Motorsports FanHouse

Indianapolis Motor Speedway Shakeup -- Tony George Takes New Role

Holly Cain — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 19:55:00 EST

Filed under: Indianapolis Motor Speedway, International Speedway Corp

This time it's official. As of July 1, Tony George is out as CEO of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Instead he'll focus his efforts on the Indy Racing League and will continue on as member of the board of directors of the Speedway and the family's Hulman & Company.

George's mother, Mari Hulman George, made the announcement Tuesday. It comes four weeks after several news outlets, including FanHouse, reported the move was imminent -- only to have George deny the reports then.

"[George] has decided that with the recent unification of open-wheel racing and the experienced management team IMS has cultivated over the years, now would be the time for him to concentrate on his team ownership of Vision Racing with his family and other personal business interests he and his family share," Hulman George, the IMS' chairwoman of the board, said, while also praising her son's "leadership and direction."

Jeffrey G. Belskus, a Terre Haute, Ind., native, will assume the job of president and CEO of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Corporation. Belskus has worked for Hulman and Company since 1987, and has served as chief financial officer for the family corporation.

Also promoted Tuesday was W. Curtis Brighton, who was named chairman of the board and CEO of Hulman & Company.

Joie Chitwood will remain president of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

"These changes underscore our family's commitment going forward to all of our companies, especially our commitment to the growth of the Indy Racing League and the sport of open-wheel racing," Hulman George said.

George, 49, ran the Speedway since 1990 and became a highly controversial figure in racing when he formed the Indy Racing League in 1996 as an alternative to the established Championship Auto Racing Teams (CART) series.

He also spearheaded the unification between America's top two open-wheel series last year and his Vision Racing is a single car team in the IndyCar Series. He is responsible for bringing NASCAR, Formula One and the MotoGP to the Speedway.

Tuesday's statement did not include any comments from George, and Speedway officials said he would not be commenting immediately.

Indianapolis Motor Speedway Shakeup -- Tony George Takes New Role originally appeared on Motorsports FanHouse on Tue, 30 Jun 2009 19:55:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

This Is Not What the Southern 500 Deserves

Geoffrey Miller — Thu, 14 Aug 2008 17:46:00 EST

Filed under: Darlington Raceway, International Speedway Corp

One might have figured that long-time NASCAR fans would have been rejoicing this week thanks to the reincarnation of Darlington Raceway's legendary Southern 500.

The race -- a staple of NASCAR's top series for 54 years -- was traditionally held every Labor Day weekend at the gritty South Carolina track and produced some of the best-known races of NASCAR's modern-era.

It was a place where drivers made a name for themselves and was a place where legends cemented their status as such in stock car racing.

But in 2004, that all disappeared thanks to a track realignment by the higher-ups in NASCAR and International Speedway Corporation that sent the traditional weekend packing to the West Coast in what has turned into a lame, ill-timed attempt to gain fans in the Los Angeles market.

But now, with ratings dropping in 2007, attendance dropping in 2008, growth slowing, and sponsorship troubles occurring thanks to NASCAR being a tourism-based industry that has likely overpriced itself, the legendary Southern 500 at "The Lady in Black" is returning in a much different form -- with lights and in May.

Have you ever seen a more blatant exploitation of tradition?

For years, traditional NASCAR fans and those that have never been impressed by the races at the newly-named Auto Club Speedway and have clamored for the sport to reverse itself and actually make tradition and history a big part of the way it markets itself.

And what do they get? The watered-down return of what once was a great race.

I suppose I should look at this as a positive thing, but I really can't. I'm not excited. It doesn't appeal to me.

It's not really the Southern 500.

The Southern 500 isn't supposed to be in May. It's not supposed to be on a Saturday night. It's not supposed to be on Mother's Day weekend.

And it sure isn't supposed to be just another lead-in race to another NASCAR's big events -- the Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte's Lowe's Motor Speedway.

Instead, the Southern 500 with all of the glory and fame it gained as a NASCAR staple for 54 years will return in all of those elements above for the second week of May in 2009 -- and it all tastes like a really bad knock off.

It's really not hard to connect the dots in this situation to see that the "Southern 500" name is coming back because Darlington Raceway is having a tough time selling naming rights to the race. For the past three years, Dodge -- on behalf of Chrysler LLC -- has been the sponsor of the event and now we all know how well that auto manufacturer is doing with the the downturn of the American economy.

In other words, it's a little too convenient and a little too cheap that the traditions and glamor of the Southern 500 are coming back in what boils down to little more than an attempt to drive hype and ticket sales, as well as mask the open wound that longtime NASCAR fans still grind on four years after racing on Labor Day moved to a region that simply doesn't care.

I've got to say, though, that things like this don't surprise me anymore with NASCAR.

This Is Not What the Southern 500 Deserves originally appeared on Motorsports FanHouse on Thu, 14 Aug 2008 17:46:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

Which ISC Track Will Lose a Date in 2010?

Geoffrey Miller — Thu, 14 Aug 2008 10:06:00 EST

Filed under: International Speedway Corp, NASCAR Tracks, Sprint Cup

Earlier this week, word came out the the head of International Speedway Corporation, Lesa France-Kennedy, was looking to expand operations at the company's Kansas Speedway.

In other words, she wants a second NASCAR Sprint Cup Series date for the mid-west 1.5-mile cookie-cutter track as part of the deal to woo a Hard Rock Casino & Hotel to just outside the track's Turn 2:

As part of their proposal, Kansas Speedway announced International Speedway Corporation ("ISC") will petition NASCAR for a second NASCAR Sprint Cup Series date for the track if Kansas Speedway and The Cordish Company are awarded the casino management contract for Wyandotte County (Kan.).

While the "petition" to NASCAR hasn't gone through yet, I'm willing to bet that the casino is a sure-bet to come to the area. (Ha, get it?)

And once that casino goes through, ISC's move to ask NASCAR for a second race date that comes at the expense of one the other race dates in the company's portfolio will go through faster than a stack of chips next to a degenerate gambler.

Of course, it makes things a little easier when ISC and NASCAR are owned by the same people.

The tracks that are under ISC's belt with two race dates include Auto Club (California), Daytona, Martinsville, Michigan, Phoenix, Richmond, and Talladega.

If I'm a betting man (tired of the gambling references yet?), then I'd say that Martinsville Speedway in Virginia and Michigan International Speedway (home of this weekend's race) are the most viable candidates for losing a date at their venues.

Overall, I'm not a big fan of giving Kansas a second race date. The track is just too bland and the circuit already races on too many tracks that are oh-so-similar.

But if it's got to happen, I hereby nominate Auto Club Speedway to lose both race dates -- one for Kansas and one just so we don't have to watch any more racing there. One race date at Phoenix is enough, too.

Which ISC Track Will Lose a Date in 2010? originally appeared on Motorsports FanHouse on Thu, 14 Aug 2008 10:06:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

LifeLock 400 Soldout, But Has Chicagoland Speedway Built an Attendance Ceiling?

Geoffrey Miller — Sat, 12 Jul 2008 15:18:00 EST

Filed under: International Speedway Corp, NASCAR Tracks, Sprint Cup

Here on my first visit to Chicagoland Speedway, I've noticed that the facility truly is a modern racing venue.

The infield is laid out well, the infield access tunnel is more than large enough for the biggest vehicles, the grandstands have excellent sight lines and the fan area with the souvenir trailers is plenty wide enough -- all of these are a direct result of the intelligent planning of the speedway when it was first started in 1999.

Those factors, combined with the addition of lights in 2008, have allowed Saturday night's LifeLock 400 to reach sellout status again after falling off in 2007. Or, as the track claims, all 75,000 grandstand "Track Packs" have sold out, allowing the speedway's "2008 Racing Season" to be sold out.

It's a big deal for NASCAR to sellout a racing venue in a geographic area that the sport is relatively new to, and for that track officials should be commended for working the Chicago market to get their seats sold.

But in NASCAR, staying at the status quo has never worked -- from the promoters in the press box to the drivers in the garage, which leaves me to wonder if Chicagoland officials are selling themselves short with both ticket policy and grandstand policy.

In order to buy tickets at Chicagoland, you have to buy the "Track Pack" that gives you admission to five races -- including the Nationwide Series, Sprint Cup Series, the IndyCar Series, the ARCA Series, and the IRL Indy Pro Series. These races are spread across two race weekends, and the track packs range in price $195 to $260.

On paper, it's not a bad deal with each race costing $39 to attend. But in reality, the package has to be eliminating another group of NASCAR fans or curious potential fans that would like to check out NASCAR racing without a binding commitment.

Of all the places to do implement this policy, Chicago seems like the least favorable candidate. Sure, sell fans in Bristol a full-season ticket, but in a market that NASCAR wants to draw new fans from, why not offer them a chance to experience racing in a fan-friendly manner? Could there not be 20,000 to 30,000 more seats sold at $70 for a single race?

Potentially, the NASCAR fans that are used to buying a ticket for a single race are also being kept away from Joliet because of the policy the speedway implements in the grandstand that came as a big shock to me.

Simply, no fan is allowed to bring a cooler of any sorts into the speedway. Aside from those with a medical condition, fans aren't allowed to bring in any beverages or food into the speedway, therefore subjecting them to the prices of the concession stands. Right there, the price of visiting the speedway just jumped $15-30/person.

This policy just frankly doesn't make sense, and when it was implemented when the track opened, officials at the speedway simply stated the policy was just mirroring the facility's sister track -- the Route 66 Dragway.

With the limitations placed on what fans can bring and what it takes for them to obtain admission, it sets a standard that doesn't sound like a fun place to visit. The racing may be good, but Chicagoland Speedway has to be missing out on more dollars than it knows of by imposing such restrictions on fans.

LifeLock 400 Soldout, But Has Chicagoland Speedway Built an Attendance Ceiling? originally appeared on Motorsports FanHouse on Sat, 12 Jul 2008 15:18:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

Live From Lowe's: Earnhardt, Gordon Manage Great Finishes On Mediocre Night

Geoffrey Miller — Mon, 26 May 2008 00:35:00 EST

Filed under: Dale Earnhardt Jr., Jeff Gordon, Hendrick Motorsports, Crew Chiefs, Pit Crews, Sprint Cup, International Speedway Corp.

Geoffrey Miller is in Concord, N.C. for Sunday's Sprint Cup Coca-Cola 600 at Lowe's Motor Speedway. He'll aim to eat as many elephant ears as possible while blogging away "Live from Lowe's" throughout Memorial Day weekend.

Jeff Gordon may have had a car capable of running in the Top-10, but he simply didn't have the track position.

Dale Earnhardt Jr. had the car to beat until lap 296 when he blew a tire and slapped the wall -- while leading.

Somehow, though, the two Hendrick Motorsports teammates ended up fourth (Gordon) and fifth (Earnhardt Jr.) in the final standings of Sunday night's Coca-Cola 600.

Earnhardt Jr. truly had a car that was one of the top two or three in the entire field, and he likely had the best car as the race was set to begin its final 100 laps of the scheduled 400. Then, his right rear tire went flat as he prepared to lap Hendrick teammate Gordon while entering turn 3 on lap 296, and the No. 88 veered into the wall.

Luckily, Earnhardt had been using the high lane all evening so the impact wasn't as severe as it could have been. The team brought him to pit road many times under the subsequent caution, threw some new rubber on it, pulled out the fenders, and double-checked the suspension.

Junior rejoined the race around 20th, but the car just wasn't the same.

That's where his path aligned with that of Jeff Gordon's team and how to maximize their final finish.

Gordon struggled all night long to get track position -- as did everyone on the track. When he was the first car a lap down after a restart, Gordon fell to the third car in line and rode there for much of the run, but when the next caution came out, he was back on the lead lap but mired behind 30-40 lead lap and lapped cars.

When it became obvious late in the event that if Gordon stayed the course he'd end up 20th or worse, crew chief Steve Letarte gambled.

Letarte first tried for track position by taking gas only with over 70 laps to go, but with 62 laps left under another caution, Gordon came back in for tires and a full tank of fuel that was to last him for the rest of the race. Earnhardt Jr. followed a similar strategy.

The two then conserved fuel for much of the final run -- so much so that eventual winner Kasey Kahne nearly lapped them and then passed them again after making his stop late in the event.

When the checkered flag dropped though, Gordon scooted across the line in fourth and Earnhardt Jr. fifth.

Gordon's crew chief Letarte summed up the effort by both teams very well after the event over the No. 24 radio by saying "At the end of the year, they don't care how you get the points".

Indeed, a finish in the Top-5 for the two instead of running mid-pack is good in the standings, but also for the confidence of both teams and drivers heading into the summer season stretch.

Live From Lowe's: Earnhardt, Gordon Manage Great Finishes On Mediocre Night originally appeared on Motorsports FanHouse on Mon, 26 May 2008 00:35:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

Breaking Down the Martinsville Hot Dog

Geoffrey Miller — Thu, 27 Mar 2008 22:20:00 EST

Filed under: NASCAR Tracks, Sprint Cup, International Speedway Corp.

The red color scares off some, and the remnants of it may find their way to a poor soul's shirt, but the "Famous Martinsville hot dog" is a true relic of the "good ol' days" of NASCAR racing.

The hot dog, a trademark at the half-mile paperclip track since who-knows-when, is one thing you don't mess with at a track known for heated tempers and bent sheet metal. The dog even has a Youtube video about it, which you can catch below the jump.

After all, $2 will get you a hot dog that easily clears most of the major food groups.

The dogs start with boiled Jesse Jones hot dogs, wrapped into what is more of a roll than a hot dog bun, and then topped with chili, mustard, onions, and vinegar-based slaw. The concoctions are then then wrapped in some wax paper and left in a steamer to keep in their warmth.

Fans, drivers, crew members and -- most naturally, of course -- media members dig the famous creations and a few years ago, disdain over a change to the normal recipe caused the top levels of NASCAR to get involved.

After the speedway was bought by International Speedway Corp., the concession arm of ISC decided to change the the legendary hot dog by having the customer put on the toppings instead. Soon, NASCAR bigwigs were dipping their hand into the problem, switching back to the old, but good, recipe.

Only in NASCAR can hot dogs mean so much.

Now, as promised, the Martinsville Hot Dog Youtube-age:

Breaking Down the Martinsville Hot Dog originally appeared on Motorsports FanHouse on Thu, 27 Mar 2008 22:20:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

Fat Chance For Restrictor Plates in California

Geoffrey Miller — Fri, 29 Feb 2008 00:10:00 EST

Filed under: NASCAR Tracks, Sprint Cup, International Speedway Corp.

I don't know if the intent was there, but California Speedway Auto Club Speedway president Gillian Zucker sure made waves highly unrelated to the racing held at her track last weekend.

Instead of talking up the record 33 lead changes at the track or the impressive mettle showed by fans who stuck out one of the worst weather weekends in NASCAR history, she instead changed the post-race story but floating the idea that she'd be interested in increasing the banking of the Fontana speedway if significant changes need to be made to alleviate the track's drainage problem.

Such a change would completely alter the track's dynamic and create the potential for NASCAR to need restrictor plates at the 2-mile track because speeds would rise dramatically.

Higher-ups in the parent organization of ACS, International Speedway Corporation, squashed that thought quickly and painlessly on Thursday -- and it didn't necessarily come with an attitude of "thanks but no thanks".

It was a very clean-cut "No" from Wes Harris, ISC's senior director of investor and corporate relations. A "No, Ms. Zucker, please don't talk about these things again before consulting with your bosses"-type of statement.

From SPEED.com:

[...] [T]here are no plans for such an extreme and costly makeover. In fact, Harris said, it isn't even in the discussion phase, nor is it likely to be.

"We have got some really sweet things and strong momentum out there in California with having our new race partner, Auto Club, as well as Pepsi taking a very substantial position in the fall race," Harris said. "There are no plans to make any changes at this point. The racing was very good out there, the new car ran well."

Apparently there's a whole lot of people in Southern California that have missed out on the "sweet things" there are at California. Perhaps they missed out on how exactly having Auto Club sponsor the track makes the racing more entertaining.

Or is that just me?

As for the restrictor plate idea, I couldn't be happier. NASCAR has no business 1) running more of those races and 2) sinking money into a track that many fans would celebrate over if it lost one or both its dates for many reasons not even near not being a restrictor plate track.

Fat Chance For Restrictor Plates in California originally appeared on Motorsports FanHouse on Fri, 29 Feb 2008 00:10:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

California NASCAR Gold Rush? Not Exactly

Geoffrey Miller — Wed, 27 Feb 2008 11:04:00 EST

Filed under: NASCAR Tracks, Sprint Cup, International Speedway Corp.

After a long, rain-soaked weekend at the artist formerly known as California Speedway for the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, I still don't get it.

Why in the world is NASCAR racing there twice in a season?

Blame the weather, blame the track layout, blame the traffic, blame the writers or blame the awards ceremonies -- but it's really time to face the fact that the racing at California just isn't that good and more importantly, no one shows up to watch it.
Sure, there's the tried and true NASCAR purist arguments that I generally like to get behind with Darlington and Rockingham having their dates removed the schedule in lieu of tracks like the one in California, but that's like a dead horse.

NASCAR isn't doing anything to revive those traditions.

But I'll be darned if someone else can't make that compelling argument. From David Poole of The Charlotte Observer:

The last time NASCAR came here it was as hot as the face of the sun. This weekend has been, as Dario Franchitti said, "bloody freezing."

You can't help the weather, can you? Well, you couldn't help it in Rockingham, either. You remember the track there, right? North Carolina Speedway, the place often fought foul weather and consequently had trouble drawing a crowd?

Only there, it had consequences. Rockingham lost race dates when people didn't show up. But instead of threatening to take races away from here, NASCAR keeps doubling over backward to prop up this joint.

He's right.

California is truly like the little brother of the International Speedway Corp.-family who keeps getting his way after throwing the last 15 chances away without recourse.

But why? Why is NASCAR insistent on coming out to L.A. when the tickets that are bought likely couldn't even cover the cost of the series doing business on the cross-country trip for the NASCAR entourage?

Why are they here on a weekend that most of the entertainment-heavy culture of Southern California is wrapped up in an awards show? And more importantly, why do they repeat this fiasco twice a year -- the second of which occurs during the one of the hottest times of the year for the area?

The track used to be one its main excuses. Give it time, NASCAR said, and it would create the type of racing the crowds nearly double in size flock to see in a small Michigan town some 70 miles from Detroit.

Isn't it funny that the same track is what gave NASCAR such issues with getting a race in Sunday before they had to postpone it to Monday?

Unfortunately in the world of NASCAR, the fans aren't a driving factor in scheduling, leaving NASCAR to do whatever it pleases with what amounts to be a general failure in California.

None of this criticism comes as a result of a lack of effort. There are NASCAR fans in Southern California who showed some serious mettle last weekend. There have been attempts to offer other options at the track for newcomers.

There just isn't enough.

History tells the same story for stock car racing in the SoCal. Two tracks both with storied pasts -- Ontario Motor Speedway and Riverside International Raceway -- have both closed in favor of development.

Eventually, NASCAR is going to run out of excuses, Auto Club Speedway president Gillian Zucker is going to run out of options, and everyone involved in running the attendance and racing debacle in Southern California are going to lose.

Let's face it, entertainment options behind the grandstands shouldn't be a draw if you want people in the seats, unless your selling tickets to a concert. Otherwise, there's plenty of fans across the country -- whether it be Kentucky, the Northwest, or even at one of NASCAR's tried and trues in the South -- that would show up to watch the product without so much as a seat to sit on with a good view of the track.

Pull the trigger, NASCAR, and end this wreck of the location for a race for one or both of its annual race dates and give all of those fans who stuck out the 24 Hours of Fontana last weekend a SoCal-resident discount for the next five years at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.

The three-hour trek just might seem more like a vacation for those sponsors and stars that NASCAR so badly wants to impress.

California NASCAR Gold Rush? Not Exactly originally appeared on Motorsports FanHouse on Wed, 27 Feb 2008 11:04:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

California Speedway Gets New Name

Geoffrey Miller — Fri, 22 Feb 2008 23:44:00 EST

Filed under: NASCAR Tracks, Sprint Cup, International Speedway Corp.

Say goodbye to California Speedway.

Unfortunately, that line would more than please a good number of NASCAR fans in any other instance. But this time, it's not nearly as dramatic as, say, NASCAR dropping the burden-of--fan-approval-and-attendance that's known as the sport's Southern California shining star.

Instead, the International Speedway Corporation-owned facility will take on a new moniker, just in time for television commentators to make the mistake plenty of times this weekend during NASCAR events.

The 2.5-mile D-shaped oval will now be called the "Auto Club Speedway of Southern California", or "ACSSC" (like akk-ssss-kuh) for short.

Likely not.

But the new speedway name does still stand. From track president Gillian Zucker:

"The Auto Club's commitment to its members and fans will be seen over the next ten years in facility improvements, fan promotions and cutting edge guest amenities. We believe this relationship is the start of a new era for motorsports in Southern California and we look forward to the day when one in every two households in Southern California has not just a member of Auto Club but a member of the Auto Club Speedway fan family," said Zucker in a press release.

So, for the next ten years of your life, the Auto Club of Southern California will get some promotion for every event that happens there because the Associated Press will have to call the track by its new official name. Not a bad move for Auto Club.
It joins Lowe's Motor Speedway in Charlotte, N.C. and Infineon Raceway in Sonoma, Calif. as the lone tracks on the Sprint Cup schedule with a sponsored name.

This, though, is good news for bargain hunters, I'd assume. "California Speedway" merchandise has to be marked well off now, right?

California Speedway Gets New Name originally appeared on Motorsports FanHouse on Fri, 22 Feb 2008 23:44:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments