Bernard Selects a Real Leader

New IndyCar czar Randy Bernard obviously sought and found an experienced leader to head the advisory panel that will recommend the next generation of specs for the IZOD IndyCar Series.

According to the Indianapolis Star, the job will go to Retired Air Force General William R. Looney III. This is a man who has achieved much. I am therefore encouraged by his appointment. Congratulations, Mr. Bernard!

I trust that the general will effectively keep factional interests at bay throughout the selection process. That is, after all, much of the battle.

General Looney - here's hoping that you deem significant cost reduction and control to be Jobs 1A and 1B. Drivers are for driving, not financing!

The Citizens solute you and wish you well.

Roggespierre

IndyCar Baguettes Bachelart a Financier

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

The Irony of IndyCar

I recently was referred to this article by Anthony Schoettle of the Indianapolis Business Journal. It is filled with delicious irony.

Derek Daly and Paul Tracy have championed an international, road racing direction for IndyCar racing for many years. Now, because Daly's son and Tracy himself are unable to land IRL rides, they are angry.

Derek and Paul will find no sympathy here. I have argued for some time that businesses can not have everything that they want. In this case, that means that the IRL can not have multiple road and street races, high-tech, high-cost equipment, and a solid base of American drivers.

I have explained in some detail here, here, here, here, here and here.

Graham Rahal lost his ride because McDonald's no longer has to fund NHL in order to procure salad dressing. He will not get another funded ride because the series is not designed to appeal to an American audience. Paul Tracy and Derek Daly's kid are no different.

Just ask the IMS ticket marketing chief, who quit this week.

This is a problem that will not be solved by a new car, delta wing or no delta wing.

Again, the problem is that IndyCar can not have everything that it wants.

Gentlemen, it is time to grow up.

Roggespierre

Tony George: he just faded away

This might not be bad news, but it probably isn't good. Tony George is no longer a member of the Board of Directors of his family's company.

The entire press release is below. My commentary follows.

TONY GEORGE RESIGNS BOARD MEMBERSHIPS

OF INDIANAPOLIS MOTOR SPEEDWAY, HULMAN & COMPANY

INDIANAPOLIS, Tuesday, Jan. 19, 2010 - The Board of Directors of Hulman & Company and affiliated companies, including the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, has received the resignation of Anton H. "Tony" George from the board of directors effective immediately, according to Mari Hulman George, chairman.

"As members of his family, we are sorry to see Tony leave," said Mrs. George. "We are grateful for his service to our company as a board member and of course for formerly serving as CEO and president of our companies. I speak for our whole family in wishing him well.

"All of us had hoped that Tony would continue to serve on the board, and we made that clear to him. We are disappointed with his decision to step down despite our wishes."

His resignation removes George from any remaining role in Hulman & Company, Indianapolis Motor Speedway, Indy Racing League, IMS Productions and other affiliated companies. His term as CEO of the family companies ended June 30, 2009. He continues to be involved in racing through his ownership of Vision Racing, a competitor in the IZOD IndyCar Series of the Indy Racing League.

The board vacancy will be addressed at a later date. In addition to Mari Hulman George, board members include Nancy George, Josie George, Kathi George-Conforti and Jack Snyder.

Mari Hulman George said she is very pleased with the direction of the company and the progress that has been made during the last six months.

"Our company is healthy and is weathering the economic recession well," she said. "Jeff Belskus, president and CEO of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, and Curt Brighton, president and CEO of Hulman & Company, are both doing excellent jobs in guiding our companies through this difficult time. Many hard decisions have been made, and now our companies are well positioned for the future."

I would be interested to know exactly why Mari believes that the IMS and IRL are so well positioned.

The IMS is going to be for sale before long. That's my prediction. That is not to say that the Hulman George Family intends to sell. I believe that the opposite is true.

Unfortunately, intentions mean very little in light of the gross incompetence that threatens this firm. Eventually, the family will have not choice but to sell. All that remains to be seen is 1) how soon, and 2) for how little.

Roggespierre

Thought to begin Indy Idea 2010

Happy New Year!

I am pleased to report that I am refreshed and ready to resume the work of The Indy Idea. It is best, I think, that I ease back in to the blogosphere with a quote. I shall leave it to readers to interpret its relevance with regards to the state of contemporary IndyCar racing.

These words were spoken by former Boston Red Sox executive Bill James and reported by Michael MacCambridge in his book, America's Game.

"Baseball in 1960 was run by people who loved baseball, but it was run by people who, because they loved baseball so much, assumed that there was something 'special' about baseball which had propelled it to a predominant position in the American sports world. And because they made this assumption, they allowed the game to drift. They didn't really think about the game as a commercial product; they still don't."

Sound familiar? James continued.

"Pete Rozelle, Lamar Hunt, George Halas and the other people who ran pro football had serious disagreements among themselves, but they all assumed that they had both the right and the responsibility to shape football into the best possible commercial product that could be built upon the framework of the game. If the games were boring, they assumed it was their responsibility to make them more exciting. If the games were too long, they assumed it was their responsibility to trim the fat."

I encourage everyone to keep these words in mind as we recommence the New Day Rising Project. The idea is to transform IndyCar into the best possible commercial product that can be built upon the framework of the racing.

Roggespierre