We seek a Mission Statement for the series that shall compete at the Indianapolis 500. The task of linking the existential (Vision) with the phenomenological (Action or Mission) is extremely difficult.For example, it is one thing to write that, "We hold these truths to be self-evident..." It is quite another to incorporate those assumed truths into actionable law that is intended to govern present and future behavior.
That is why it is my humble opinion that Gouverneur Morris is among the more underrated Founding Fathers of the United States. He drafted one of the most meaningful and eloquent Mission Statements that I have had the privilege to have read.
John Locke and Thomas Paine provided the Founders an idealistic conception of what they wanted the United States of America to be; Morris brilliantly prescribed what it was that the new nation would do. Equally important, he did so without imposing his own prejudices on future actors.
Let us review his masterpiece and observe the ways in which he crafted a Mission Statement that was both meaningful and flexible. Let us also admire the central position that he bestowed upon customers - The People.
I shall present Morris's words line-by-line so that the profound impact of each point might be better observed.
- "We the People of the United States
- in Order to form a more perfect Union
- establish Justice
- insure domestic Tranquility
- provide for the common defence
- promote the general Welfare
- and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity
- do ordain and establish this Constitution of the United States of America.
Mission: The Who and Why
Morris made clear that it was The People who possessed the moral authority to act. We, too, must make clear that it is The People - customers - who shall empower IndyCar to do whatever it is that it shall do.
Morris presented six reasons that explained why The People acted as they did in 1789. What are the reasons that explain why our IndyCar Series will act as it will? Moreover, why should this organization exist at all? Why will "auto racing consumers in the United States" be better off for having watched or attended an IndyCar Series event? What benefits shall they glean?
Our intent is not to establish a National Constitution, but rather to create a National Racing Series that supports and augments an "iconic American institution." What are the base activities that we must always do - what must we consistently deliver - if we are to achieve our Vision? What are the values that shall guide us?
Product: The What and How
Our Mission is not our product; it is why our organization exists.
For example, we might all agree that IndyCar needs to bring back innovation. The question, then, is why? How might innovation benefit customers - The People?
This article is intended to provide clarification as we challenge ourselves to achieve a difficult task. I promise that we shall discuss specific product attributes very soon.
Human action is preceded by Will. We know why before we determine how. This exercise is no different. That is why we need a Mission Statement and, perhaps, a Values Statement.
I look forward to reading your comments and suggestions.
Roggespierre
Mission: To restore the International 500-Mile Sweepstakes at Indianapolis to "The Greatest Spectacle in Racing", and to fulfill Tony Hulman's original purpose of providing “a competition that should be an invitation and a challenge to the best race drivers in the world.”
ReplyDeleteI intentionally omit mention of any series.
The unspoken questions are who do "we" presume to be, and what standing do we presume in this matter? We, the customers?
Rocketman53,
ReplyDeleteTony Hulman's vision was more than sufficient for its time. He operated in an effectively non-competitive market. He rebuilt the 500 when there was not only no NASCAR, but also no television.
Customers had few choices. The notion of putting their interests first would have been completely foreign to any business manager at that time.
The best drivers in the world now receive many invitations and challenges. The latter term is one they tend to use when they leave one job so that they can earn more money doing another job. The market for everything - customers, competitors, teams, sponsors - is highly competitive.
The present competitive landscape requires a new mission. Gouverneur Morris's Vision was timeless. Tony Hulman's was temporal.
Ours could go either way. But it must be relevant to contemporary circumstances.
Best Regards,
Roggespierre
Interesting thoughts one and all gentlemen! I find your analysis of this matter to be full of thought provoking ideas and outstanding perception to the problems, but the problem that is at the forefront remains.....How does one go about changing the minds of those in charge? It appears that this has and will fall upon deaf ears. I would like to know if Andrew Bernstein had his chance to voice his opinion at Homestead, and did he receive a response from the brain trust in charge? Andrew? Are you out here sir? I am afraid that he, like many others, have and will be swept under the rug. While one can concieve great ideas and offer the way to the promised land, when will the powers that be be willing to offer the chance to hear the voices of the people? Informed sources have informed me that 2012 rules and beyond provide little differentation from what already exsists. If accurate, Indy Car & the Indy 500 will continue down the path of self destruction until we either a) accept the product in its present form or b) watch the ultimate demise of both the series and the "500". So I ask you this gentlemen, when and how, do the minds of the current braintrust get changed?
ReplyDeleteWell...looks like Tom Peters was right.
ReplyDeleteSimply (and redundantly) stated: Put $25 million on a table...something better will appear at IMS for its centennial race.
Rocketman53....I agree but again, when do those in charge listen?
ReplyDeleteMission Statement:
ReplyDeleteIndyCar exists to provide a superior auto racing product for the avid and casual fan alike that is compelling, entertaining and fun to watch. IndyCar is committed to making every interaction a fan has with IndyCar an exciting, enjoyable and memorable experience.
-John
Well, Wrench, who the hell knows? This whole thing is that mystery wrapped in an enigma. I had hopes when Mari stepped in, but those have faded. There is a very short period of time when change is possible, and then the tyranny of the status quo takes over. I think that has happened. Is Hulman and Company interested in its Speedway holdings anymore? One wonders.
ReplyDeleteRocketman53,
ReplyDeleteFollowing the ouster, Mari told Curt Cavin that she planned to cross her fingers and hope for the best. That doesn't seem like much of a business plan.
John,
I like it. I feel as if we need something more, but your suggestion covers the essentials.
Everyone,
Hang in there. If we have learned anything in recent years, it is that there is no silver bullet.
That is why I am attempting to take a systematic approach. It will require some patience. There is no technical solution that will solve the problem. I'm not sure that $25 million cash will do it, either.
Let's figure out some compelling reasons for IndyCar to exist. For that matter, let's try to come up with reasons that the Indy 500 should exist. Yes, it's historically significant. So, too, is the Vanderbilt Cup, but they don't do that anymore.
John has presented a good foundation. Is it good enough? Should we add more?
Best Regards,
Roggespierre
Oldwrench,
ReplyDeleteThe current "brain trust" is interested in remaining employed. Angstadt is one of several at IMS/IRL who are merely playing out the string until retirement. Barnhart is younger; I don't pretend to know his motives.
The IMS has a classic Agency problem. It also suffers from difficulties that are typical of family businesses when both the family and the business outgrow the decision-making apparatus.
Best Regards,
Roggespierre
Roggespierre wrote:
ReplyDelete"Let's figure out some compelling reasons for IndyCar to exist. For that matter, let's try to come up with reasons that the Indy 500 should exist."
It's pretty clear, there are none - it's really just entertainment steeped in tradition. If both go up in smoke, it's NBD for all but maybe one-percent of Americans, and a few Paul Tracy boosting Canadians. The drivers might have to find honest work. Maybe Buddy Rice will finally find a regular Memorial Day ride with a trucking company, or Greyhound.
Now, for a parallel, look at thoroughbred horse racing, the Kentucky Derby, and the Triple Crown.
In response to Oldwrench:
ReplyDeleteMy first conversation with Mr. Barnhart was brief: I provided him with the information I collected about a potential venue in Brazil, and asked if I could meet with him after qualifying on Friday.
We had a ten minute conversation Friday evening, joined for a time by Johnny Rutherford. We discussed a number of topics concerning the Homestead event and the state of the Series in general. I also shared a brief outline of my promotional ideas for next year's Chicagoland event, and a written initiative to demonstrate my approach for attracting Series sponsorship.
I found Mr. Barhart to be cordial, attentive, wise, and enthusiastic. He told me that a preliminary check of my Brazil information had been done, and the information had been forwarded to Mr. Angstadt. To this point, I have not received a response from any IRL/ICS personnel. All the "A" material is still in my briefcase.
Rather than overstep my position, I did not raise the issue of prospective technical changes to the current equipment with Mr. Barnhart. Saturday morning I had a lengthy conversation with one of the Honda engineers about the parameters involved in my suggestions. Right on target, and previously discussed by Honda.
Speaking with Larry Curry after the race, I learned a bit more and heard a bit more validation for my approach. That's all I have to say about that.
On a side note: the last IndyCar race I had attended was the Mid-Ohio CART race in 1998. This was two weeks after the Fernandez crash at Michigan: I arrived with drawings and a 1/8 scale model of a wheel and suspension tether system, and an intellectual property agreement. CART Safety Director Kirk Russell wasn't much for signing anything. At that point I decided to remove the "inventor" cap and wear the "advocate" one. He told me that he believed a similar system was being studied by F1.
Six months later it was announced by the IRL as mandated equipment: their SWEMS system has been installed since the 1999 Indy 500.
From my observations, safety is the number one priority of the IRL. I thank them for their responsible views, and fully understand the factors which serve as the basis for their regulations. That's why I scoff at the stuff I read about new chassis and engines. I have a handle on about 1% of how these cars, and this Series, lays down rubber. That's a lot more than most blogging bloggers will ever know.
By the way, it was damn good ground.
_______________________________________________
Andrew Bernstein
Horse Racing has a huge positive though that Indycar racing doesn't; gambling. No one bets on the outcome of Indycar races. People do bet on the outcome of horse races. Its a industry with its own channel, numerous publications, websites, and so on.
ReplyDeleteIt does speak to what I've said before. Let the other events speak for themselves. Nurture them if the market can sustain them. Jettison them or let them roam on their own if they do not. It is not Churchill Downs' job to make sure the Santa Anita and Arkansas Derbies go off without a hitch. But it does consider them qualifiers to get in the field. Is there a lesson there?
Rocketman53,
ReplyDeleteHaven't you heard? They're going to replace the Preakness with an IndyCar race on the Streets of Baltimore! That will surely fill the gap, no?
I do not disagree with your assessment of the present circumstances. It is entertainment steeped in tradition. All empirical evidence tells us that it is in fact NBD.
But I am not ready to admit that the 500 can not be relevant and iconic once again. However, getting it to that point would be much more difficult this time, even if the IMS/IRL possessed highly skilled, professional managers.
Market competition has left the IMS in the dust. It is not a competitive institution. It must either become competitive under this Board of Directors, be sold to a firm that is capable of doing the job, or perish.
Your words, "It's pretty clear, there are none (reasons for the Indy 500 to exist)..." remind me of how I felt when I began this project. It was therapy for me. I did not promote the site beyond a small circle of friends. Nobody read it. I did not care.
I have devoted much more time to criticism of IRL management decisions than I ever would have anticipated. I was angry about what has happened to the 500. I began to think about not attending next year. That hasn't happened in 32 years.
So, I began airing my grievances here. I am still angry, but I am not ready to give up. A member of my family has attended every 500 since 1933. This is personal.
I used to dream about becoming the manager of the IRL. I don't do that anymore. Instead, I write here, "as if". It is gratifying that others seem to harbor similar feelings.
I harbor no illusions; no one who has authority to do the right thing will pay attention. But I also know that they can't stop us. We will expose their selfish interests and strip bare their tired excuses. Then, we shall demonstrate that there is a better way.
Thus concludes my harangue.
Apologies and Regards,
Roggespierre
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteOk, I see I was being way too trigger happy responding to that last post. It's simply that the pursuit of speed is so central to my understanding of the historical relevance of Indianapolis and IndyCar.
ReplyDeleteIn the past, could this sentence have been applicable (and could it still be applicable now)?
"IndyCar exists to provide a proving ground for the best drivers and fastest closed-circuit automobiles in the world."
IndyCar exists to provide a superior auto racing product for the avid and casual fan alike that is compelling, entertaining and fun to watch. IndyCar is committed to making every interaction a fan has with IndyCar an exciting, enjoyable and memorable experience.
I definitely see how this is broader - "a superior auto racing product". This could could mean a good show or it could mean daredevil speeds. And it's fan-centric. But I would argue that there ought to be some sort of "best drivers" type language in there.
Rocketman:
I thought of something when I read your comment:
What reason is there for NASCAR to exist? "It's really just entertainment steeped in tradition." AND it provides a top-flight showcase for the best stock car drivers in the world. Why does any professional sports series exist? To entertain fans and to be the place where the very best athletes practice their sport, where kids coming up through the ranks dream of eventually playing.
IndyCar's existence would be equally justified in that respect by serving as the top-flight series for those who dream about racing the cars that run at Indianapolis.
BC,
ReplyDeleteYou make a very good point. I think it was George Will who said that every sports league is a contrivance. He was right.
All sports feature some arbitrary objective that is to be achieved despite a litany of arbitrary constraints. Hemingway's line about mountain climbing, bull fighting and auto racing really doesn't hold water. Mountain climbers use tools - contrivances - to their advantage. Bull fighting would not be terribly sporting if one were allowed to use a Colt .45.
Auto racing is no different. Arbitrary constraints, rules, are dictated and enforced. Indy had very few of them for many years, but those days are gone. A new strategy must be devised.
Best,
Roggespierre
A member of my family has attended every 500 since 1933.
ReplyDeleteThat's awesome. Tradition is no small thing.
AB:
I was actually at that race, too. I had a pretty good time, walked around the garage area, talked to a couple of crew members, etc.
But during the race the crowd was lethargic. There was very little collective emotion. If I didn't already care, I wouldn't have felt like I was entering in to part of anything important.
I have a few friends that attend the Homestead NASCAR race in November. I would have been rather embarrassed to bring them to the IndyCar race, NOT because of the on-track action but because there was no pride in the air, nothing that would allow me to proclaim "THIS is IndyCar; WE are the fans!"
I know it was hot, I know it was a none-too-interesting Penske-Ganassi trip, but you know what: sitting there in the stands it would be very difficult for a fan to argue in favor of the fundamentals.
Anyway, that's my take on the race. Just responding to the "good ground" assertion. It certainly sounds like it was good ground for you. But not so much for the outsider fan in the stands.
Incidentally, would you have something offer as a potential mission statement for the ideal IndyCar series?
I'm done wasting time here, and only returned when I read the request. My mistake. Here's what I posted elsewhere, it will suffice as my answer to your criticism:
ReplyDeleteThere were alot of people staring at me during the race. They had no idea what I was screaming about: the PA was completely inaudible, and most really didn't know what was going on. Who's fault is that? Is that different from a Nascar race? I didn't have a headset either, although you could rent them there if you chose to.
They didn't realize the die was cast after the first round of stops. They didn't know who was on the lead lap, and who wasn't. They might not have seen Dixon reeling in Briscoe before they both FINALLY started conserving fuel, when it was far too late.
That was a great race. It's a shame if people were discouraged from going by people who don't know what they are talking about. It's a shame if people left early because they couldn't understand what was going on. The people sitting around me knew what was going on, and they loved the race.
Saturday night at about 11:00 PM, we stopped at a place north of Miami called Hard Rock Casino. The place is really a giant open air Mall, with upscale nightclubs, restaurants, and retail stores. The place was packed, most were young and affluent looking. Hotties galore.
That's where I would have parked the show car, three weeks before the race. Had a guy there to explain the cars and the event, and another to sell tickets. Had a driver or two stop by to sign autographs and give out comp tickets when they were in town to test at Homestead the week before the race.
It's real easy to do this stuff wrong and watch it fail. And it doesn't take much to turn it around.
Kids under twelve were free. Next year I'd give them each a free set of $0.05 earplugs, too. That way the parents know you care. That way they wouldn't have their little ears hurt by the PA system, 'cause it would be even louder than the racecars.
Now, you want flowery idealistic rhetoric?
Treat the rules of physics as arbitrary, and people will have a bad day.
A pimple-faced Minnesota Twins batboy knows more about baseball than George Will.
Learn your craft, do your homework, and don't let the opinions of others erode your conviction. Learn from your mistakes and work a little harder tomorrow.
If you're going to play the poseur role, you best be prepared for the day you get called on it.
Sell people a salad and charge them extra for the dressing, and they will never eat at your restaurant for the rest of their natural lives. And they'll badmouth you to their friends for even longer.
Substitute theorem and and hypothesis in place of real world experience and commence sense, and you can bask in the glory of your irrelevance.
That's all I can think of for now. It's enough to keep all of you busy for a while. I might not ever effect one tangible bit of change as a result of my efforts: all I know for sure is that they won't be wasted here.
____________________________________________
Andrew Bernstein
Jesus, watching Bernstein is comedy in motion. Look, we all get that you enjoy the current IRL product and that you want them to employ you in some capacity. Given that, why would anyone here expect serious criticism?
ReplyDeleteThe answer to the empty seats and extensive giveaways is not to put a show car out in front of a casino. You need a whole lot more than that. But hey, if you have a plan for Chicagoland, you go right ahead and try, dogg. You have less than 12 months to make a big difference and after that there's no contract there anymore. Good luck.
Wow!
ReplyDeleteMr. Bernstein sure thinks we are nuts--and worse yet unimformed nuts!
But I re-read a couple of times his posting, and perhaps we need to address the need to keep the people like him who obviously love racing, but who continue to believe that the product offered is a good, saleable, entertaining product as part of our Mission?
But to return to the Mission Statement---I ask myself ---where do we need to start?
Since we are working with a Vision that IndyCar is tied to the IMS and the “500”, isn’t it best to start there?
My Mission Statement therefore starts with--The Indy 500 must offer the best IndyCar racing!
Is that possible with the present series? Unfortunately, I have come to the conclusion that unless there is a major change in leadership in the IRL or a major change in attitude; the answer is, NO!
So unless and until the OWNERSHIP OF THE SPEEDWAY decides that the current decline in attendance is unacceptable, or they decide to sell the Speedway, we can only plan for what we believe must be the BEST option for the long term future.
Remember Tony Hulman bought the Speedway only because Wilbur Shaw had a vision; with out Wilbur the Speedway would be a residential and commercial area of Indy.
So our thoughts may well be the “Wilbur Shaw” that finds a Tony Hulman.
Roggespierre--please don’t lose focus---there will always be “nay’ Sayers.
osca
Thank you Andrew! I figured as much. It was a similar response to other inquires I have made efforts too. Like you, I have offered my views and services but only to be given polite lip service. The bottom line remains intact and the show will go on with the same product as before. I have closed the doors on any return to Indy and am now preparring to close the doors on a racing development shop. I believe that the future of all racing is the one we see presently. One engine, one chassis, one whatever. Sad, but the true reality. I thank Roggespierre for the use of his site, the particapants of this site for the enjoyable & challenging thoughts presented and those who believe that change would come, but that is unlikely. So with that I also will move on to greener pastures. Thank you one and all. My best to each one of you!
ReplyDeleteAB and Oldwrench:
ReplyDeleteI really hope you guys show back up at some point when the analysis here is faulty. As far as I've read, Roggespierre has not posted any specifically unworkable technical solutions. THAT would be a discussion in which it would help to have detractors from all corners.
But so far, I think this blog has only A) identified problems and B) begun to develop a philosophical position from which to consider them.
Oldwrench: unlikely, but much more so if no one cares enough to dream...
BC,
ReplyDeleteI will not post any technical solutions because I am in no way qualified to do so. I will propose some economic solutions and some marketing solutions.
Onward.
Roggespierre
Now we're beginning to cook. Forming, Storming, Norming and Performing...we're getting there.
ReplyDeleteWhere to begin...
VB wrote:
"Horse Racing has a huge positive though that Indycar racing doesn't; gambling."
The truth is that gambling is the industry's achilles heel. Gamblers are going to casinos, where the games are faster and more furious than doping out a nine race program. Go read the Churchill Downs Corps (CDC) annual report, it's on line. The industry is in clear decline and largely living off public subsidies and its own OTB and at-track casino offerings. Sound familiar? BTW: The CDC sold the iconic track to Louisville for one dollar, and leases it back.
BTW: Foals are off by 15 percent...the future crop shrinks each year.
BC wrote:
"What reason is there for NASCAR to exist? "It's really just entertainment steeped in tradition." AND it provides a top-flight showcase for the best stock car drivers in the world."
Isn't "entertainment" enough reason to exist? I think it is, but it's not necessarily "compelling." When did pay-for-admission motor racing become other than entertainment at its core?
Look back at the promotion of the Championship big car game. It was sold to the public on the basis of men's men battling high-speed fate - when there was a real likelihood of major injury or death. That the public understands. NASCAR has crashes, conflicts, on-track retribution, cheating, drama. IRL...not so much.
BC wrote:
"Why does any professional sports series exist? To entertain fans and to be the place where the very best athletes practice their sport."
Sports exist for competition. By extension, pro sports charge to watch higher quality play. There are minor leagues for every major game, where most do not make the top echelon. For the owners and promoters at all levels, it's about selling seats and concessions to make a profit. On only need to see how the NFL reacted to its strike to see how owners see that game. That said, none of the IRL's cast of champions could find a substantial ride in any other series, from WOO to F1. No one has sold ticket one to see Robert Doornbos in action, or Milka Duno drive fully clothed. More tickets are sold to see whether ancient A.J. Foyt will punch someone, or toss a computer.
Roggespierre wrote:
"Arbitrary constraints, rules, are dictated and enforced. Indy had very few of them for many years, but those days are gone. A new strategy must be devised."
That's right...so, let's restore "those days"... take $25 million...put it on the table...
BC wrote:
" I would have been rather embarrassed to bring them to the IndyCar race, NOT because of the on-track action but because there was no pride in the air, nothing that would allow me to proclaim 'THIS is IndyCar; WE are the fans!'"
That what free tix to a series that has no public presence or market impact gets you. Why should anyone take notice? Championships are dime-a-dozen, and the participants are generally anonymous. The two biggest stars were not part of the action.
Andrew Bernstein wrote:
"It's a shame if people were discouraged from going by people who don't know what they are talking about. It's a shame if people left early because they couldn't understand what was going on."
When the "hooks" are technical, i.e. something other than going faster than the next guy around a circle, few will engage. The majority of baseball spectators don't understand the game's finer points, but they know a strikeout from a walk, a home run from a fly out. But once it gets to "small ball" 99 percent lose it - and they don't care because they can count runs and innings, three strikes, four balls, three outs. NASCAR has debris yellows to keep it simple. It's why I advocate any series return to heat racing (if there is a series) and a 100-mile feature. Easy to understand, more action, and like no other "big league" racing.
More to come....FWIW
Rocketman53,
ReplyDeleteKeep it coming. That's great stuff - unique analysis and valuable context, thanks to your references to other sports. IndyCar isn't the only one that's hurting.
Market competition creates winners and losers.
Best,
Roggespierre
osca wrote:
ReplyDelete"Remember Tony Hulman bought the Speedway only because Wilbur Shaw had a vision; with out Wilbur the Speedway would be a residential and commercial area of Indy."
Actually, Hulman was considering a buy before Shaw approached him at the insistence of Homer Cochran, a "finder", AKA a dealmaker, and an intimate of Hulman. Hiring Shaw gave Hulman a big name, a racing insider, and a seasoned executive to run the operation, with "silent oversight" from Joe Cloutier. Shaw was never replaced after his death - there was no need.
Much of the current situation is rooted in the absence of a relevant or credible frontman for the "500," or its spinoff series, to overcome the lingering "Tony George effect." Helio can't get a sentence out in English, and Danica is Danica, pro and con. How about the newly crowned champion...who is that guy? Maybe his once-famous wife, or sister-in-law.
Other than Mari George, no one in the family has any public standing...no, not even Ed Carpenter, who is a product of the IRL and wholly anonymous outside the immediate fan base.
Here's an off-the-wall shot: Name Richard Petty as President of IMS. Superstar oval racer, "American" champion/HOFer, can grab NASCAR fan base attention, a greater presence than Gene Simmons, and no dog in the fight.
But, then, this is supposed to be about a mission statement...
Dreams are what built the Indy 500! It is exactly what Andrew Berstein has noted. If you or I can't be permitted to dream by producing a car or engine, so unique or advanced in its design that we can acheive or dream then....what is the point? Names like Bignotti,Brawner,Watson built their dreams. When do Andrew, Oldwrench and others get the same chance?? Under current regulations......you don't! I know and feel Andrew's frustration. We never asked for anything other than the same chance that others had. Is that not the same for Drivers to? Based upon one's abilities not their bank account.
ReplyDeleteOldwrench,
ReplyDeleteYou're right. I hope that you get a chance. Perhaps, some day, you will.
Regards,
Roggespierre
Dreams are what built the Indy 500! It is exactly what Andrew Berstein has noted. If you or I can't be permitted to dream by producing a car or engine, so unique or advanced in its design that we can acheive or dream then....what is the point?
ReplyDeleteI don't see Andrew Bernstein arguing this at all. I see him endlessly and tirelessly arguing that the primary problem with the IRL is not a lack of vision, a product people do not want, etc., but rather that its not being promoted in such a fashion that people are aware of it. The entries have gone to great lengths to refute that as the problem. In part, what you argue is exactly correct. The lack of innovation and reliance on spec cars does nothing to give small guys a better chance at this stage.
VirtualBalboa,
ReplyDeleteIt's even worse than that. The spec cars and engines give all pricing power to the manufacturers of the equipment. Update kits and leases ensure that there is no used equipment that might be sold to upstart teams.
These rules have everything to do with protecting the monopolistic manufacturers. The ridiculous number of tires that teams must use in order to be competitive could also be put in that category.
This series appears to exist for the benefit of Dallara, Honda, and Firestone. You can probably put Xtrac in there, too. This is the result of management decision at the IRL.
It is management incompetence in the extreme.
Barnhart is out of his depth. But that doesn't mean he isn't shrewd. There is a reason that he has positioned himself as the Protector of Drivers and Fans.
He'll never get fired for it.
Who in his right mind would argue that safety is not important? No one.
Everybody knows that Barnhart is not qualified to manage a series. So he has carved out the Protector positioning.
IndyCar does not need Brian Barnhart to keep its drivers and fans safe. More important, it does need to get his hands out of the sport's supply chain.
Best Regards,
Roggespierre
Wow. What I thought was a collaboration around a mission statement has gone awry. Therapeutic venting, perhaps? Don't know, but I think this a worthy exercise and I like to stay focused.
ReplyDeleteSo...
I like John's mission statement, but would like to add an additional thought about "leadership in testing automotive solutions for 21st century needs." To another point, this could yield any number of speed records, for electric motor cars, for instance.