All-Time Indianapolis 500 Field - Alphabetical

Mario Andretti
29 Starts - 1 Win (1969) - 5 Additional Top 5 Finishes - 3 Poles (1966, 1967, 1987) - 556 Laps Led

Michael Andretti
16 Starts - 0 Wins - 5 Top 5 Finishes - 0 Poles - 431 Laps Led

Billy Arnold
5 Starts - 1 Win (1930) - 0 Additional Top 5 Finishes - 1 Pole (1930) - 410 Laps Led

Jimmy Bryan
9 Starts - 1 Win (1958) - 2 Additional Top 5 Finishes - 0 Poles - 216 Laps Led

Helio Castroneves
10 Starts (Active) - 3 Wins (2001, 2002, 2009) - 3 Additional Top 5 Finishes - 4 Poles (2003, 2007, 2009, 2010) - 231 Laps Led

Jim Clark
5 Starts - 1 Win (1965) - 2 Additional Top 5 Finishes - 1 Pole (1964) - 298 Laps Led

Ralph DePalma
10 Starts - 1 Win (1915) - 2 Additional Top 5 Finishes - 2 Poles (1920, 1921) - 612 Laps Led

Emerson Fittipaldi
11 Starts - 2 Wins (1989, 1993) - 2 Additional Top 5 Finishes - 1 Pole (1990) - 505 Laps Led

A.J. Foyt
35 Starts - 4 Wins (1961, 1964, 1967, 1977) - 6 Additional Top 5 Finishes - 4 Poles (1965, 1969, 1974, 1975) - 555 Laps Led

Dario Franchitti
7 Starts - 2 Wins (2007, 2010) - 0 Additional Top 5 Finishes - 0 Poles - 255 Laps Led

Bill Holland
5 Starts - 1 Win (1949) - 3 Additional Top 5 Finishes - 0 Poles - 297 Laps Led

Ted Horn
10 Starts - 0 Wins - 9 Top 5 Finishes - 1 Pole (1947) - 94 Laps Led

Gordon Johncock
24 Starts - 2 Wins (1973, 1982) - 6 Additional Top 5 Finishes - 0 Poles - 339 Laps Led

Parnelli Jones
7 Starts - 1 Win (1963) - 1 Additional Top 5 Finish - 2 Poles (1962, 1963) - 492 Laps Led

Frank Lockhart
2 Starts - 1 Win (1926) - 0 Additional Top 5 Finishes - 1 Pole (1927) - 205 Laps Led

Arie Luyendyk
17 Starts - 2 Wins (1990, 1997) - 2 Additional Top 5 Finishes - 3 Poles (1993, 1997, 1999) - 188 Laps Led

Rex Mays
12 Starts - 0 Wins - 2 Top 5 Finishes - 4 Poles (1935, 1936, 1940, 1948) - 266 Laps Led

Rick Mears
15 Starts - 4 Wins (1979, 1984, 1988, 1991) - 5 Additional Top 5 Finishes - 6 Poles (1979, 1982, 1986, 1988, 1989, 1991) - 429 Laps Led

Louis Meyer
12 Starts - 3 Wins (1928, 1933, 1936) - 3 Additional Top 5 Finishes - 0 Poles - 332 Laps Led

Tommy Milton
8 Starts - 2 Wins (1921, 1923) - 2 Additional Top 5 Finishes - 1 Pole (1923) - 218 Laps Led

Jimmy Murphy
5 Starts - 1 Win (1922) - 3 Additional Top 5 Finishes - 2 Poles (1922, 1924) - 220 Laps Led

Jim Rathmann
14 Starts - 1 Win (1960) - 4 Additional Top 5 Finishes - 0 Poles - 153 Laps Led

Mauri Rose
16 Starts - 3 Wins (1941, 1947, 1948) - 4 Additional Top 5 Finishes - 1 Pole (1941) - 256 Laps Led

Johnny Rutherford
24 Starts - 3 Wins (1974, 1976, 1980) - 1 Additional Top 5 Finish - 3 Poles (1973, 1976, 1980) - 296 Laps Led

Wilbur Shaw
13 Starts - 3 Wins (1937, 1939, 1940) - 4 Additional Top 5 Finishes - 0 Poles - 508 Laps Led

Tom Sneva
18 Starts - 1 Win (1983) - 4 Additional Top 5 Finishes - 3 Poles (1977, 1978, 1984) - 208 Laps Led

Al Unser
27 Starts - 4 Wins (1970, 1971, 1978, 1987) - 9 Additional Top 5 Finishes - 1 Pole (1970) - 644 Laps Led

Al Unser, Jr.
19 Starts - 2 Wins (1992, 1994) - 5 Additional Top 5 Finishes - 1 Pole (1994) - 110 Laps Led

Bobby Unser
19 Starts - 3 Wins (1968, 1975, 1981) - 3 Additional Top 5 Finishes - 2 Poles (1972, 1981) - 480 Laps Led

Bill Vukovich
5 Starts - 2 Wins (1954, 1955) - 0 Additional Top 5 Finishes - 1 Pole (1953) - 485 Laps Led

Rodger Ward
15 Starts - 2 Wins (1959, 1962) - 4 Additional Top 5 Finishes - 0 Poles - 261 Laps Led

Dan Wheldon
8 Starts (Active) - 1 Win (2005) - 4 Additional Top 5 Finishes - 0 Poles - 234 Laps Led

2010 Indianapolis 500 - Wish You Were Here!

A.J. Allmendinger

Alex Barron

Colin Braun

Patrick Carpentier

Bryan Clauson

Conor Daly

John Edwards

Jeff Gordon

Robby Gordon

Daniel Herrington

J.R. Hildebrand

Tracy Hines

Sam Hornish, Jr.

Kasey Kahne

Buddy Lazier

Jaques Lazier

Casey Mears

Juan Pablo Montoya

Robbie Pecorari

Buddy Rice

Joey Saldana

Scott Speed

Tony Stewart

Jonathan Summerton

Brad Sweet

Kevin Swindell

Paul Tracy

Josh Wise

J.J. Yeley

Bernard must shift gears to grow IndyCar

Before I head to Indianapolis for my 33rd consecutive Indianapolis 500 Mile Race, I want to discuss the challenges that face new IndyCar CEO Randy Bernard.

Curt Cavin's in-depth discussion of Bernard in Friday's Indianapolis Star reignited my interest in this topic. As one might expect, the portrayal of Bernard is glowing. Bernard's past success with Professional Bull Riders has earned him the benefit of the doubt, not to mention a significant Honeymoon Period.

I do not take issue with that in any way. The man deserves credit for the good work that he has done. Furthermore, I am encouraged by his work ethic and his results.

PBR vs. IndyCar: a different brew

That said, with Professional Bull Riders, Bernard essentially created a business enterprise where there had not been one. Building something out of nothing is difficult, to be sure. However, working from a clean sheet of paper does provide some advantages.

1. Low cost basis
2. Little or no direct competition
3. Low expectations
   

Unfortunately, Bernard can look forward to enjoying exactly none of those advantages as he attempts to revive IndyCar, where...

• The cost basis is exponentially greater than the value of the end product.
• Direct competition abounds both nationally and internationally.
• Perceptions of past success and the existence of successful firms in the motorsports space make for unreasonably high expectations among buyers and suppliers.

To summarize, Mr. Bernard is sure to discover - if he hasn't already - that Professional Bull Riders and IndyCar are very different animals.

PBR - NASCAR with Horns?

The good news is that Professional Bull Riders succeeded because Bernard effectively sold it to a quasi-mass market. This conclusion is supported by the types of sponsors - Wrangler, Jack Daniel's - that signed on. Thus, PBR would seem to be positioned similarly to NASCAR. Apparently, those folks still have time to watch something on TV in addition to Cup and Grand National. PBR's 2.4 rating with its NBC time buy further supports this conclusion.

One wonders, then, why Bernard would embrace a very different approach to marketing IndyCar.

Yes, the product is different. Then again, Bernard would seem to have authority to change the product in order to attract a large audience. Instead, it seems that he is attempting to create an entirely new breed of U.S. racing fan.

That - the Clamor for Glamour - shall be the topic of an upcoming post.

My next post, however, shall be one of longing.

Wish You Were Here - the 2010 Indianapolis 500 Edition - is forthcoming!

Roggespierre

Now THIS is Creative Promotion!!!

Congratulations to Mark Dill, a personal acquaintance who happens to be the new marketing guru at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

Mark has a track record of success.

Check out this video and you'll see why!

Great job, Mark!

Fans Reject Izod IndyCar at Kansas

I'm sorry. The headline is harsh but true.

What's more, today's horrid turnout at Kansas was entirely predictable.

The market is naturally segmented. Oval racing enthusiasts have rejected this product yet again. Is there any reason to believe that Chicagoland will be better?

IndyCar has been transformed into an international road racing product, one that has no business staging races at large oval facilities.

Good luck, Randy Bernard. Sadly, it seems that you're going to need a huge dose of it.

Bring on the (subsidized) Streets of Baltimore!

Roggespierre