Behold, the next "star" of the IZOD IndyCar Series! He is Bertrand Baguette, and according to Curt Cavin of the Indianapolis Star, he has signed-on for 15 races in 2010 with Eric Bachelart's Conquest Rent-a-Ride Racing.
This rates as the most exciting thing to hit the IndyCar scene since Montagny-mania!
Randy Bernard, this is a symptom of the problems that you have inherited. You are not envied here, sir.
Bertrand Baguette might be a fine racer. However, he does nothing to increase consumer appeal of IndyCar racing in the United States, where it must compete with myriad sports entertainment operations for ticket buyers, television ratings, and corporate sponsorship dollars.
I have no doubt that this move is very good for Conquest Rent-a-Ride Racing team owner Eric Bachelart, who must be very pleased to have signed a financier, er, driver from his native Belgium.
I shall say it again. That which is good for IndyCar is not necessarily good for its suppliers of racing teams, and vice verse. An economist would call this a misalignment of incentives.
I call it yet another step toward complete anonymity and irrelevance for a once great institution, the Indianapolis 500.
Please help, Mr. Bernard!
Roggespierre
