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Nascar and Racing

Time to Give IndyCar Racing Its Due

Posted Oct 08, 2009 7:30PM By Holly Cain (RSS feed)

Filed Under: IRL

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IndyCar Series
HOMESTEAD, Fla. -- Ryan Briscoe moves about his adopted hometown of Mooresville, N.C., untouched by the fame and glory you'd expect to accompany a young, dynamic race car driver in the midst of an exciting three-man title fight for a major sports championship.

"No one knows me there,'' the Australian demurred with a smile Thursday, minutes after posing next to the IndyCar Series trophy he's trying to earn in Saturday night's Indy 300 season finale at Homestead-Miami Speedway.

"That's not true,'' his fiancee reminded him, "Remember the girl at Starbucks?"

The scenario may not be too surprising considering its setting in NASCAR's backyard, but the truth is the IndyCar Series is not getting its due in its own backyard either.

"No, not at all, I'm not famous,'' two-time IndyCar champ Scott Dixon said laughing, "But Dario [Franchitti] tells me every day that he is really famous.''

The fact is, they should be.

The IndyCar Series is full of interesting story lines and great personalities racing wheel-to-wheel at 200 mph, producing a dramatic championship scenario year after year. And America's missing out.

Only eight points separate Dixon, Franchitti and Briscoe in the standings. And as exciting as this weekend's final event will be, chances are most local newscasts and newspaper headlines will lead their racing coverage with something NASCAR-related.

"I think it's better than it was three years ago,'' said 2007 series champ Franchitti, who is five points behind his Target Ganassi teammate Dixon entering the weekend.

"Is it where it needs to be? No. But I think it's in an upward trajectory which is a very positive thing because in my opinion, for a few years, it was on a very slow downward path. With the two series coming together, it's given us momentum. I don't know what more as drivers we can do, and as a series we put a great product on the track. That's the main thing.''

Here's another thing: the series has to improve its television package.

IndyCar is in the first year of a marathon 10-year contract with Versus, which does a first class job with its race broadcasts and IndyCar-devoted specials. The problem is, not enough people are seeing it.

DirecTV is no longer carrying Versus and that's 14 million less subscribers. Versus President Jamie Davis was
quoted in the Indianapolis Star last month as saying the 11 races the network has broadcast are averaging a .39 rating or 400,000 households.

He also maintains that what it lost in DirecTV, it has almost gained back with a new Dish Network subscriber list close to 9 million.

But when the the race series' website has a place for you to type in your zip code in order to find a broadcast channel in your area, you know things are rough.

And that's a shame.

This series deserves more.

After a 12-year split between America's two major open-wheel series, the two circuits unified under the IndyCar Series banner prior to the 2008 season bringing a diverse, deeply competitive field together visiting an enviable assortment of venues from the famous Indianapolis Motor Speedway to the streets of Long Beach, Calif.

The product suffered initially after the split, but it has been good for awhile.

And this weekend marks the 10th time in the past 14 years - and fourth consecutive season - the championship has been decided in the final race. There have been 14 changes atop the championship rankings this year. No other racing series can claim that.

NASCAR had to invent a new playoff format to generate the excitement IndyCar has produced honestly for years.

As for drivers, in addition to this year's contenders Dixon, Franchitti and Briscoe, IndyCar has a grid spotted with racing pedigrees like Andretti and Rahal.

It has - arguably - the sport's most famous driver in Danica Patrick, plus a crop of other up-and-coming American talent.

And there's Briscoe's Team Penske teammate, Helio Castroneves, who earned his third Indy 500 win this May and who charmed and cha-chaed his way to television's Dancing With the Stars title in 2007.

You want drama? Personality? Pedigrees? Tight racing? Close championships? How about racing's real Super Bowl, the Indy 500?

The reasons to watch and follow are there.

"Unfortunately, what makes it difficult, is the damage was done many years ago and now it's all about rebuilding,'' said Dixon, who is trying to join Sam Hornish Jr. as the series' only three-time champs.

"I think last year was pivotal as far as getting the two series back together. The racing is good, the structure is good. They've got to work on the TV package more. It will be a long tough road, for sure.

"They [NASCAR] picked up a lot of slack in those early years. ... They grabbed that ball and ran with it, didn't they. But as long as we keep trying to push it, people will eventually get back to it. There's so many avenues that must be covered and achieved.''

There is no more split to blame, no lack of talent or of personality. There is plenty of close, suspenseful racing and the tightest championship battle in all of racing.

"This is the right road to take,'' Dixon said.

Now all that's needed is for people to follow it.

Tags: Dario+Franchitti, IndyCar+Series, Ryan+Briscoe, Scott+Dixon

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