George, Barnhart, Angstadt Discuss State Of IndyCar

IndyCar Series leadership excited about 2008 season

HOMESTEAD, FLA., Friday, March 28, 2008 ? Indy Racing League founder Tony George, President, Operations and Competition Brian Barnhart and President, Commercial Division Terry Angstadt discussed the state of a unified IndyCar Series on the eve of the 2008 season-opening race at Homestead-Miami Speedway.

TONY GEORGE (Founder, Indy Racing League): “It’s been about 30 days since we were here to announce, officially announce, unification. Since that time, it’s been going pretty well, I think. I don’t know what more we could possibly do. I know everybody involved with the league has worked very hard to try and help manage the traffic and the logistics involved in trying to get the equipment to the Champ Car teams coming on board. I know the Champ Car teams have had a really big challenge in trying to organize themselves to be here this weekend.

It’s been tough on everybody. But it’s going pretty well. I think that by May things will start to really find the right level, and I think everyone’s anxieties will start to leave them and we’ll be able to get on with a great Indianapolis 500.

It’s going to be challenging and interesting, though, I think in the next few weeks, going from this superspeedway to the streets of St. Petersburg. Then we try to pull off the Motegi, Long Beach weekend, then we’ll be pulling it all back together and focusing on the rest of the season.”

BRIAN BARNHART (President, Operations and Competition): “We’re still very much an oval-based racing series that centers around the Indianapolis 500. We looked at the backgrounds of the drivers that are joining us. With the exception of Bruno Junqueira and Oriol Servia, who have started somewhere between 20 and 27 oval track races themselves, none of the other seven had started more than five. I believe Justin Wilson had five ovals and I think Will Power and Graham Rahal had one or two. Everything else was a zero. So based on sheer numbers of oval experience, we decided it makes sense, based on what our series is, that we would classify them as rookies.

I think consistent with what they experienced Monday and Tuesday, and what they experienced for an hour and 45 minutes this afternoon, I don’t think any of them would dispute their classification. It’s not done in any way to demean their performances or their experiences or where they’re at; it’s simply a fact of what we are and what we’re going to do for the 2008 season.”

(About possibly limiting car counts) “I think we’re OK at most races, I think every track on the schedule. You have 33 at Indy, we’re at 28 at all the other tracks with the exception of Milwaukee, Iowa and Richmond, I think we’re 26. So even at that point, I think if we’re 26 full-time, we should be good most everywhere we run.”

TERRY ANGSTADT (President, Commercial Division): “It has been pretty busy. Just lots of good energy and developments within the commercial activities of what we do. I think everyone in this room recognizes and would agree that sponsorship is pretty critically important at every level, amongst all constituencies. That has been a lot of the focus.

In terms of the branding, we really felt like there was a lot of equity in the ‘I am Indy’ tag line. It is not our series name. At the same time we like that message. And especially when we’re in markets outside of Indianapolis, it’s a good connection.

We looked at a lot of different options and alternatives and thought that being very literal and clear and pretty simple and straightforward makes sense in a broad consumer message and thought that one series, all the stars, says a lot. So that’s where we are, and like that for now.

In terms of the other mark you see in front of us, we could not be more proud with continuing to grow and evolve the Firestone relationship. When you start to list our key partners, they’re always right at the top. They could not be a better partner. And when we approached Firestone and said, How can we grow this year, and especially post unification? This really came to the top of the list.

They enjoy investing in the future development of teams and drivers. And we, again, like the look of the mark. We like expanding Firestone’s role. And they just could not be a better partner. We’re continuing to look at other ways they can help. And they’ve offered additional assistance.”

RacingNation Crew

Related Posts

• 
  Motorsports Minute: Alexander Rossi
• 
  Motorsports Minute: Matt Tifft
• 
  Motorsports Minute: Alexander Rossi