Let’s be honest race fans. The traditions of the Indianapolis 500 are on life support. They have been for quite a while now. That may be a bit dramatic, but you get my point. I’m as big an Indy 500 fan as they come. The traditions are as little as not having the balloon release on race day to four days of qualifications. Are either of those really necessary? Not in today’s landscape. Apparently, having the fastest 33 drivers qualify for the biggest race in the world isn’t necessary either. That’s a possibility anyway and it seems to be gaining traction.
As reported by Nathan Brown in the Indianapolis Star Indycar is seriously considering guaranteed starting positions for the Indianapolis 500 to go along with their “membership program”.
There has been no decision one way or the other. To say this story put Indycar fans into an uproar is an understatement. For the Indycar fan community, “Guaranteed Starters” is a taboo phrase that harkens a lot of bad and bitter memories of the open wheel split that began in 1996. The year of the 25/8 rule. The year of two different 500 mile races on the same Memorial Day weekend among rival sanctioning bodies.
NASCAR works on a similar system called the “Charter System” that has been put in place since 2016. It guarantees a starting spot for every team that owns a charter, even the Daytona 500. While some drivers do have to race their way into the Daytona 500 via a good finishing position in the dual qualifying races, the excitement, along with the one of car count, for the event has diminished a bit. Let’s not forget, Indycar is not NASCAR.
Indycar series owner Roger Penske cites that it is important to the sponsors and the race teams that their car makes the field of the Indy 500. Regardless of qualifying speed. Does it really though? Does even winning the Indianapolis 500 keep a sponsor on a car longer? In some cases yes. I’m sure it helped Andretti Autosport keep NAPA longer as a sponsor after the 2016 Indy 500. It was gone after the 2022 season.
Mr. Penske, how did that Cummins sponsorship do for you after Al Unser Sr.’s fourth 500 victory in 1987? It got them six races total didn’t it? Oh and Mr. Penske, tell me again about the longevity of that Rachel’s Potato Chip sponsorship on Eddie Cheever’s winning car in 1998. How long did that Menard’s sponsorship stick around for you after Simon Pagenaud’s win in 2019? Two years I believe. Sponsors come and go. It’s business.
Believe me, I do understand how important the Indianapolis 500 is for sponsors. So I kind’ve understand it as a business decision. I do to a point. I still don’t agree with it though because every sponsor, upon the decision to fund a car, should realize that the Indy 500 is no guarantee.
Your last paragraph is hyperbole.
The Indianapolis 500 is alive and well. This race has always been a reflection or barometer of our economy. Look back at the 1930’s during the depression the race went on, but that decade at Indy is now referred to as the junk era. The cars that raced were mostly long in the tooth and minimally financed, but the race went on. Today, technology is changing our world faster than ever and with great financial cost as with Indycar and the 500.
Money is the real fuel of racing. I toured the new Rahal race shop and it has a Mission Control room like NASA where engineers monitor various aspects of the team’s cars beyond what is covered at the track. Talking about big money. If this investment helps the team be competitive and win, it’s money well spent.
When it comes to making money, and the Indy 500, I trust Roger’s organization. The 500 will stay great because it evolves, as our society and economy evolves.
So much to say but I will simplify… for a perfect example of what the end result of not respecting and following yeast and years of tradition, look what the IHSAA did to the storied Indiana High School basketball tournament.
After “everyone gets a trophy” mentality took over- not many people care to follow it anymore. What a loss and what a shame.
Can’t agree more. “An evil man will burn his own nation to the ground to rule over the ashes .” -Sun Tzu Now lets see who could that be?
Let’s just guarantee the sponsors will be on a car that qualifies for the race. Thirty three fastest, then apply the stickers for the sponsors.