Open Wheel Racing 2021, anyone there to watch?

[Jimjamesak]

Actually, I wouldn’t be surprised if there was a NASCAR/Stock Car split in the future. Granted, they would need to find tracks to race at…

JFC I did not realize what a duopoly NASCAR and SMI have on racetracks in this country. I knew it was bad but not “nearly all of the tracks” bad. There’s what, 3 tracks (Indy, Pocono, and COTA) on the NASCAR schedule not owned by NASCAR or SMI?

[solovsfett]

Sorry to say, solo, it sure seems to me that Indycar is dead. Haven’t managed to see a single race all season, and don’t really feel the need to catch up. When I have seen replays, well…. Wish it was different, but after decades of following, I totally lost interest. And Penske hasn’t done all that well to promote the races on tv- the only race I knew when it was run was the 500.

I’m with ya insofar as the series being dead. My interest is mostly out of. Nostalgia now. The cars aren’t loud enough, rpm’s not high enough, not enough power, etc.

and honestly, Penske’s stewardship has been a joke.

he should have sold to Liberty when they made one of the 3 offers they put out.

i’m not sure how much longer I’ll be paying attention. When Dixon and Power retire who will be the new standard bearers? I’m not sold on Newgarden. Maybe Herta and OWard?

[solovsfett]

JFC I did not realize what a duopoly NASCAR and SMI have on racetracks in this country. I knew it was bad but not “nearly all of the tracks” bad. There’s what, 3 tracks (Indy, Pocono, and COTA) on the NASCAR schedule not owned by NASCAR or SMI?

Yes! NASCAR set out in the late 80’s or early 90’s to kill INDYCAR and dominate.

tgey bought tracks or bought the holding companies that owned the tracks. The. They convinced Tony George to start his own series and !!!! Game over open wheel fans.

Yes another reason for me to hope F1 continues to grow and then dwarfs the taxicabs here someday.

[solovsfett]

Fans keep SCREAMING at the top of their lungs (and all over social media) to bring back Milwaukee. And every time they do, none of these fans show up.

That’s true. I show up with my dad (we’ve to
indy races in Milwaukee since I was 7 in 1979). But the last 10-12 times we’ve gone (Andretti years and end of cart years) we didn’t recognize one person that used to sit sit around us.

It’s sad. We used to see the same families with their kids my age and then younger, and they’re all gone. Once the split happened half those people
lwft. Then after another 5-7 years the rest left as well.

[Spartanforlife4]

TBF, American racing in general is dying because NASCAR ain’t doing that well either.

They've been seeing a bit of a resurgence post-Covid. Not sure how long that'll last though since they got screwed on the new TV contract. Fox shipped pretty much everything to FS1 while putting all of Indycar on Fox. NBC's broadcast is miles better, but that's still half the season on cable and NBC also puts some on cable.

[Jimjamesak]

They've been seeing a bit of a resurgence post-Covid. Not sure how long that'll last though since they got screwed on the new TV contract. Fox shipped pretty much everything to FS1 while putting all of Indycar on Fox. NBC's broadcast is miles better, but that's still half the season on cable and NBC also puts some on cable.

A good explainer why NASCAR is going downhill.

[Spartanforlife4]

A good explainer why NASCAR is going downhill.

The playoff is dumb to begin with, but the fact that it comes down to a single race is the dumbest part of it all. They run so many races at so many different types of tracks and then leave it up to one race where one guy is likely to have an advantage based on the track type.

[Jimjamesak]

The playoff is dumb to begin with, but the fact that it comes down to a single race is the dumbest part of it all. They run so many races at so many different types of tracks and then leave it up to one race where one guy is likely to have an advantage based on the track type.

I worked with quite a few big NASCAR fans (kinda helped the company was major sponsor) and nearly all of them checked out after stage racing was introduced. That was the final straw that had started with the playoffs.

[Spartanforlife4]

I worked with quite a few big NASCAR fans (kinda helped the company was major sponsor) and nearly all of them checked out after stage racing was introduced. That was the final straw that had started with the playoffs.

And then they got rid of stage cautions on road courses and everyone loved it, only to bring them back again this year.

I'm a little afraid F1 is starting to go down that gimmick route with the sprint races, but for the most part race day is still a good product, minus the inconsistencies in penalties. And with everyone catching up to Red Bull in the second half of this season hopefully the racing itself stops them from thinking of adding anything else.

[Kepler]

And then they got rid of stage cautions on road courses and everyone loved it, only to bring them back again this year.

I'm a little afraid F1 is starting to go down that gimmick route with the sprint races, but for the most part race day is still a good product, minus the inconsistencies in penalties. And with everyone catching up to Red Bull in the second half of this season hopefully the racing itself stops them from thinking of adding anything else.

I gotta say I like the sprint races, as long as they remain a small minority of the races.

[Spartanforlife4]

I gotta say I like the sprint races, as long as they remain a small minority of the races.

Sprints became tolerable when they made them their own event. They were terrible when it was a de facto Q4 that also awarded points.

[solovsfett]

Well, garage passes for all 3 days are sold out so that’s one good sign in Milwaukee. We’ll see how the crowd looks tomorrow.

[Spartanforlife4]

Extending the one-stopper seems to be the move this year, assuming Leclerc doesn't come in underweight.

[Russell Jaslow]

Extending the one-stopper seems to be the move this year, assuming Leclerc doesn't come in underweight.

Wow! That was something.

[Russell Jaslow]

Wow! That was something.

BTW, friends of mine went this year. Though, being Canadians, they tend to root for the British drivers.