FORT WORTH – An Indy car is 1,570 pounds of open-wheel jewelry designed for racing at over 200 mph.
The NTT IndyCar series drivers are an international line-up of fearless elite athletes with résumés ranging from Indy Lights to Formula 1 to NASCAR.
Anchored in the 105th Indianapolis 500 – “The greatest spectacle in racing” – the schedule for 2021 is a mixture of high-speed ovals, road courses in natural terrain and irreconcilable road routes.
The series coverage of NBC Sports borders on saturation. Nine out of 17 races will be broadcast along with cable television broadcasts and live streaming platforms on the network.
“I think the thing about IndyCar is that it’s only compelling,” said Mark Miles, CEO of Penske Entertainment Corporation, ahead of the 2021 season opener at Barber Motorsports Park on April 18 so fans are excited about what they’re in see our sport. “
That means – call all the eyeballs.
NBC’s live coverage of the Honda Grand Prix of Alabama last Sunday was surpassed by the Toyota Owners 400 of the NASCAR Cup Series at Richmond Raceway on FOX. The IndyCar race, won by Chip Ganassi Racing’s Alex Palou from Spain, had an average Nielsen rating of 0.59 and a crowd of 914,000. The cup race, won by Hendrick Motorsports’ Alex Bowman, had an average rating of 2.0 and 3.3 million viewers.
The IndyCar Firestone Grand Prix road race in St. Petersburg, Florida will be broadcast live on Sunday on NBC. The series then heads to Texas Motor Speedway in Fort Worth for a one-of-a-kind double-header weekend on NBC Sports Network. The Genesys 300-Miler on Saturday May 1st and the XPEL 375 Miler on Sunday May 2nd are the only oval-track excursions in the series put into practice for the Indy 500 on May 30th .
And so continues the question that has puzzled management and competitors since the start of Tony George’s Indy Racing League for the 1996/97 season: What does it take to make IndyCar mainstream and make it mainstream?
“Well, if I had that formula, I’d probably bottle it up and sell it,” said motorsport legend Mario Andretti, 81, who retired from the cockpit in 1994. Give them credit because it looks like today’s fans are getting more and more demanding because they are getting more and more demanding, I suppose.
“But the bottom line is to talk about IndyCar and what they have to offer. I think the product is there, no question about it. It’s just that people really get used to having a following. “
Enter “Defy Everything” – IndyCars 2021 branding campaign launched on April 7th to highlight “the daring, apologetic and all-round bad attitudes” of its drivers. “Defy Everything” was developed in collaboration with the Chicago-based agency Schafer Condon Carter (SCC) and is aimed at die-hard racing fans and casual sports fans.
Featured drivers include Scott Dixon, the six-time / reigning serial champion of Chip Ganassi Racing.
Fans can experience the Digital First campaign throughout the season on series and driver / team social media channels using tales of defiance, highlighting packages, functions for video content and graphics.
“I think they’re playing with you wanting to be a disruptor on social media,” said Eddie Gossage, president and general manager of TMS, creator of the No Limits, Texas brand of his track. “You want to upset the balance with the things you say or the things you do. And a disruptor in the young adult world – in a social media world – is very positive. That’s how I see it. I think it’s a great campaign. I think it is cool. “
IndyCar has had some notable marketing home runs. Brazilian Helio Castroneves, three-time Indy 500 champion, raised his profile by winning the fifth season of “Dancing with the Stars” in November 2007.
The then 23-year-old Danica Patrick started “Danicamania” in May 2005 as the first female driver to lead the Indy 500 on its way to fourth place and the award of Rookie of the Year.
The Canadian James Hinchcliffe was one of the first series drivers to go back to social media as the self-proclaimed mayor of the fictional Internet city “Hinchtown”. Those clicks resulted in a series of television ads linking Hinchcliffe’s Honda racing cars to showroom models. And yes, “Hinch” also came in second in season 23 of “Dancing with the Stars”.
In contrast, Dixon is a 40-year-old native New Zealander whose numbers set him apart as the greatest driver of this generation. Dixon started the season with 50 wins, two of them behind Andretti in second place all-time on a list led by Houston-based AJ Foyt Jr.
But is “Dixie” mainstream?
“Unfortunately, probably not,” said Gossage. “This is particularly disappointing given the success of Scott Dixon. But come on, Mario Andretti is still a household name and he won Indy in 1969. Scott, he’s not a really loud personality. He’s a great guy with a great sense of humor and a real man. I mean he’s a tough guy. But Scott is kind of boring in public. “
The 2021 rookie class, led by six-time NASCAR Cup series champion Jimmie Johnson, is being hyped as a class that could move the audience’s needle. Johnson drives a limited, non-oval schedule for Chip Ganassi Racing.
Other suggested remedial actions include the addition of a third engine manufacturer to complement current partners Honda and Chevrolet, as well as the return of more oval chains to the schedule.
Unfortunately, IndyCar’s engine discussions with Ferrari – the F1’s most glamorous nameplate – ended unsuccessfully in February.
“There is of course a technical side,” said Andretti. “And yes, manufacturers represent a great strength in our sport at all levels. The more the better because the manufacturers they advertise invest in every series they’re in. That’s a big part of having them on board. “
The humble Dixon took his fourth record win at TMS last June at TMS.
“I’ve definitely tried hard to get more ovals,” said Dixon, the 2008 Indy 500 champion. “You have to look at what IndyCar was built on and what races are popular. We only have four (oval) races in three venues so I know it’s something that is high on their radar. I also think the addition of this street course in Nashville this year will be huge.
“But I definitely don’t have the holy grail of answers.”
John Sturbin is a senior writer at RacinToday.com based in Fort Worth. He can be contacted at [email protected].
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