re: 2025 Indycar and IMSA Thread (Indycar Toronto)

This is fun to watch. WWT is good race track. The Newgarden crash was scary, though.

That was the best race of the day.

That was a darned good race. Half the field had a chance to win at one time or the other.

Next week is Road America which IMO is the 3rd most prestigious race on the calendar after the 500 and Long Beach. It’s one of Indycar’s spiritual homes, gets a huge crowd (the largest in Wisconsin for a sporting event) , and is one of the sport’s grandest tests of man and machine at THE best natural terrain road course in the nation (COTA is gay) .

Nobody asked me but I just wanted to post that I watched an Indy race for the first time in about 30 years, maybe more. I had been getting into F1 the last couple years and I had time to kill this weekend. So I recorded/watched the race. My initial impressions:

1) That was a lot of passing. I'd be interested to know how many snobby F1 fans who complain about lack of overtakes in F1 races would turn up their nose at "oval" racing just because it is an oval?
2) It seems like there are too many cars in the field. I dont know what the right number would be but it makes it feel a bit too much like local dirt track racing where anyone can show up and go for it. And on a small oval, too chaotic with that many.
3) I really want to see Ford get back into open wheel racing. Just two engine options is very bleh. Toyota, MOPAR, etc. would be nice, too.
4) Indy cars are still incredible.
5) I had no idea there were only 4 oval tracks these days. I'm thrilled to see this. I have come to learn/love a lot of American road tracks from watching MotoAmerica. I think it is great to see that Indy cars apparently race at several of them. This is probably the biggest reason I have set the DVR to catch all the Indy races moving forward.

Dear facebook ./end

quote:

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I had no idea there were only 4 oval tracks these days.

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Like you, I was a Formula One fan first, but I started watching Indycar two years ago and now I really enjoy it. The races are generally pretty dadgum competitive.

Regarding the small number of ovals currently on the schedule, I think the problem is NASCAR owns or controls many of the ovals, even those located in Indycar's traditional Midwestern habitat. Indycar doesn't have the brand awareness to command a good price to run at someone else's track right now. However, Indycar used to race at some incredible ovals all over this country:
Atlanta
Fontana
Charlotte
Chicagoland
Dover
Homestead-Miami
Kansas
Kentucky
Las Vegas
Michigan
New Hampshire
Pocono
Phoenix
Richmond
Texas

quote:

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Nobody asked me but I just wanted to post that I watched an Indy race for the first time in about 30 years, maybe more. I had been getting into F1 the last couple years and I had time to kill this weekend. So I recorded/watched the race. My initial impressions:

1) That was a lot of passing. I'd be interested to know how many snobby F1 fans who complain about lack of overtakes in F1 races would turn up their nose at "oval" racing just because it is an oval?

2) It seems like there are too many cars in the field. I dont know what the right number would be but it makes it feel a bit too much like local dirt track racing where anyone can show up and go for it. And on a small oval, too chaotic with that many.
3) I really want to see Ford get back into open wheel racing. Just two engine options is very bleh. Toyota, MOPAR, etc. would be nice, too.
4) Indy cars are still incredible.
5) I had no idea there were only 4 oval tracks these days. I'm thrilled to see this. I have come to learn/love a lot of American road tracks from watching MotoAmerica. I think it is great to see that Indy cars apparently race at several of them. This is probably the biggest reason I have set the DVR to catch all the Indy races moving forward.

Dear facebook ./end

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1. I wish we had more ovals, one of the best aspects of Indycar, something I think Indycar marketing needs to champion further is that Indycar requires a championship winning driver to be (arguably) the most complete racer on earth- mastering Superspeedways, Short Ovals, Street Circuits, and Natural Terrain Road Courses.

Some fans that flock to F1 as a lifestyle brand via Netflix (and not for the racing) may turn their nose up at oval racing and Indycar, but their interest in F1 is fleeting and is not the type of fan Indycar should focus on to begin with.

2. I think the current 27 car field is optimal. Indycar actually implemented a 27 car max for all races outside of the 500 (where they obviously have the traditional 33 entries). Essentially its a franchise model. Some people like Zac Brown of Arrow Mclaren would like to shrink the grid to 22 full time entries, but I think 27 is perfect. I would say at least 20 guys are capable of winning (from a talent perspective, which is unprecedented depth )

3. Agreed. Rumors are of Nissan, Toyota,Stellantis (Alpha?) Porsche possibly joining when new engine regulations come out in 2028.

4. Agreed, they put on a great show, the current chassis/ aero package is getting a little long in the tooth, but at the same its so robust from a safety perspective, I don't mind the series taking its time to ensure the next car is ligther, stronger and safer.

5. We actually have 5- Indy, Gateway, Iowa, Milwaukee, Nashville. I'd like to see them add 1 more super speedway (Pocono or Michigan), 1 more short oval (New Hampshire or Richmond) and 1 Intermediate oval (chicago or Kentucky)

Kansas would be a good add...they always had good crowds and good racing there. It was a casualty in the wake of the blowback against 1.5 mile ovals/pack racing after the Dan Wheldon tragedy at Vegas in 2011.

Everyone is sleeping on the n24 this weekend

Palau has a new ride this week