series' own drivers and teams.

"Dario is not a fan of Chicagoland. Questioners
after qualifying asked Dario Franchitti and Scott Dixon how Chicagoland ranked among their favorite tracks. Dario said it wasn't high on his list, although he did give it credit for entertaining fans. I think Dixon felt about the same."

The Republic would like to know why citizens should give a damn whether or not Dario Franchitti and Scott Dixon enjoy racing at Chicagoland? They probably don't like Texas, either, but that race actually draws a legitimately competitive audience at the track and on television.

When the IRL first announced that it would race on the streets of St. Petersburg, Roggespierre asked a league official to explain the decision. The response was chilling.

"We're doing it because our teams want it."

This is gross negligence with regard to product management. The personal tastes of suppliers are irrelevant to strategic decisions further up the supply chain.

Serve the Firm, not the Suppliers

For example, Wal-Mart does not consider the wishes of Mattel, Samsung and Wrangler when it selects new store locations. Wal-Mart is hated by suppliers because its market share gives it power to dictate pricing, scheduling and payment terms. Suppliers can either live with the unfavorable terms or not sell their products at Wal-Mart.

IRL management can't match Wal-Mart, but it does possess more buying power than it seems to recognize. IRL cars and engines can't be used anywhere else. Other racing series are downsizing. Some teams might want to leave IndyCar, but they really have nowhere else to go. And it isn't as if IndyCar teams are furnishing a racing product that's easy to sell.

Franchitti and Dixon: Non-Performing Assets

Dario Franchitti and Scott Dixon are two of the biggest stars in IndyCar. Unfortunately, in the greater sports entertainment marketplace, they are not stars at all. IndyCar is not a competitive product, and one reason is that Franchitti and Dixon are not competitive with Tony Stewart and Jimmie Johnson, Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson, Venus and Serena Williams, and so on.

There is a very good option for road racers who don't make it to Formula 1. It is called sports car racing, and it's a good fit.

1. High tech cars


2. Road and street courses


3. Financing not contingent on spectator support or market demand for the product

Franchitti and Dixon are talented racing drivers who have been rejected in the marketplace. If they and other top IndyCar drivers and teams were attracting fans in droves, then the Committee of Public Safety would advise IRL management to keep them happy. But that is not the case.

Would the IndyCar racing product become less competitive if Franchitti and Dixon were replaced by Paul Tracy and Buddy Rice? Casey Mears and A.J. Allmendinger? A.J. Foyt IV and Al Unser III?

TV ratings were better and attendance was similar when Greg Ray and Scott Sharp were the stars. The product was therefore more competitive in the marketplace despite the presence of CART, an entrenched and well capitalized direct competitor that no longer exists.

Franchitti and Dixon are talented but not valuable. NASCAR (sans-culottes!) has demonstrated where U.S. customer demand for motorsports can be found. The locations include lots of tracks that Franchitti and Dixon probably don't like. Ironically, they also include two road courses, so long as domestic oval racers are doing the driving.

Is that fair? No, but that's the marketplace. Despite their wishes, IRL management and IndyCar drivers and teams aren't going to change it. Past attempts ended in financial ruin. IndyCar will grow after it adapts to market demand, whether Franchitti and Dixon like it or not.

Roggespierre