The day is here and the time is now. IndyCar racing is in need of resurrection. Empirical evidence makes that clear.
Thus, we commence a New Day Rising at the Indy Idea. We therefore redirect our focus from what IndyCar is to what it can be and should be.
We must begin at the top and then work our way through the details. The first step is to define the best of what it we believe IndyCar can be.
In other words, we must define our Vision for IndyCar racing.
Vision is what we shall work toward. It shall provide direction for every decision that we make. Vision will guide us as we attempt to construct an IndyCar Series that is truly great.
We must answer the following questions.
- What is the best that IndyCar can be?
- How will we know when IndyCar is successful?
I invite and encourage everyone who visits this space to post their opinions in the Comments section below. I will compile, publish and discuss them with you. I shall seek your feedback at every step along the way.
Our goal is to define, generally, "where" IndyCar is capable of going before we begin go examine "how" to take it there . This is the time for Big Picture thinking.
Vision: for your Reference
A general discussion of Vision Statements is linked here.
Consultants Anna McGowan and Jan Sykes explain the purpose of Vision Statements here.
Two examples of corporate Vision Statements are below.
Coca Cola
"To achieve sustainable growth, we have established a vision with clear goals.
Profit: Maximizing return to share owners while being mindful of our overall responsibilities.
People: Being a great place to work where people are inspired to be the best they can be.
Portfolio: Bringing to the world a portfolio of beverage brands that anticipates and satisfies peoples; desires and needs.
Partners: Nurturing a winning network of partners and building mutual loyalty.
Planet: Being a responsible global citizen that makes a difference."
McDonald's
"McDonald's vision is to be the world's best quick service restaurant experience. Being the best means providing outstanding quality, service, cleanliness, and value, so that we make every customer in every restaurant smile."
New Day Rising
Let us commence a New Day Rising of IndyCar racing. We do not know whether or not anyone in power shall either read or consider our proposals.
Nevertheless, we proceed "As If".
Roggespierre
Our goal is to define, generally, "where" IndyCar is capable of going before we begin go examine "how" to take it there . This is the time for Big Picture thinking.
Vision: for your Reference
A general discussion of Vision Statements is linked here.
Consultants Anna McGowan and Jan Sykes explain the purpose of Vision Statements here.
Two examples of corporate Vision Statements are below.
Coca Cola
"To achieve sustainable growth, we have established a vision with clear goals.
Profit: Maximizing return to share owners while being mindful of our overall responsibilities.
People: Being a great place to work where people are inspired to be the best they can be.
Portfolio: Bringing to the world a portfolio of beverage brands that anticipates and satisfies peoples; desires and needs.
Partners: Nurturing a winning network of partners and building mutual loyalty.
Planet: Being a responsible global citizen that makes a difference."
McDonald's
"McDonald's vision is to be the world's best quick service restaurant experience. Being the best means providing outstanding quality, service, cleanliness, and value, so that we make every customer in every restaurant smile."
New Day Rising
Let us commence a New Day Rising of IndyCar racing. We do not know whether or not anyone in power shall either read or consider our proposals.
Nevertheless, we proceed "As If".
Roggespierre
Ok I'll take first crack at this.
ReplyDeleteThe Indy Car Series should have as it's vision:
1) To be the premier racing series in North America and in particular the US.
2) It should give good value for it's product. ie. the racing.
3) It should emphasize a diversity of tracks/driver skills.
4) It should encourage low cost for competing by using open source supply.
5) It should encourage innovation through having a set of specifications that will let the teams decide how THEY wish to meet the specifications.
6) It should seek partnerships that enhance the value of the series.
7) It should aggressively explore new ways of making the cars and tracks safer.
8) AND ABOVE ALL, it's Flagship event should always be: "THE GREATEST SPECTACLE IN RACING!"
I hope this gets the ball rolling.
GreyMouser,
ReplyDeleteMy favorites are 1, 4, 5, 7 and 8.
Number 2 is, in my estimation, a matter of customer focus. I really believe that the specific language - Customer Focus - should be part of the Vision.
Number 3 might be too specific at this stage.
Number 6 gets into dangerous territory because we need to know the answer to one question - enhance the value to whom? My concern is that some "value enhancement", such as that which is offered by APEX Brasil, allows the owners of the series to increase equity value without considering customers.
That's a great start.
Best Regards,
Roggespierre
How about this: It should focus on giving it's customers good value for their interest and investment of time to follow the series.
ReplyDeleteRegarding #3, I think we can leave that out for now.
And for #6, you are right we need to answer the question you posed.
GM,
ReplyDeleteI like the refinement of #2. As we move forward, it will be important to identify exactly who the IRL's customers are. I'm not so sure that management knows the answer.
Your suggestions are really good. You hit upon the optimal scope. Frankly, I could go with your six points and move on to the next phase. But we'll wait and see what else we get.
Best Regards,
Roggespierre
Vision Statement:
ReplyDeleteTo be the premier auto racing series in the U.S. with the Indy 500 being the preeminent auto race in the country.
-John
VISION STATEMENT:
ReplyDeleteTo provide racing fans with the best possible open wheel racing in the United States.
To be the best possible open wheel racing means we will offer a varied visual and audio experience provided by a product that is affordable, attractive and available to fans at venues that encourage attendance in person and enhance the TV experience.
(The devil is in the details).
osca
John,
ReplyDeleteThat's succinct and spot on.
Osca,
I like the reference to "racing fans".
The details that you provide probably go in the Mission Statement - what we need to do in order to achieve our Vision. That's coming up next.
Best Regards,
Roggespierre
I am with John. Indycar racing shouldn't be merely the best open wheel racing series in the US. Too limiting mentally. Hell, it might already be there.
ReplyDeleteI do wonder though; if Indycar racing is to thrive beyond May, it cannot use the 500 purely as a crutch. NASCAR likely doesn't have the Daytona 500 specifically mentioned in any sort of mission statement, and for good reason. That too is a limiting vision. Indycar racing must, I repeat, MUST, create events that rival the Indy 500 in the minds of fans for long term survival.
To that end, the present vision should be to provide the best racing product in America; not merely in competitiveness, but in innovation and excitment. It must be approachable and interactive for the fans. It must have a clear and logical support system underneath it to supply talent groomed for racing Indycars who will be used to drive Indycars. And most importantly, it should aspire to grow events on the schedule to be as important as its namesake. A chain is only as strong as its weakest link, and we need to temper the strongest ones we have.
Here are my quick thoughts...
ReplyDeleteYour sport and series has EVERYTHING to do with the Indianapolis 500. Everything. It has 93 years of history to back this up. And because for those 93 years, they have raced on a 2.5 mile oval, then anything regarding the REST of the sport (as far as other tracks, drivers, heritage, people involved, etc...) HAS to be linked to that race and to oval racing in general.
This is where the current carcas of Indy Car racing has failed miserably and helped kill the sport. They don't link their biggest (and only important) race with the rest of their sport. The sport now, from the cars to the drivers to the owners, is all about road racing. The cars are road racing-based cars. 95% of the drivers are road racing-bred drivers. Most of the owners are road racing/sports car-raised owners. Quite frankly, the Indy 500 doesn't belong with the Indy Car Series, as its constructed now. There is very little corralation between the two. The Indy 500 now has more in common with American stock car racing, then "the top rung" of American Open Wheel Racing. And that is wrong.
So the first thing that needs to be done whenever the inevitable day comes, is that there needs to be a REAL and SUBSTANTIAL link between the Indy 500/IMS/oval racing and the rest of the sport. Because your highest profile race is a oval race at the biggest oval facility in the world, then the rest of your sport needs to LINK to that race. Which means, it HAS to become oval-dominated at the equipment/driver/owner level again.
We need to realize this isn't Formula 1 in America. That will never work. Granted many of the drivers and owners grew up pining for F1, so making AOW into that type of series, only makes sense for THEM. But that type of series/sport doesn't have near enough appeal to fans/drivers/sponsors in THIS country, to ever work long-term.
Copying some of what NASCAR did to become the big dog, wouldn't be a dumbest idea ever either. They have lost their way in some areas, but seeing their model and understanding why they are successful and why they are popular, would be a start to getting AOW back and running again. America by and large, enjoys/watches oval racing more then road racing. That will never change either.
The sport HAS to be about oval racing and American drivers, when your biggest race is the Indy 500. Its really that simple. If your biggest race was a road race or a street race, then it would be different. But its not. And it never will.
TD: i agree with your sentiments, but if we are to do what you suggest, then we might as well turn the clock back nearly 60 years and go back to front-engined roadsters. The very design of the rear engined Indy Car lends itself to being able to turn right as well as left. Now granted rear engined cars cam be optimized for ovals, but then you are using only half their potential. My vision of IndyCar racing has the series showcasing the best drivers and driving skills on a variety of tracks. Short ovals, high banks, low banks, road/street courses. You cannot afford to alienate the half of your fan base that happens to like both forms of racing.
ReplyDeleteTrick Dickle,
ReplyDeleteI think you are right the open wheel fan in this country live, eat, and dream of the Indy 500. Sure some like road racing, but they love ovals; ovals that are semi flat and demand a degree of driving skill that high banks don't allow.
So your point is perfectly stated, and any vision for open wheel racing that ignores, or even diminishes the 500 will lead us back to what we have today---a series that few give a poop about.
I think that is a good starting point!
osca
At the moment, I don't see how the IRL isn't linked repeatedly to the 500. What is clear to me is that the association does not matter because none of the other events are being promoted on their own merits. Why should I go see a race at Barber, for instance? Because guys from Indy will be there? What is it about Indycars at Barber (or anywhere, actually) that should make me go want to buy a ticket?
ReplyDeleteGM,
ReplyDeleteI agree with, "you can't afford to alienate half your fanbase," and I'd preface it by saying if your vision is "1) To be the premier racing series in North America and in particular the US," you can't afford to alienate anyone.
I think the key word is balance. And along with venues we have to find a balance between what appeals to the avid fan and the casual fan; the event goers and television viewers; The 500 fans and the series followers; etc… To truly become the premier racing series in NA, we'll need 'em all.
-John
John:
ReplyDeleteThank you. That was part of the reason I worded that beginning precept the way I did. If one is old enough to remember back into the early 60's all of the stars of Indy Racing raced on long dirt ovals, short dirt ovals, short paved ovals, long paved ovals, sprints, midgets, and champ cars. They were and had to be skilled in multiple styles of racing. That is what this series should be about.
Finding a balance between all the competing fan interests is going to be tough. And yes, we cannot afford to alienate any of them. Sure there will those who think their particular ox is being gored. But that is life. You can't please everyone, but you can attempt to accomodate as many as you can.
"You cannot afford to alienate the half of your fan base that happens to like both forms of racing."
ReplyDeleteWhy not? The facts are that the people that actually like BOTH oval racing and road/street racing are much, much fewer then then those that prefer ONLY one or the other.
We don't need to make Indy Car Racing a "grab bag" of racing. There are far more people out there (and potental people out there) that prefer oval racing and cannot stand road racing. Appeal to those people. Not the small number of folks (mainly those that enjoyed CART and its blueprint on how to build a series) who like the "diversity" (which is laughable, since the sport now only caters to road racers and has no use for anything from the oval racing community at ANY level).
There needs to be a CLEAR and EASY to understand correlation between the Indy 500 and the rest of the sport/teams/competitors that race in that event every year. Right now, its blurred. And that correlation needs to be linking the vast majority of AOW (which is mostly oval dominated) to the one rung (Indy Car) that is on its own. That LINK, is what is missing.
Gentlemen,
ReplyDeleteThis discussion provides a good example of why we need Vision, Mission and Values. We must decide what we want IndyCar to be.
I admit that my approach is grounded in economics. It is not about racing, per se. It is about fashioning a racing product that might be well capitalized, efficient, and cash flow positive. That is why I focus on customers (end users). If you appeal to a large enough audience, then you will have opportunities to say either "yes" or "no" with regards to strategic and tactical decisions.
The makeup of the circuits is a question that must be answered in the Marketing Plan. It can be both a dependent and independent variable. That is why it must wait until we determine what we want IndyCar to become.
As always, disagreement with this suggestion is welcomed and encouraged.
Best Regards,
Roggespierre
Vision: Restore the International 500-Mile Sweepstakes to its status as The Greatest Spectacle in Racing, and the National Championship series to its premier status atop American motorsports.
ReplyDeleteMission: To find and develop opportunities that benefit series drivers, teams and partners.
Values: The series is committed to providing affordable, exciting and personalized family entertainment experiences through motorsports.
I start with the premise that “IndyCar” is the “500.” It is the font from which all else flows – starting with public interest. Until the “500” is restored as The Greatest Spectacle, the rest is superfluous.
NASCAR Chairman Brian France recently said, “The weakest part of our audience is the casual sports fan. That's who everyone is chasing.”
I will skip over the frequently mentioned lack of American drivers, cliché winged arrow cars, lack of legit “stars”, etc. All have apparent impact validity and will take time and money to fix.
Two easy changes to differentiate the product to perhaps attract the casual fan:
Once there was a National Driving Championship. Today there is an Indy Racing League Championship. Which “storyline” is more likely to attract the attention of the public? (Imagine the "Professional Championship of the Augusta National Golf Club" instead of the Masters.)
Radical Format Revision: NASCAR fills an afternoon with a long race, 300+ miles weekly. In that same time allotment the National Championship could run, oval or road/street, two 25 mile heat races and even a consi or "last chance" leading to a 16 car 100-mile feature, with a required green light pit stop. That’s four races, a bigger show with no added expense.
Twelve event series between April and Labor Day.
Anonymous,
ReplyDeleteI love two specific ideas that you put forth here.
1. Restore the Greatest Spectacle
2. Twelve event series from April to Labor Day
You're talking about relatively scarce, high-impact events. That is exactly what IndyCar needs. Each must be important, and Indy must be not only the most important, but also important enough to rival the world's other great sporting events.
I am not a fan of some of his business practices, but I think that Brian France is spot-on about the Casual Fan. The term itself is an oxymoron.
How can one be a casual fanatic? One who sort of cares and one who really cares? One who can take it or leave it and one who obsesses over it?
Chasing the casual fan is the fool's errand except in special cases: Super Bowl, Rose Bowl, Masters, Kentucky Derby, Olympics, Indianapolis 500.
Thanks for your valuable contribution.
Best Regards,
Roggespierre