There are two questions around the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship's top class. For 2019 the question is if IMSA should split the Prototype class into separate DPi and LMP2 classes. For the 2020s the question is if IMSA should align its top class with the FIA World Endurance Championship.
Should IMSA split the prototype class?
The idea of splitting DPi and LMP2 cars into separate classes gained traction after the early season was dominated by the DPi cars. However, the Sahlen's Six Hours of The Glen saw Oreca LMP2 cars achieving a 1-2 win despite the Pro-Am driver lineups JDC-Miller Motorsports and CORE autosport were running.
Watkins Glen may be the track best-suited to LMP2 cars after its repave some years ago. On such a smooth surface, the DPi cars won't benefit so much from the custom-made shock absorbers as opposed to the spec shocks of the LMP2 machines. Besides, on a flowing layout like Watkins Glen, the DPi machines won't benefit as much from any torque advantage they may have.
The DPis may be superior cars and the Balance of Performance is restricting them a lot. However, the idea of the joint DPi-LMP2 Prototype class was to use the best LMP2 car as the benchmark for the BoP and the DPi manufacturers should know it. If an LMP2 car occasionally beats a DPi car, it shows the BoP has allowed the inferior LMP2 cars to be competitive. That's the purpose of the BoP, to put cars of different performance on the same line. I'm sure IMSA is doing their best to make the BoP fair but it's not easy to balance different cars. Sometimes the LMP2 cars have the advantage, like they did at Watkins Glen, though most of the times the DPi cars have been the fastest.
A major reason for the better results of the DPi teams is that they are running all-Pro lineups as opposed to the LMP2 teams running mostly Pro-Am lineups. Last year's only win for an LMP2 car was achieved by the VisitFlorida-sponsored Sprit of Daytona Racing with an all-Pro lineup. Besides, Team Penske had a strong performance at last year's Motul Petit Le Mans with an Oreca LMP2 car while running an all-Pro lineup.
In a way, splitting the Prototype class could make the WeatherTech Championship more attractive also to LMP2 teams. Instead of being also-rans behind the DPi cars, the LMP2 teams would be racing for a class win behind the DPi cars.
Even if there was a separate podium for the Pro-Am LMP2 cars, I still don't see why the best LMP2 car couldn't be used as the benchmark for the BoP of the DPi cars as DPi needs a BoP anyway. If there's an LMP2 team that wants to go for overall wins with an all-Pro lineup, why shouldn't they be able to do it. If a WEC or ELMS team wants to race at Daytona or Sebring, it's very difficult to get a DPi car whereas currently they can use their own LMP2 car. As all the DPi cars are derived from the LMP2 cars, I don't see why the inclusion of the Gibson-powered LMP2 cars would make the BoP process that much more difficult.
The biggest problem in balancing the DPi and LMP2 cars may be the development of the DPis as opposed to the homologated LMP2s. However, a simple solution would be to limit the DPi cars development. They all are already faster than the benchmark LMP2 car so you could just freeze the DPis' development. That way the BoP process would be less of guessing game after the winter break.
In short, I'm all for a greater recognition of the top Pro-Am LMP2 cars. But I still hope LMP2 is used as the benchmark for the BoP of the DPi cars, allowing the LMP2 race for overall wins.
Should IMSA align the top class with the FIA WEC
The ACO has released details of the new top-class prototypes of the FIA World Endurance Championship. Like the DPi cars, the new top-class prototypes in the WEC will feature manufacturer-specific styling cues, though instead of the "LMP-look", the new cars will be reminiscent of the manufacturers' road-going hypercars and will be hybrid-powered.
The new prototypes are set to make their debut in the 2020-21 WEC season. IMSA will continue with the DPi cars until the 2021 season, however it may align its top class with the WEC for the 2022 season.
A global top class would have certain benefits. For the first time in decades, the same cars could go for the overall wins at Daytona, Sebring, and Le Mans. Besides, a global top class could be more attractive to manufacturers; for example Ford chose to enter GTE instead of prototype racing because it allows racing in both the WEC and IMSA. On the other hand, some manufacturers might choose to compete only in one series, like Corvette does in IMSA, and Ferrari and Aston Martin in the WEC with their GTE cars, entering only the marquee races of the other series.
However, the cost of the WEC's new top class may keep IMSA from adopting the rules. While the budgets will go down significantly from the LMP1-hybrid budgets, the WEC's new class will still be more expensive than the DPi programs are.
I'd happily see a common top class for the WEC and IMSA. But it shouldn't come at the price of the product IMSA has now. Maybe IMSA could gain a new manufacturer or a few of them. Then again, some of the current DPi manufacturers might deem the new top class to be too expensive. If a global top class would mean less manufacturers than DPi currently has, then I hope IMSA will go its own way.
Privateers could be the biggest losers if IMSA adopts the global top class. Although the OEMs will have to sell the hybrid system at a given price to private constructors, a privateer program in the new top class will likely by more expensive than an LMP2 program or a customer DPi program like Tequila Patrón ESM's Nissan program currently is. Plus there is no guarantee the privateers will have an access to winning cars in the new top class like they currently have in IMSA's Prototype class.
I'm not convinced the WEC's new top class would further enhance the competition in IMSA. If anything, it could turn the Prototype class into a playground of factory teams, forcing privateers and some of the current DPi customer teams into other classes. If there is a less expensive way attract a good number of manufacturers and privateers, IMSA should choose it over a common top class with the WEC. Maybe LMP2 like currently, instead of LMP1 or whatever the WEC's top class will be called, is a better base for IMSA's Prototype class. Once the current LMP2 regulations expire in 2021, maybe IMSA should create a new DPi class around the new LMP2 rules.
INDYCAR and NBC Sports Group have announced a three-year broadcasting contract, bringing the entire Verizon IndyCar Series to NBC's platforms. The new contract will end the split coverage between ABC and NBCSN, the first of which had covered the Indianapolis 500 ever since 1965.
Under the new contract, NBC will broadcast eight races, including the Indy 500, free-to-air as opposed to five under the previous contract with ABC. According to an AP article, NBC will also broadcast the 500 qualifications free-to-air, like ABC has done. The rest of the races will be broadcast on NBC Sports Network on cable, and all races will be live streamed to authenticated subscribers on NBCSports.com and the NBC Sports app.
In addition to the coverage on NBC and NBCSN, NBC Sports Gold will offer a streaming package including the practice and qualifying sessions not shown live on TV as well as the Indy Lights races and full-event replays.
NBC becoming the sole broadcaster of INDYCAR is positive for a number of reasons. First of all, it will end the confusing split between two broadcasters. For example, the upcoming schedule shown in ABC's telecast from the season opener in St. Petersburg excluded the upcoming three races shown on NBCSN and listed only the Month of May shown on ABC.
Secondly, NBC has done superior work with their cable broadcasts compared to ABC's broadcasts. NBC's commentators have done better job than their colleagues on ABC and as have also NBC's TV directors. Not only that but they have also reserved more time for the pre- and postrace coverage on NBCSN and have even televised some practice and qualifying sessions unlike ABC.
Most importantly, NBC seems more committed to covering INDYCAR than ABC and ESPN have been. I can't watch the American broadcasters here in Finland but as far as I know, ABC has done little to promote their INDYCAR coverage. For example, during the season-opening St. Petersburg weekend, I couldn't see any mention about INDYCAR on ABC or ESPN's Twitter accounts. On the other hand, NBC provided updates also from that race despite not broadcasting it.
NBCSN has grown the audience of its INDYCAR cable broadcasts by 78 percent since 2013. Meanwhile the growth of INDYCAR's free-to-air audience has stalled on ABC and the Indy 500 earned its lowest TV rating ever last year. It was time to move away from ABC.
I believe NBC can take the INDYCAR coverage to a new level. Not only their broadcasts have been superior to ABC's but they also appear to be more committed to covering the sport. ABC and ESPN have done little to cover the series besides fulfilling the broadcasting commitments as opposed to NBC whose motorsports department provides updates from the sport also between the races.
The increased number of races that will be shown free-to-air will increase the reach of the series and is also a promising sign of the state of INDYCAR. The Indy 500 will be a part of NBC's Championship Season alongside other sports' marquee events and should get the attention it deserves. NBC has already revived the Kentucky Derby's TV ratings after years of decline on ABC. The 500 is in a similar situation now, going from ABC to NBC.
As opposed to the previous six-year contract with ABC and ten-year contract with NBCSN (previously Versus), this new NBC contract is only three years. I think having a short contract now can be a good thing for INDYCAR as the media landscape is undergoing some big changes. Also, there are so many positive things around INDYCAR now that in three years the series can be in an even better position for the contract negotiations.
NBC Sports Gold complements coverage but doesn't replace cable yet
What is new in the new broadcasting contract is NBC's coverage from all practice and qualifying sessions on NBC Sports Gold. That will apparently be the end of the free streaming of those sessions on YouTube, though the wording of the announcement implies some of them may possibly be televised. The NBC Sports Gold package will also include full-event replays, which I hope won't be the end of race uploads on YouTube. That would be a step backwards, especially when also NASCAR uploads their races to YouTube.
This NBC Sports Gold package is probably NBC and INDYCAR dipping their toes into over-the-top offering, though mostly this is NBC offering the content that doesn't fit their TV channels' programming. This package still doesn't answer the demand to offer an alternative for cable subscription, like MotoGP does with the Videopass and now also F1 with the F1 TV OTT service.
Over-the-top services are challenging the traditional business model of sports broadcasters. People don't want to pay for cable channels if there is a less expensive way to watch exactly what they want to see. There are surely fans without a cable subscription who would subscribe to an all-inclusive INDYCAR OTT package. Then again, even a cable channel can be a great display window for INDYCAR to reach those people who wouldn't subscribe to the OTT package. Last year NBCSN reached 71 percent of American households, though the trend of cord cutting may bring that number down considerably in the near future.
The way I see the future of INDYCAR broadcasting, broadcast television will remain an effective media long into the future to reach and gain fans. It's important to have a high number of races shown free-to-air. Though the increasing rate of cord cutting will reduce the potential reach of the cable broadcasts. After this new contract will have expired in 2021, I hope INDYCAR will offer an all-inclusive OTT package to reach those fans without a cable subscription, instead of losing them to F1 and other series which have one.
For an OTT service, I think a platform like NBC Sports Gold would be better for INDYCAR than an own service. Using an existing platform wouldn't require investing in an own platform and the OTT package could be integrated in the broadcaster's INDYCAR offering. Being affiliated with a broadcaster has certain valuable benefits, like the coverage across the broadcaster's different platforms and cross-promotion in other programming.
Of course, it may be difficult to convince a broadcaster offering an OTT alternative for the cable subscription. The OTT offering for 2019 is still protecting the traditional business model where you need a cable subscription to see the races on NBCSN. However, that model may not have much life left; people will find something alternative to watch. Broadcasters are missing potential customers by not offering OTT packages specific to certain content. Starting to offer that kind of packages could be the traditional broadcasters' response to the new OTT services. Besides, in INDYCAR's case, an all-inclusive OTT package could also open new possibilities as that broadcaster's platform could also be used for the international streaming.
What will happen with international TV rights?
Just like the current national broadcasting contract with ABC and NBCSN expires at the end of this year, so does also the international broadcasting contract with ESPN International. ESPN International has shown INDYCAR on their local channels around the world or distributed the rights to third parties plus. ESPN Player has offered streaming of the races in Europe, Middle East, and Africa apart from certain regions with local broadcasters.
NBC Sports Gold offers some packages also for overseas viewers so that could be an international streaming platform if the American OTT package were expanded with race coverage. However, compared to ESPN, NBCUniversal doesn't have appropriate TV channels for INDYCAR outside the USA so it seems unlikely for the international broadcasting partner, unless they acquired those rights only for redistributing them and offering NBC Sports Gold for streaming.
Although ESPN and ABC won't broadcast INDYCAR in the USA after this year, ESPN International may still be a strong candidate for the international broadcasting partner. ESPN's numerous international channels show also sports they have no broadcasting rights in the USA.
However, I think there's lots of room for improvement in ESPN International's INDYCAR coverage. ESPN Player hasn't shown the pre- or postrace coverage of the NBCSN broadcasts, neither have they shown those practice or qualifying sessions that were on NBCSN and thus not in YouTube. Whatever broadcaster INDYCAR chooses as the international distributor, I hope they will be required to show all sessions of the race weekends, preferably including NBC's pre- and postrace coverage or offering their own.
I'm not sure selling the international broadcasting rights to a single distributor is ideal for INDYCAR. INDYCAR has no control over which channels the distributor will sell the regional rights to. A third party selling the TV rights isn't thinking about the growth of the sport the way INDYCAR is.
When I think about appropriate overseas broadcasters, BT Sport is doing great job in the UK. Their broadcasting rights obviously come from their affiliation with ESPN, though regardless of the international broadcasting partner, they would be a great broadcaster for INDYCAR also in the upcoming seasons. BT Sport isn't just broadcasting the world feed, instead they have British commentators on air when their American colleagues are on a commercial break. If anything, simulcasting the BT Sport broadcast would be ideal for any broadcaster with no commercial breaks.
When I think about Europe in general, I'd like to see Eurosport broadcasting INDYCAR like they did in the CART era. They already have series like Formula E, FIA WEC, WorldSBK, and WTCR, so INDYCAR could complement Eurosports motorsports offering. In addition to their two main channels, Eurosport Player allows additional streams for other live events. If the races were shown on the main channel, Eurosport Player's additional channels could stream the practice and qualifying sessions.
Besides, Eurosport's parent Discovery owns free-to-air channels across Europe which were used to fulfill the local free-to-air requirements of the Olympic coverage. Here in Finland, Discovery uses those channels also to show tennis' Grand Slam finals in addition to the full coverage on Eurosport, and I think they might do the same with the Indy 500. And while Eurosport is available across Europe, they have somewhat different programming in different countries, depending on the local TV rights. INDYCAR could sell the British TV rights to BT Sport while the rest of Europe could watch it on Eurosport.
Those are just some potential European broadcasters for INDYCAR. I think it would be better for the series to sell the TV rights directly to broadcasters, instead of selling them to a global distributor.
The Verizon IndyCar Series is currently having a break of almost four weeks between the season-opening Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg and the second race of the season, the Phoenix Grand Prix at ISM Raceway. The long break after the season has just started is unfortunate for the fans and many people would like to see a race added to late March to bridge that gap.
Before speculating on additions to the Verizon IndyCar Series schedule, let's have a look at how the current events might be placed in the upcoming schedules. I have included the next three years because of the moving public holiday dates. I have also made some changes to avoid clashes with some big TV events. I have included those other sports events and public holidays into the table. Announced and known dates are bolded.
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April has stable events. And Phoenix
The Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach and the Honda Indy Grand Prix of Alabama are stable INDYCAR events in April and one can expect those races to return close to their current dates in the upcoming seasons. On the other hand, the two races since INDYCAR returned to ISM Raceway in Phoenix have not drawn a great crowd, creating uncertainty around the future of the event.
The usual date for Long Beach is one week after golf's Masters Tournament, and that is a very stable date given the event's importance for the Verizon IndyCar Series. However, last year the event was brought forward by a week because of Easter, with the race taking place opposite to the final round of the Masters.
A Sunday afternoon race opposite to the Masters doesn't really make sense; that is a TV slot INDYCAR should try to avoid. In 2019 Long Beach may again need to be brought forward to avoid the Easter weekend, though it would make more sense to bring it forward by two weeks into the Sunday of the NCAA Basketball Final Four. While the Final Four weekend is difficult for other sports on TV, women's championship game on Sunday doesn't draw such a big audience as the men's games on Saturday and Monday.
While a Sunday afternoon race makes little sense opposite to the Masters, that is a good weekend for a Saturday night race after the third round has finished at Augusta National. That is exactly what INDYCAR has this year with the Phoenix Grand Prix, and I think that should become the permanent date for the race in the upcoming seasons, back-to-back with Long Beach, another race in the West.
However, there are years when the Masters weekend is also the Easter weekend, like 2020. If the Phoenix date was brought forward by a week, it would be in the Final Four weekend. A Saturday night race opposite to the men's semifinals doesn't make sense. The race in the Final Four weekend should rather be a Sunday afternoon race opposite to the less-viewed women's championship game.
Depending on the year, Barber Motorsports Park usually hosts INDYCAR two or three weeks before the INDYCAR Grand Prix at the IMS road course. The date of NASCAR's spring weekend at Talladega very much dictates Barber's INDYCAR date because it makes no sense to have two races in the same weekend just over 30 miles apart from each other.
What could be the possible additions to the early season?
It would be difficult to fit races outside North America into the schedule after St. Petersburg, especially if INDYCAR returns to Phoenix also in the upcoming seasons. Those overseas races would probably take place before St. Pete, still leaving the gap between St. Pete and the following race.
There are not so many venues in North America for which March would be an ideal time to host INDYCAR. With INDYCAR at St. Pete and IMSA at Sebring, there may already be too much racing in Florida to add Homestead-Miami Speedway to the INDYCAR schedule. The same can be said about Southern California. With NASCAR at Auto Club Speedway in Fontana in mid-March and INDYCAR at Long Beach in early April, an INDYCAR return to Fontana in late March may be out of question. Teams have been testing at Sonoma Raceway during the winter, though a date change to March would make no sense for Sonoma when the temperature hardly reaches 70 °F and there's a greater risk of rain.
While some people would like to see the Verizon IndyCar Series visiting Circuit of The Americas which hosts Pirelli World Challenge two weeks after St. Pete, I don't think INDYCAR should go there and risk its relationship with Texas Motor Speedway, the longest-standing oval venue in the series apart from Indianapolis. I don't think venues with other big events, like COTA with Formula One and MotoGP, necessarily have much potential for INDYCAR. Besides, the track president Bobby Epstein has stated the MotoGP date in April limits the opportunities for INDYCAR in the spring.
Mexico City would seem like the potential new race to fill the late-March gap. While an international race, it would still allow a quick transportation of the equipment when the following race might be just a week later in the Western USA. The climate in Mexico City would allow a race at almost any part of the schedule, though late-March is where that race would be needed the most. With some uncertainty around the future of Phoenix, INDYCAR really needs to find a new race for that part of the season. Even if Mexico City was only a replacement for Phoenix, it would offer more flexibility as the NASCAR schedule wouldn't set any constraints.
June has a stable schedule
After the Indy 500 and the other events at Indianapolis Motor Speedway have taken the May, INDYCAR has a stable schedule for June. The Chevrolet Dual in Detroit is the first weekend after the 500, Texas Motor Speedway has its preferred date two weeks after the 500, and after a Father's Day break INDYCAR goes to Road America. The Father's Day break is well-needed as the teams have been racing (or qualifying for the 500) for five consecutive weeks. The break also allows the drivers to participate in the 24 Hours of Le Mans, and the Father's Day weekend with golf's U.S. Open might be a difficult one for TV ratings.
After the Verizon IndyCar Series' successful return to Road America, one can expect it to become a permanent fixture in the schedule. The long INDYCAR traditions and the improved attendance of last few years allow us to expect TMS returning also in the upcoming seasons. Detroit is the only question mark because of the local opposition for closing parts of the park in Belle Isle for the event. Though as long as the park is available for the street races, one can expect General Motors and Roger Penske to ensure Detroit hosts the first INDYCAR weekend after the 500.
INDYCAR needs to avoid NASCAR clashes on NBC from July
The full Verizon IndyCar Series is set to be broadcast on NBC's channels from 2019. Avoiding NASCAR's TV slots is important for INDYCAR, even more from July onwards when NBC starts broadcasting NASCAR's Monster Energy Cup and Xfinity Series.
Whenever NASCAR has a Cup race in Saturday night, that means INDYCAR can have a Sunday afternoon race with no competition from NASCAR. The weekend of NASCAR's Bristol night race has worked well for INDYCAR's Pocono race.
Last two years, Honda Indy Toronto was shown live on CNBC while a tape delayed broadcast was shown on NBCSN after the live coverage from a NASCAR race. This year Toronto won't clash with a NASCAR race since it's in the weekend of the Kentucky night race.
Iowa Speedway used to host a Saturday night race until its date was changed to NASCAR's Kentucky weekend, denying the Saturday night TV slot. This year Iowa is again a Sunday afternoon race as the Saturday night of the weekend has NASCAR's Coke Zero 400.
I think it would be sensible to tie Toronto's date to NASCAR's Kentucky weekend. That would give it a date with no competition from NASCAR. Iowa should be moved to the weekend after Toronto when NASCAR has afternoon races and Iowa could become a night race again.
The 2020 Olympics in Tokyo will have less effect on broadcasting than the 2016 Games in Rio. While the Rio Olympics took the afternoon and evening TV slots, the Tokyo Olympics will start in the prime time and continue into the night. Mid-Ohio's date would be during the Olympics, which should not be a problem for an afternoon race. Of course, NBC broadcasts the Olympics in the USA and may want to use all its resources for the Olympic coverage. Though that wouldn't be a problem if IMS Productions produce the coverage under the new broadcasting contract.
In 2019, NASCAR's Bristol night race will likely take place only one week before the Bojangles' Southern 500 in the Labor Day weekend, a weekend currently with no Cup Series race. That will likely force a date change for INDYCAR at Gateway Motorsports Park, unless it became a Sunday afternoon race. Assuming Gateway will be the weekend before Pocono in 2019, it might make sense to keep that calendar slot also for the upcoming seasons, to close the early-August gap in the schedule.
Sonoma is not a popular venue for the season finale. Although the wine region is great for corporate people, the track produces boring races and the attendance is not great. The great event at Gateway last year left some people wishing for Gateway to host the season finale. If Gateway, or any other current event became the new venue for the season finale, that might open a calendar slot in the summer unless Sonoma was moved from September.
What could be the additions to summer schedule?
The current summer schedule has space for one, maybe two new races. Public holidays are often difficult weekends to get people watching racing. Maybe the U.S. Independence Day weekend would be a great weekend for INDYCAR to have another Canadian race, back-to-back with Toronto. There have been rumors about a street race in Calgary; it would be far enough from Toronto to not affect the attendance. With the increasing Canadian participation in the the Verizon IndyCar Series, a second Canadian race would make sense.
As for American tracks I'd like to see in the schedule, I think Kentucky and Chicagoland would make sense. Both are close to INDYCAR's Midwestern fan base and more space has opened in both tracks' calendars with Chicagoland's NASCAR weekend moving from September to July and Kentucky losing its standalone Xfinity fall race. Both venues could host INDYCAR in August or September after their NASCAR races in July.
Might there be no Indy-Monaco clash in 2021?
The Indy 500 will have a relatively late date, May 30, in 2021. The last times the 500 has been that late were 2010 and 2004, both times not clashing with the Monaco Grand Prix but another F1 race.
In 2004 and 2010, the 24 Hours of Le Mans took place two weeks after the 500 instead of the usual three weeks. If the F1 schedule is made ensuring no clash with Le Mans, then there might be no F1 race in the Memorial Day weekend. The Monaco and Canadian GPs very much require a two-week gap plus that weekend between them has the Le Mans test day. If Le Mans retains its date from 2004 and 2010, the 500 might well be in a weekend with no F1 race unless F1 wants to create a date clash.
Even with no F1 race in the Memorial Day weekend, the Indy 500 would still be difficult for F1 drivers to participate. There won't likely be two consecutive weekends without an F1 race in May. An F1 driver participating in the 500 would need another driver qualifying the car for him, and the F1 race in Europe would limit the running in the practice. Ony those F1 drivers with recent INDYCAR experience might be willing to take on that challenge.
Should INDYCAR avoid Le Mans or Father's Day?
While the potential 2021 dates might prevent the usual Indy-Monaco clash, there is a risk of INDYCAR's Texas race clashing with the 24 Hours of Le Mans. On the other hand, the following week there is the Father's Day with the U.S. Open in golf.
It would be unfortunate if a conflicting event prevented INDYCAR drivers from racing at Le Mans. However, two weeks after the 500 is the preferred date for TMS.
Avoiding a clash with Le Mans would move Texas into the Father's Day weekend. The U.S. Open wouldn't really be a problem as Texas is a night race and would take place after the third round has finished. However, I think INDYCAR should retain its usual dates and avoid the Father's Day weekend, especially as later in June it might get overshadowed by the Stanley Cup and NBA Finals.
As unfortunate as a clash with Le Mans would be, more often than not the Father's Day allows drivers to participate in Le Mans. INDYCAR is not yet in a position where it could expect great attendance and TV ratings in unfavorable dates.
Whenever you hear about an F1 fan having a look at an INDYCAR race, you can usually hear them comparing it against F1. Some have found INDYCAR highly exciting while others still say they find F1 more interesting to watch. Having followed both series, I can explain those differences and try to address the most common complaints.
Parity of the field
In Formula One, every team must have an independently designed car. Given the disparity of resources between the teams, that disparity also translates to lap times. Of course, even a team with great resources can end up with a failed design, and a team with limited resources can produce a highly competitive car. But more often than not, the teams with the greatest resources can also design the best cars. That leads to predictable races when the disparity in the performance of the cars is too big to overcome on track.
In INDYCAR, all the teams are using a single-make chassis with two engine options, closely matched in terms of performance. That means you will have a full field closer than the top 10 in F1 usually is. However, a spec chassis doesn't remove the engineering factor from INDYCAR. You still need to find the right setup to beat the other teams. However, when you don't need to design your own car, even a team with limited resources but a great engineering department can achieve success. And when the field is closer, a good driver can make a greater difference than in F1.
Would I like to see different chassis in INDYCAR? Surely it could be interesting, like in the 1990s' CART when you had Reynard, Lola, and Swift supplying multiple teams and Penske building their own chassis. However, the 2015-17 aero kit era hurt the parity of the field. While those seasons were still closer than F1, a single-make chassis can provide better competition on track, allowing drivers to make the difference. Spending money in chassis development isn't really that relevant spending, especially as having multiple chassis isn't such an essential part of INDYCAR's identity as it is for F1. I rather see INDYCAR continuing with an affordable spec-chassis formula that allows more teams to compete.
The tracks
This is where I think INDYCAR really has it better than F1. F1 goes to 21 tracks, 16 of which are permanent venues and six are temporary venues. INDYCAR goes to 16 tracks, six of which are permanent road courses, four are street courses, and six are ovals.
Not only INDYCAR has the greater variety of tracks because of the ovals but its road and street courses are also more exciting than those in F1. While F1 keeps on going to new, increasingly similar tracks, the INDYCAR tracks still have more character and an old-school feeling. Paved runoffs aren't as common at INDYCAR tracks as they are in F1. Instead of the constant runoff abuse controversy of F1, in INDYCAR the track limits are where the paved surface ends and you don't want to go to gravel or grass.
That old-school feeling applies also to street courses in INDYCAR. While F1's street courses have silk-smooth surfaces, INDYCAR's venues still have the usual characteristics of street courses with bumpy surfaces and even concrete patches in some of the turns. That puts drivers' skills to an even greater test.
Oval racing vs. road racing
Oval racing is probably the greatest difference between F1 and INDYCAR. An ignorant F1 fan might say "INDYCAR is only ovals" and an INDYCAR fond of oval racing fan might reply "I wish it was".
Ovals make up just over a third of the INDYCAR schedule, though oval racing is what separates it from other open-wheel categories. However, oval racing is also something that those used to road racing can't always appreciate.
You can hear people watching oval racing for the first time saying it's only going around in circles. But they're doing that at over 220 MPH (350 km/h) on superspeedways, inches apart from other cars, requiring skill and courage. It's amazing to see the drivers maneuvering their cars at those speeds, trying to get to the front of the field. Success on road courses doesn't automatically make you a great oval racer, just like success on ovals doesn't automatically make you a great road racer.
Oval racing is more than just turning left. Oval races are usually the longest ones in the series and you are still working on the setup throughout the race. If you are leading and running in the clean air, you want to trim out the downforce for less drag. If you're running in the dirty air in the traffic, you want to have more downforce. And even with the spec chassis, your setup still needs to be good to win.
Some people may say oval races are won by whoever happens to be leading at the right moment. For sure, sometimes the draft makes it difficult to pull away from your rivals and defend against them. However, before you can win, you must be in a position to race for the win. You can't just suddenly make your way from the back to the front of the field. Close races where the timing of the pass for the lead may decide the victory are just a part of the game. And not all oval races are like that. Short ovals are different from the superspeedways; it's easier to pull away when the straights aren't that long and to pass you need to carry more speed from the turn as the straights aren't long enough for drafting.
I don't have a real preference between oval and road racing because they both can be great. Though the rarity of open-wheel oval races makes them special, something that even F1 doesn't have. And INDYCAR's crown jewel, the Greatest Spectacle in Racing is an oval race.
Indy 500
When talking about oval racing, you have to bring up the Indianapolis 500. There is no other race like the 500. It's one of the races alongside the Monaco Grand Prix and the 24 Hours of Le Mans making up the Triple Crown of Motorsports.
The Monaco GP feels like the least special of the legs of the Triple Crown. While Indianapolis and Le Mans stand out in INDYCAR and the FIA WEC as races bigger than championship with an expanded field, Monaco is more like a typical F1 race. And while Monaco is a unique challenge in the F1 schedule, the narrow and twisty street circuit usually produces boring races which have been decided already in the qualifying.
The Indy 500 is surely the most intense of the Triple Crown races. Indianapolis Motor Speedway is an ideal oval for close open-wheel racing. The front and back straights are long enough for drafting so you can't pull away from your rivals. However, passing is still a challenge when you have to carry enough speed through the turns in dirty air to pass from the draft on the following straight.
Yes, it takes some luck to win the 500. It's difficult to defend the lead because of the draft the car behind gets, unless you're running with less downforce for higher straightline speed. Leading with two laps to go may be too early because you likely won't get a chance to reclaim the lead if you get passed. Then again, you want to be leading those final laps because any incident can bring out the caution and effectively finish the race. That's a part of the game at the 500, and that's what makes it so exciting.
The Indy 500 may be a bigger race than the Verizon IndyCar Series championship. While I'm not a huge fan of valuing a single race over a series championship in open-wheel racing, I have to admit there are some good reasons for that. As the American open-wheel racing has had different sanctioning bodies and has gone through splits and unifications, the Indy 500 represents something permanent. That's a race that has attracted drivers from other series around the world.
Fernando Alonso may never join INDYCAR full-time but he wants to return to the 500. An F1 World Champion doesn't need to prove himself by winning an INDYCAR championship, though he wants to complete the Triple Crown with Indy and Le Mans wins. I hope his dream of the Triple Crown ignites other drivers' interest to attempt the same as well as makes fans exploring different series.
Caution procedures
INDYCAR's caution procedures with initially closed pits are often criticized, especially by those who are used to F1's procedure with open pits but also by hardcore INDYCAR fans. I, for one, don't really like closing the pits when the caution comes out, ruining the strategy of those who were to pit in the following laps.
However, in a series which has ovals where you lose a lap while you pit, closing the pits is actually fair. Otherwise those yet to pit can make their stops and those who had pitted can't unlap themselves while they are driving under a speed limit. A dual system with a virtual safety car and open pits for road courses, and the current procedure for the ovals could be a solution for the problem of closed pits.
That being said, the current system isn't really that unfair. You can minimize the risk of cautions by pitting as soon as the fuel window has opened. If you decide to stay out longer to run in clean air, you are taking the risk of a caution coming out. Though if there was a virtual safety car procedure, a strategy to pit early for fresh rubber could backfire if the virtual safety car came out. There are always winners and losers from a caution period, regardless of the procedures. And when there are 17 races in the season, the good and bad luck will cancel each other out.
There are people who say INDYCAR has too many full-course yellows compared to F1. At ovals, those yellows are necessary. At road courses, the full-course yellow comes out only when local yellows aren't enough. A virtual safety car or local slow zones with a speed limit might be enough, though I'm fine with the pace car bunching the field. Yes, you lose any gap you had built. But if you're the fastest driver on track, you should be the fastest also from the restart.
Overtaking aids
Both F1 and INDYCAR have overtaking aids. F1 has the DRS, allowing you to open a flap of your rear wing to reduce the drag when you're less than a second behind the car ahead coming into the DRS zone. INDYCAR has the push-to-pass, giving drivers 60 extra horsepower for 200 seconds on the road courses. Drivers can use it to pass a car, defend against another car, or just to improve the lap time.
I prefer INDYCAR's system. DRS has made passing in F1 already too easy when the car ahead can't defend. INDYCAR's P2P is more of a strategic element; you can use it when you need to pass , defend, or improve your lap time. You still need to manage the use of P2P so that you aren't wasting those seconds when you don't need to.
Driver talent
Some people see IndyCar as the last resort for those who didn't make it in F1. To be fair, most drivers outside North America grew up dreaming of success in F1 and INDYCAR is only a Plan B for them. However, in North America INDYCAR is one of the two major leagues in motorsports and there are drivers who have dedicated their career to make it to INDYCAR. Not coming over to race in the European feeder series may have kept their talent hidden from F1 enthusiasts, though there is no other series where they'd rather be than in than INDYCAR.
Saying F1 has the 20 best drivers in the world is incorrect. Some of the smaller teams rather choose one with sponsors than one with talent, although that applies to INDYCAR as well. And while F1 probably has the most of the top talent in open-wheel racing, there are also ones who never got their deserved F1 chance and are now having success in INDYCAR.
The Kiwi Scott Dixon came over to America early in his career, missing the European feeder ladder. In 2004, a year after his first IRL championship, he got to test for Williams F1 Team. As he wasn't selected to Williams' F1 lineup despite showing competitive pace in the tests, he continued racing in America, winning the Indy 500 and three more Verizon IndyCar Series championships.
After almost winning his debut INDYCAR race, Robert Wickens showed why he's one of the best active drivers who haven't made it to F1. In 2011 he beat the likes of Jean-Éric Vergne, Alexander Rossi, Daniel Ricciardo, and Brendon Hartley for the Formula Renault 3.5 championship. However, instead of making his way to F1, he spent the following six years in Mercedes' DTM program before joining INDYCAR this year.
Some people like to point out how competitive Fernando Alonso was at the Indy 500 last year, saying an INDYCAR driver couldn't do that in an F1 car. However, INDYCAR's close field is an environment where a driver can show his talent unlike F1 where Alonso has been struggling with the uncompetitive McLaren. Besides, McLaren was partnering Andretti Autosport for their Indy program, which was the dominant team of the Month of May with the Andretti driver Takuma Sato winning. If you put someone like Scott Dixon into a Mercedes F1 car and give him 10 days of testing on a particular track, I'm sure he could impress.
If somebody is saying F1 veteran Takuma Sato's win at the 500 shows the superior talent of F1 drivers, you'd better look at his championship finishes. The eight place, boosted by the 500's double points, equals his best championship finish in F1. However, Sato has won two races in INDYCAR while his best result in F1 was a third place, funnily enough in the US Grand Prix at Indianapolis.
Sato is the kind of a driver who can be as good as anybody on a good day but lacks the consistency to contend for the championship. In F1 that is not good enough to get into a winning car. In INDYCAR with a more level playing field, you don't have to be in one of the best teams to win a race. While Andretti was the best team at the 500 last year, he achieved his other win while driving for A.J. Foyt Enterprises, a team which hadn't won since 2002, and hasn't since Sato's win at Long Beach in 2013.
F1 is a brutal environment for drivers. You need to be in the right place at the right time. Unless you have personal sponsors to buy you a seat, you'd better be a protege of some major team to get your chance in F1. And when there are seats opening in those teams, they may already have set their sights at some younger future stars, just look at all those former Red Bull juniors. A bad career move can cost you the chance to race for the championship and put you out of the radar of the major teams if you haven't had the equipment to impress.
In INDYCAR there are more teams able to win. Even if you weren't driving for a top team, the closer parity allows your talent to stand out and put you on the radar of big teams. Just look at Ed Jones who got the coveted Chip Ganassi Racing seat after a brilliant season with Dale Coyne Racing.
Some people think almost anybody can win in INDYCAR. Of course, there have been cases when a driver wouldn't have won without a lucky caution. But no, not everybody can win in INDYCAR. More drivers can win in INDYCAR than in F1 because more teams can win. Give F1 drivers spec cars with closely matched engines and surely more than five drivers would win in a season.
The teams
F1 teams generally have a stronger identity than INDYCAR teams. For F1 fans it's more common to cheer for a particular team like the traditional teams Ferrari, McLaren, and Williams, or a major car brand like Mercedes or even an engine supplier like Honda.
This is an area where I prefer F1 over INDYCAR. Despite Mercedes' long absence before joining F1 again as an engine supplier in the 1990s, Mercedes has Grand Prix heritage already from the 30s and it raced against Ferrari in the first decade of the World Championship in the 50s. McLaren was founded in the 1960s and Williams in the 70s and the success over the years has made those names iconic.
INDYCAR teams, or teams in American motorsports, don't really have such a strong identity, apart from maybe Penske. Of course, teams like Foyt, Andretti, and Rahal Letterman Lanigan keep former champions involved in the series. But American motorsports being more driver-centric is reflected also here; fans in general are rooting for their favorite drivers, not really for teams.
I'm not saying INDYCAR should be like F1 in this regard. INDYCAR teams come and go and the OEMs aren't joining as teams but as engine suppliers. Though I can see having teams with a strong identity as a strength for F1, something that hardly any other motorsport has. The interest you have in a certain team keeps you interested in the series.
That being said, I prefer how INDYCAR assigns the car numbers to teams. Something like 14 for Foyt is such an iconic number, and it's nice to see young drivers taking over some old legends' cars, like Ed Jones driving the No. 10 for Ganassi like Dan Wheldon and Dario Franchitti used to. That works well in a series where drivers stay in the same team for a long period, like Hélio Castroneves driving the No. 3 for Penske since 2000.
INDYCAR and F1 are different, though both can be great
INDYCAR is no direct substitute for F1; there are certain major differences between the two series. But that's also the great thing, they complement each other. Embrace the variety and watch them both!
I used to be an F1 fan first and foremost, though once I got into INDYCAR racing, it's become my favorite motorsport. This decade hasn't surely been the most exciting in F1, being dominated first by Red Bull, then Mercedes. INDYCAR offered the kind of close racing I was looking for.
I can understand those people who say there is too much randomness in INDYCAR. For sure it's unfortunate when a driver's race gets ruined by an unfortunate timing of a caution, though the rules are the same for everybody. And I used to feel after some oval races that another driver could've won with one more or one less lap but the only thing that matters is who's leading at the checkered flag. That's how those races work, deal with it!
I guess my mindset has changed a bit when I started following INDYCAR regularly. The kind of oval races where two or even more drivers are battling for the win on the final lap are the kind of excitement I really enjoy. It doesn't matter who led the most laps; what matters is who led the final lap.
Surely INDYCAR is missing the extensive technical competition F1 has. But when you have closer racing, I can't complain. That's what I tune in for.
And if you think INDYCAR is for those who couldn't make it in F1, don't forget there are talented drivers who've grown up wishing to win the Indy 500. Give them the appreciation they deserve for having the skills and courage to go inches apart from other cars at over 220 MPH.
Lack of mainstream media coverage surely makes it harder to follow INDYCAR. But we live in the era of social media and you don't need to rely on your local media for news. Go to Twitter and follow @IndyCar, @RACERmag, @Motorsport, @MotorSportsTalk... and of course @FINdyCar.
The date change of the Fuji round of the FIA World Endurance Championship has left many drivers and fans disappointed as the new date will clash with IMSA's Petit Le Mans as well as Super GT's Autopolis round. While the new date will allow Fernando Alonso to compete the full season at the wheel of Toyota's LMP1 car, the date change creates a clash for many drivers who have a dual campaign in the WEC and IMSA or Super GT.
For sure it will be a boost for the WEC's attention to have a driver like Fernando Alonso contending for a world championship in another series besides F1. But after originally choosing the Fuji date exactly to avoid the clash with Petit Le Mans, the FIA and the ACO have betrayed the sportscar community with this date change, catering only to one star driver's needs.
Sportscar racing is a niche sport within all of motorsports and it is divided between multiple organizations. To help to grow the sport, the organizations need to co-operate in scheduling (as well as other things). Many drivers and even some teams compete in multiple series. I'm sure the WEC fans have happily seen drivers like Mike Conway in IMSA's endurance races and André Lotterer in at the wheel of GT cars at Spa and Nürburgring. Interestingly, Alonso's teammate Conway is one of the drivers affected by the date change since he's an additional endurance driver for Action Express Racing in IMSA.
As the WEC is changing to a winter schedule, it shouldn't be too difficult to create schedules with IMSA to avoid conflicting dates. Super Formula and Formula E already avoid clashes with the WEC. The two leading sportscar championships, the FIA WEC and IMSA's WeatherTech Championship, should do that for each other's schedules to enable drivers' dual campaigns. If the WEC tries to avoid conflicting dates with F1, it becomes more difficult as F1's schedule is only likely to grow and the FIA only requires it to avoid a clash with the 24 Hours of Le Mans. And anyway, an active F1 driver competing full-time also in the WEC will still likely remain very unusual despite Alonso's 2018-19 campaign.
It's not only the WEC to blame. Fortunately it hasn't been the case in last two years but there have been cases of an IMSA race in the same weekend with the Total 24 Hours of Spa, with drivers missing that weekend's IMSA race. The Spa and Nürburgring 24-hour races are the biggest GT races in the world where major manufacturers want to field the best drivers from their payroll. Blancpain GT Series had originally scheduled their Silverstone round in the same weekend with this year's Nürburgring 24 Hours, yet it did the right thing and changed the Silverstone date to allow drivers as well as teams to race at Nürburgring.
Having accepted Fuji's date change, the FIA and the ACO seem very ignorant towards sportscar drivers and other series, abandoning the original plan of avoiding a Petit Le Mans clash. The WEC organizers have obviously asked IMSA to change the Petit Le Mans date now to not clash with the WEC at Fuji, though IMSA should really not let fans down with a date chance at this point. Some fans had already booked a trip to Japan for the WEC, only to see the date changed now. IMSA must not do the same for the fans going to attend Petit.
The Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series is the leading motorsports series in the American television and the only series averaging over two million viewers. The only non-NASCAR race in the same territory of viewership is the Indianapolis 500, attracting an audience above the average of the NASCAR Cup Series but still less the half of that of NASCAR's flagship race, the Daytona 500.
NASCAR Cup Series and Indy 500 viewership. Click to enlarge.
I have excluded the Daytona 500 from Fox's Cup Series average because it has almost twice the audience of the second-most-viewed Cup race. Still, Fox's NASCAR coverage has more viewers than NBC's, both over-the-air and on cable.
Fox carries momentum from Daytona during the early season and a declining viewership during the season is a trend in NASCAR's TV ratings. Half of the NBC portion of the NASCAR season takes place once the football season has started, hurting NBC's ratings. Although the playoffs were introduced to create excitement into the late season clashing with football, the playoff races' ratings are still down on the summer races on NBC and NBCSN.
The overall trend was NASCAR's TV ratings going down. The average audience for the over-the-air telecasts on Fox was down 7 percent (including Daytona) and on NBC down 6 percent on 2016. On cable, the average audience was down 11 percent on both FS1 and NBCSN.
Comparable averages, different characteristics for INDYCAR, F1, NHRA audience
Not only the Monster Energy Cup Series is the most-viewed motorsports series in American television but also the Xfinity Series gets more viewers than any non-NASCAR series. I have split the Camping World Truck Series on FS1 into spring and fall parts to make it comparable with the other two NASCAR series where the season is split between Fox in the spring and NBC in the fall. The spring and fall averages of the Truck Series showcase the momentum NASCAR has after the Daytona Speedweeks and the struggle during the football season.
Xfinity, Trucks, INDYCAR, F1, and NHRA OTA audience.
Xfinity, Trucks, INDYCAR, F1, and NHRA cable audience.
The two open-wheel categories, INDYCAR and Formula One, are natural rivals, although they also complement each other and have a somewhat overlapping fanbase.
On free-to-air channels, the Verizon IndyCar Series races outside the 500 were usually in the same territory with F1 in TV ratings. However, 2017 was a bad year for INDYCAR on ABC with a 16-percent decline in the audience (excluding the Indy 500 and its qualifications). F1 on NBC has been split into two in the diagram above because the NFL usually hurts the fall races' audience. Still, the U.S. Grand Prix had 1.0 million viewers, up 45 percent from 2016, while the Mexican GP the following week had 825 thousand viewers, only marginally above the 2016 audience.
On cable, INDYCAR attracts slightly more viewers than F1. There are certain different characteristics in the viewership of those two series. While F1 consistently draws an audience between 500 and 600 thousand viewers for almost all the races in the European time zones, INDYCAR's audience varies more from race to race.
INDYCAR's viewership peaks between June and the end of August. That's a period when three major leagues, NFL, NBA, and NHL, are having the offseason. INDYCAR's higher peak of audience may be because it's more familiar of a series for the American audience plus afternoon races attract more casual viewers than F1 races in early Sunday morning.
On the other hand, apart from some Asian races in the middle of the night, F1 hardly ever gets as low TV ratings as INDYCAR sometimes gets. Maybe F1 has a more dedicated fanbase in the USA than INDYCAR's. Also, F1 races early in the morning don't usually clash with other major sports events.
I have split NHRA on FS1 into spring and fall averages because of the big difference in viewership. Until June, most NHRA races are shown tape-delayed after the NASCAR Cup race. The NASCAR lead-in allowed NHRA to attract the biggest cable audience for a non-NASCAR series and also above the NASCAR Trucks' audience. On the other hand, the viewership drops to under half of the early season once NHRA on FS1 goes opposite to NASCAR on NBC's channels and the NFL starts in September.
NHRA was the only series showing growth both over-the-air and on cable in 2017, although it was minimal. On Fox, NHRA's OTA audience was comparable to that of INDYCAR's.
Formula One has the youngest audience
Unsurprisingly the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series is the leading motorsports series also in the 18-49 age group, and the Daytona 500 is clearly the most-viewed race also in that age group. However, the decline the 18-49 audience is even more rapid than in the total audience. The average 18-49 audience for the over-the-air telecasts on Fox was down 12 percent (including Daytona) and on NBC down 18 percent on 2016. On cable, the the decline was even more drastic with the average 18-49 audience down 18 percent on FS1 and 24 percent on NBCSN.
NASCAR Cup Series and Indy 500 viewership in the 18-49 age group.
If the Indy 500 attracted just under half of the total audience of the Daytona 500, the gap is even bigger in the 18-49 age group where Indy attracts only one third of Daytona's 18-49 audience. The age structure of the NASCAR Cup Series' fanbase looks slightly better than INDYCAR's: the 18-49 age group makes up 25 percent of the Cup Series' total audience during the season, for INDYCAR it's 22 percent. And while the Daytona 500 attracts young people more than other races with the 18-49 audience making up 30 percent of the total audience, for the Indy 500 it's only 22 percent. INDYCAR is struggling to attract younger generations as the viewership also for other races shows.
Xfinity, Trucks, INDYCAR, F1, and NHRA OTA audience in the 18-49 group.
Xfinity, Trucks, INDYCAR, F1, and NHRA cable audience in the 18-49 group.
If INDYCAR's total audience outside the 500 has been comparable to F1's audience, that's not the case in the 18-49 age group. INDYCAR lost 25 percent of its 18-49 audience on ABC in 2017, making it the least-viewed series on OTA channels in that age group. Despite the overall growth of the audience on NBCSN, INDYCAR also lost cable audience in the 18-49 group.
F1 has a positive outlook in America. It may be a niche sport in the USA but it has a young audience with the 18-49 age group making up 31 percent of the total audience. The Monaco and Canadian Grands Prix already averaged above the NASCAR Xfinity Series on OTA channels in 18-49 audience and F1 on NBCSN was in the territory of the Truck Series' viewership.
NHRA's viewership in the 18-49 age group drops more drastically when it loses the NASCAR lead-in on FS1. The 18-49 group makes up 24 percent of the total audience of the spring races on FS1 whereas they make up only 20 percent in the fall. That implies the younger audience are more of casual viewers that stay on the channel after the NASCAR race.
While a few series showed increased 18-49 viewership on the OTA networks, all series' cable viewership decreased in the 18-49 group. Cord cutting may be behind the decreased 18-49 cable viewership. Young adults don't want to pay for channels they don't have time to watch because of family and work reasons. If anything, they opt for streaming services they can watch on mobile devices wherever they are, and whenever they want, thanks to video-on-demand.
INDYCAR and F1 battling for the leading open-wheel series' status
NASCAR has been America's leading motorsport in the 00s and 10s, however it's losing fans as its star drivers are retiring and the racing is not as good as it used to be. And while the NASCAR management is trying to make the sport more exciting, the rule changes are dividing the fanbase and driving some fans away. Still, I don't expect any series to challenge NASCAR's leading position in America any time soon, so big is NASCAR's fanbase.
F1 has a positive outlook in America. While it's been losing viewership worldwide this decade, it's been growing in the USA and it has the youngest fanbase of major motorsports in the USA. Younger generations are more open towards global, traditionally non-American sports like soccer or Formula One, and the Internet allows them to follow the news even if the sport is not mainstream in the USA.
F1 will not be a direct rival for NASCAR, they are two totally different categories. NASCAR is as American as it gets, F1 is global. The two categories have a different target audience. And even though the American owners of F1 want to expand F1's footprint in the USA and add races there, most of the races will still take place in Europe or Asia in difficult time zones for the American audience.
F1 will face a challenge in the USA next year as it moves from NBC to ESPN. On NBC F1 was cross-promoted with the group's INDYCAR and NASCAR coverage, for ESPN the only motorsports programming is the five INDYCAR races on ABC. INDYCAR's decreasing viewership on ABC as opposed to the solid ratings on NBCSN does not look too promising F1 on ESPN.
INDYCAR has been trying to get back the fans it lost during its split years, and it has succeeded in growing its cable audience during the last few years. Still, it's been more about growing its core audience. The OTA audience, especially for the 500, has been down, implying INDYCAR struggles to attract casual viewers.
INDYCAR has an old fanbase, partly because the split years cost it younger generations. Attracting young fans is the most important thing for INDYCAR's future. If the current 18-49 viewership translates into the future overall viewership, INDYCAR will no longer be the leading alternative to NASCAR but a second-tier open-wheel series to F1 even in the American media. INDYCAR needs to outperform its rivals in social media and other media that young people consume.
There is no easy way to improve TV ratings, apart from a better TV deal and avoiding bad time slots. INDYCAR already has an on-track product second to none. Although I'm writing about the TV ratings, I think it's the live race experience that can drive up INDYCAR's popularity. INDYCAR needs more events like Long Beach, Road America, Gateway, and of course the 500; well-attended events that are more than races and can become known nationwide. INDYCAR currently lacks a bit of the feel of a major series; well-attended events would give it the impression of something big.
It would be especially great for INDYCAR if there were more oval races. Ovals offer a product that could appeal also to NASCAR fans and offer the kind of thrill that even F1, the pinnacle of motorsports, lacks.
I think INDYCAR with its US-centered schedule has more potential than F1 to become truly mainstream in the States. Then again, if the younger generations choose F1 over INDYCAR and NASCAR remains relatively popular, then there may be no space for INDYCAR as a high-profile series outside the 500.
Numbers via Awful Announcing, Showbuzz Daily, and Sports Media Watch. The numbers don't include streaming services, thus may differ from the numbers announced by the broadcasters. Rain-delayed races excluded from averages if delayed until Monday. Tape delays included besides live telecasts for races shown live on a secondary channel (e.g. CNBC) and F1 races shown live before 8am.
INDYCAR announced last week it won't add a race in Mexico City in the 2018 Verizon IndyCar Series schedule. It was disappointing news after all the positive talk about the chances of a 2018 Mexico race, though the sanctioning body is working to make the race happen in 2019.
Adrián Fernández, the Mexican Indy car star of the 90s and 00s, warned earlier in the fall that the attendance at Mexico City will be a disappointment if there are no full-time Mexican drivers in INDYCAR. Esteban Gutiérrez replaced Sébastien Bourdais in seven races in 2017 while the Frenchman was recovering from his Indy 500 qualifying accident, though the Mexican is still without a contract for 2018. The Mexico race not happening may imply Gutiérrez won't be in INDYCAR in 2018.
Maybe Mexico is not the market INDYCAR should be looking at, at least at the moment. Maybe INDYCAR needs a Mexican star before going there.
INDYCAR's big challenge is to get out of the shadow of NASCAR in the USA and Formula One elsewhere. At least in the States INDYCAR can get a good crowd at non-NASCAR venues like Road America, Gateway, or Long Beach. INDYCAR's recognition is minimal abroad and it would need local stars to make international races successful.
I'm not sure Gutiérrez is the driver who can make INDYCAR big in Mexico. He's the 2010 GP3 Series champion but has not achieved a lot in his career since then. Even if Gutiérrez made a career in INDYCAR, he may not be the new Fernández who won a total of 11 races in CART and IRL combined.
F1 driver Sergio Pérez is Mexico's racing star and the Mexican Grand Prix draws a great crowd. It would be hard for INDYCAR to replicate that without a Mexican star driver. If INDYCAR wants a great event, I'm not sure Mexico City will be it. On the other hand, Mexico would be a well-needed race in February or March when it's still too cold in most of the USA.
The Puebla oval was mentioned earlier in the rumors about a Mexican race. I think it could have more potential for INDYCAR than Mexico City has. INDYCAR would not be in the shadow of F1 at Puebla and the Verizon IndyCar Series schedule needs more ovals. The problem with the 1.25-mile oval is that the SAFER Barrier should be installed before INDYCAR could race there.
Japan, Brazil, Australia have more potential
If INDYCAR lacks a Mexican star, it's got a foreign star in the Japanese Takuma Sato. The Indy 500 winner was the first to take the Borg-Warner Trophy abroad and the grandstands were packed during his demonstration run at the Motegi oval during Honda's fan festival.
Twin Ring Motegi hosted 14 American open-wheel races between 1998 and 2011 with the last one being on the road course because of earthquake damage to the oval. While the oval has still not been fixed to suit for racing, the road course could host an INDYCAR race. The legendary Suzuka Circuit could be another option, also being owned by Honda.
With a Japanese star driver and a Japanese manufacturer, there is no better opportunity for INDYCAR to break through in Japan than there is now. Sato is 40 now and not getting any younger, though he should have some five good years left in the sport. And once Sato retires, maybe Honda will promote some Japanese talent to replace him.
The calendar slot would be the problem with a Japanese race. INDYCAR wants its overseas races in February or March before staying in North America from March for the rest of the season. However, that must not prevent a potential race in Japan. Most of the previous Motegi races took place in April so a race in Japan could bridge the gap between St. Petersburg and Long Beach.
Brazil is another foreign country that has shown fan interest in INDYCAR. Hélio Castroneves and Tony Kanaan have been the Brazilian heros in American open-wheel racing during the past two decades. While Castroneves has now left full-time INDYCAR racing for IMSA and also Kanaan is in the late stages of his career, the 2018 rookie Matheus Leist has already shown lots of promise in junior open-wheel series and may become Brazil's next INDYCAR star.
An INDYCAR race in Brazil could have some potential, though it would need the right promoter. Most lately, INDYCAR raced in São Paulo from 2010 to 2013 and was set to return to Brazil in Brasília in 2015 before local officials canceled the race. A race in Brazil could be the kind of an early-season race INDYCAR wants, though a reliable promoter and Brazilian representation in the Verizon IndyCar Series would be needed.
Australia has the longest overseas traditions of American open-wheel racing as Surfers Paradise hosted races annually for 18 years between 1991 and 2008. A tram line has made the old CART layout unsuitable for racing, though Virgin Australia Supercars is still racing there on a shortened layout. The shortened layout might not necessarily be too short for INDYCAR, however Supercars have taken over the race date and it's hard to see a street course with another racing event.
Australia might or might not be a good place for INDYCAR. Besides the tradition of hosting American open-wheel racing, Australia has a star driver in INDYCAR in the 2014 series champion Will Power. On the other hand, next year it will be a decade since Indy cars' last visit to Surfers. Australia has a strong local championship in Supercars and Australia's biggest racing star is the F1 driver Daniel Ricciardo. INDYCAR might have some potential in Australia but also face strong competition there.
Europe is F1 and MotoGP continent
Europe has lots of classic racing tracks and many people would like to see INDYCAR at some of the venues F1 has left. However, I'm skeptical about INDYCAR's prospects in Europe.
The European motorsports market is dominated by F1, MotoGP, and some local big events. INDYCAR doesn't get much exposure in the European media and I wouldn't expect a big crowd for an INDYCAR race in Europe.
Europe is no different from the rest of the world; INDYCAR would need a national hero in some European country to become big there. But it's so hard for an INDYCAR driver to become a national hero in Europe. Simon Pagenaud is the 2016 series champion but we couldn't see him getting the same reception in France that Indy 500 winner Sato got in Japan.
In Europe, it's hard for drivers to become stars in their countries unless they have success in F1. As long as INDYCAR doesn't get full-time drivers of the caliber of Nigel Mansell, it will not break through in Europe. Fernando Alonso's Indy 500 ambitions aren't enough to make the full series noted in the European media.
It would be hard to accommodate European races into the Verizon IndyCar Series schedule because most European venues don't come into question before April. INDYCAR needs to dedicate the summer for North American races instead of a time-consuming overseas trip, unless the country has lots of potential like Japan seemingly has.
INDYCAR doesn't need international races for the sake of being international. INDYCAR needs good race events. At the moment I can see more potential in the USA and Canada than overseas. The return to Road America and Gateway showed INDYCAR can attract a good crowd at the right venues. Overseas it's more difficult because of the minimal exposure INDYCAR gets there. Japan, Brazil, and Australia are very much the only overseas countries I'd look at.
