Indy Car Owners: Not The Brightest Bunch

Are the former cart/champcar renegades still really stupid enough to try and form another ‘breakaway’ series? Have they not learned their lessons or destroyed the sport enough with such self-serving actions in the past? There is a right way to positively affect evolution, and there is a wrong way which does infinitely more harm than good. So far it appears much of the ownership is headed down the same futile path that killed cart, champcar, and much of the sport.

After years of shrill whining like infants this group got Tony George (an object of ridicule and scorn for many) dumped from power. Now much of the same group is going after Brian Barnhart. Who’s next? Angstadt? Bernard? Fred? Please do not misunderstand. They may have a point. A common perception is that Indy Car has stagnated mostly due to Barnhart’s overly conservative stewardship. The cart contingent has always believed Tony Cotman would be a better fit. Perhaps he would, but he is also associated with some of the more idiotic champcar ideals involving ‘racing’ events that do not require proper tracks, particularly ovals. Brazil could still blow up in his face (and do some more damage to the sport in the process).

Why my angst? Someone sent me a link to a blog on SpeedTV’s web site by Marshall Pruett. I can summarize its main points in just a few bullets:

-Ben Bowlby’s Delta Wing concept, a mockup of which has only been seen by a handful, is the next DP-01-level amazing new car that will revolutionize Indy Car.

-Because ‘WE’ have this bold new car, ‘WE’ intend to call the shots and ‘YOU’ will simply listen and accept.

-Brian Barnhart is a plagiarizing buffoon who needs to be replaced by Tony Cotman.

-In an effort to save face Barnhart, in cahoots with Dallara, copy-cat’d the Delta Wing plan to come up with next generation Dallaras to steal their thunder.

-The IRL is evil. cart 1979-1995 is where the sport needs to go.

-If (he even has a cutesy name for him) Barnhart keeps it up, ‘he could find himself with an empty paddock in 2012 and no one to drive his new Dallara.’

That last item is a quote. Mr. Einstein used to opine: ‘Insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.’ The exact same type of brash arrogance killed cart and champcar primarily because the main owners rebelled against the management of the series; a group they believed was not up to the task of operating the sport. Their 1979 coup d’état succeeded brilliantly for a time but failed after the direction they took began de-emphasizing the Indianapolis 500 and its heritage. When they boycotted altogether instead of acting like rational adults their inexorable fate was sealed.

As a diehard fan for decades, here are my simple questions:

-I am sure the Delta Wing will be great when we see it on the 10^th. If it is great, we should adopt it as an acceptable chassis (after verifying it actually exists and passes rigorous testing).

-The Dallara prototypes we have seen are all potentially very attractive, cost-effective, and will be built in Indiana. Dallara has been an outstanding partner the entire life of the Indy Car Series, and because they build really good cars they deserve their incumbency.

-What is wrong with having two or more chassis manufacturers? Everyone is freaked out about cost effectiveness, but why not let the market decide? Lola and Swift are interested too.

-While we’re at it what is it going to take to get Honda some competition? Seems to me EVERYONE else is frightened by them.

-If you want to have Barnhart bounced, do it efficiently behind the scenes working with the powers that be. The same type of sneaky, cowardly whispering used on the sisters to motivate them to stab Anton in the back could just as easily be used for Barnhart. Instead of pulling stunts like knocking down historic old motels then being held accountable, you could focus on how Indy Car has become more homogenized than the milk winners of the 500 drink.

Above all I hope ownership malcontents decide not to take the chickensh!t approach again. You have a real opportunity to enhance the sport because the creativity of some really talented people is bursting at the seams and ready to explode. This same bunch, however, could just as easily destroy the sport solely based on the size of their collective ego.

Please do not screw this up. Your entire reason for being is centered on the Indianapolis 500. Accept it and embrace it, and above all figure out a way to work WITH the IRL folks as your peers, not as the enemy. It is time to grow up.