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View Full Version : WHAT is appealing about the IRL?



Chief
03-22-08, 05:39 PM
Seriously, what is appealing about this series? Explain why I should become a fan....

redmist
03-22-08, 07:37 PM
flying cars? a girl who runs midpack but is revered as a superstar, a metrosexual who dances well? take your pick, it's all good. ;)

dando
03-22-08, 07:49 PM
Why it's the diversity of the racing circuits, yo. :gomer: :saywhat:

-Kevin

trish
03-22-08, 08:00 PM
Right now the most appealing thing for me is the diversity. I'm very happy to have oval racing back. It's just too bad it couldn't have been with Champ Car, but that was their choice.
As for convincing you or anyone else to become a fan, I'll pass. Just trust your own judgement and don't watch. You won't regret it. There are plenty of other things to do on this planet.

swift
03-22-08, 08:04 PM
Every May, this series holds a lengthy race on a rectangular track in Indiana. The series' regular drivers are joined by 13-15 individuals who don't regularly drive open-wheel racecars for this race. Later in the day, a NASCAR race is run, which will achieve better television ratings.

SurfaceUnits
03-22-08, 08:13 PM
IT is pRon on wheels baby.

Indy
03-22-08, 11:21 PM
The only appeal is that it is sort of vaguely like a series that meant something a few years ago, and that now it is the only game in town. Top level rear engine open wheel in North America will live or die with this series. If you follow it you can watch ovals and road courses and you can go to places like Indianapolis and Long Beach.

For me, it has about one tenth the appeal of F1, but it is all we have left as Americans. I don't think any of us CART diehards who are planning to watch are really excited about it, but it is worth a shot, at least to me, to see what happens.

SurfaceUnits
03-22-08, 11:41 PM
The only appeal is that it is sort of vaguely like a series that meant something a few years ago, and that now it is the only game in town. Top level rear engine open wheel in North America will live or die with this series. If you follow it you can watch ovals and road courses and you can go to places like Indianapolis and Long Beach.

For me, it has about one tenth the appeal of F1, but it is all we have left as Americans. I don't think any of us CART diehards who are planning to watch are really excited about it, but it is worth a shot, at least to me, to see what happens.

Can Milka and IV count you as a member of their fan clubs?

opinionated ow
03-23-08, 02:30 AM
milwaukee, iowa and richmond...thats it

Pilgrims Drop
03-23-08, 05:07 AM
nothing

JT265
03-23-08, 07:26 AM
WHAT is appealing about the IRL?

Indeed. 'Nuff said Chief. :thumbup:

I suppose there are those that hope a new formula will resemble the CART of old. One can only hope, but like many, I'll need to be convinced.

Chaos
03-23-08, 08:49 AM
I bet most of you/us are going to watch though...

Spicoli
03-23-08, 10:33 AM
I bet most of you/us are going to watch though...

like watching a good trainwreck.


There is nothing good about the irl.

KLang
03-23-08, 10:52 AM
I bet most of you/us are going to watch though...

Many of us have said we will not. :yuck:

Chaos
03-23-08, 11:16 AM
Many of us have said we will not. :yuck:

I don't believe it :yuck:

KLang
03-23-08, 12:05 PM
I don't believe it :yuck:

Then I invite you to swing by my place on raceday and see what I'm up to. Bring your swimming suit and choice of adult beverage. But don't expect to be watching the earl.

Indy
03-23-08, 06:53 PM
Can Milka and IV count you as a member of their fan clubs?

Your anger is as misplaced as our loyalties were.

It's over.

RHR_Fan
03-23-08, 07:14 PM
Who cares who will/won and why/why not. Let's talk bacon.

http://carefulthought.files.wordpress.com/2007/04/bacon5.jpg

doppelganger
03-23-08, 07:57 PM
What part of "I don't care and I won't watch" don't some of you understand? Things change, things go away and we move on. Open wheel racing in this country has changed and Champcar has gone away. I'm moving on. Time for other things. Like that adult beverage mentioned earlier. ;)

SurfaceUnits
03-23-08, 08:02 PM
Your anger is as misplaced as our loyalties were.

It's over.

no anger, just curious as to why you are following it still, since it is dead.

Milka and IV, can they count on ya?

Indy
03-23-08, 09:02 PM
no anger, just curious as to why you are following it still, since it is dead.

Milka and IV, can they count on ya?

Enjoy your hate. I am saving my ammunition for battles that matter.

Indy
03-23-08, 09:04 PM
Chief, let me ask you a different question: what was the appeal of CCWS?

I ask you that in all seriousness.

nrc
03-24-08, 01:39 AM
Chief, let me ask you a different question: what was the appeal of CCWS?

I ask you that in all seriousness.

You don't know? Are you lost?

Indy
03-24-08, 10:08 AM
You don't know? Are you lost?

Can you answer the question? Not CART, but CCWS.

It has been my contention that the series began to suck something awful in 2003 and continued the downward slide after that. The ICS, even with its well known weaknesses, has been in some ways superior to what became of CCWS. Like, for example, some small amount of innovation was still allowed.

By 2007 there was no substantial philosophical difference between the two. I would suggest to you that what made CCWS appealing was our tradition of thinking of them as the good guys and the ICS as the bad guys. We were series fans (myself included). Which is fine, but to now ask a question which implies that one should not support the ICS because of its lack of good features is disingenuous or perhaps even hypocritical.

SurfaceUnits
03-24-08, 10:56 AM
What is that old saying about doing the same thing and expecting a different result?

RusH
03-24-08, 02:21 PM
Throw in another WGAF. I used to visit OC every day, among other smack sites.
WGAF>HATE


F1 has my %100 attention so far.....I`m OK with that.
It`s admirable how some can instantly care about AGR, Ganassi, Penske, Vision and others at the drop of a dime. It don`t work that way with me....you earn respect by putting a good product on the track, not by being the only game in town.

And know CCWS was sub-par too, last year I DVR`d most of the races...the 2005 San Jose train track jumps were the beginning of the end for me. But does that make the current IRL better right now?....just because they exist?

What ever time I had to watching (and talking) CC racing now goes to the EPL/Bundesliga/LaLiga and other fussball. See how nicely that works?;)
arivadercci

Chief
03-24-08, 02:26 PM
....but to now ask a question which implies that one should not support the ICS because of its lack of good features is disingenuous or perhaps even hypocritical.
My question is neither disingenuous OR hypocritical. Based on responses here (including your own) it appears there is little appeal.

At this point in time the IRL reminds me of the thieving character(s) from any one of several CITIBANK credit card theft / stolen identity commercials. It's an unsophisticated fraud who has stolen/purchased/lawsuited itself into being the INDYCAR SERIES. It may be all we have BUT knowing what I know it's a total FRAUD. There's nothing appealing to me about supporting a fake....an unsophisticated fake that's very existance is the reason for the failure AOW has become.

My question was fair and invites an open exchange of ideas.....no one has yet to convince me of it's appeal.

SurfaceUnits
03-24-08, 04:10 PM
After seeing the driver lineup and schedule, TOney GOrge announced to day that he was sick of all the foreign ride buyers and strret parades polluting opened wheeled racing and will form a new American OPened Wheeled racing leeg dedicated to American drivers driving American cars powered by American motors on American ovals.

Brickman
03-24-08, 04:28 PM
Seriously, what is appealing about this series? Explain why I should become a fan....

Tony "Lift" Kanaan

Danica "4th Place" Patrick

Marco Andretti

Hideld Mutoh

Oriol Servia

Enrique Bernoldi

Tomas Scheckter

Franck Perera

Ernesto Viso

Alex Loyd

Milka Duno {Hoping she doesn't even make a race}

Helio "Twinkle Toes" Castroneves

Ryan Briscoe

Dan Wheldon

Scott Dixon

Ed Carpenter

AJ Foyt, IV*

Darren Manning

Ryan Hunter Reay

Vitor Meira

Townsend Bell

Graham Rahal

Justin Wilson

Orial Servia

Will Power

Paul Tracy**

Paul Newman


*Futility watch ;)
**Hissy Fit Victim

Your interest in drivers may vary, who you want to win may be outweighed by who you don't want to win. Plenty of black hats to root against, a few white hats to cheer for.

Chief... do you want Rahal to beat Andretti?

Do you want Wilson to beat Kanaan?

Would you want PT to beat Helio?

I'm pretty sure you won't cop out and not answer the questions...

jcollins28
03-24-08, 05:01 PM
Whats appealing about a poke in the eye? Answer that question to get the answer to your question.

Ankf00
03-24-08, 05:03 PM
Tony "Lift" Kanaan

Danica "4th Place" Patrick

Marco Andretti

Hideld Mutoh

Oriol Servia

Enrique Bernoldi

Tomas Scheckter

Franck Perera

Ernesto Viso

Alex Loyd

Milka Duno {Hoping she doesn't even make a race}

Helio "Twinkle Toes" Castroneves

Ryan Briscoe

Dan Wheldon

Scott Dixon

Ed Carpenter

AJ Foyt, IV*

Darren Manning

Ryan Hunter Reay

Vitor Meira

Townsend Bell

Graham Rahal

Justin Wilson

Orial Servia

Will Power

Paul Tracy**

Paul Newman


*Futility watch ;)
**Hissy Fit Victim

Your interest in drivers may vary, who you want to win may be outweighed by who you don't want to win. Plenty of black hats to root against, a few white hats to cheer for.

Chief... do you want Rahal to beat Andretti?

Do you want Wilson to beat Kanaan?

Would you want PT to beat Helio?

I'm pretty sure you won't cop out and not answer the questions...

http://meow.catsplz.com/cats/pictures/234/I-see-what-you-did-there.jpg

Andrew Longman
03-24-08, 05:08 PM
... do you want Rahal to beat Andretti?

Do you want Wilson to beat Kanaan?

Would you want PT to beat Helio?

In a Dancing With the Stars competition or or driving crap spec Dallaras on crap spec ovals? For many one has as much appeal as the other. Some would love it equally, others hate it equally.

Brickman
03-24-08, 05:10 PM
Whats appealing about a poke in the eye? Answer that question to get the answer to your question.


That's easy.

It's appealing if it's not me being poked.

Although I asked the three questions of Chief, feel free to answer them.

Brickman
03-24-08, 05:17 PM
In a Dancing With the Stars competition or or driving crap spec Dallaras on crap spec ovals? For many one has as much appeal as the other. Some would love it equally, others hate it equally.

3rd reply without a direct answer.

Chief put forth a good and fair question about the IRL.

I thought I answered it pretty well, OBVIOUSLY it sure isn't the cars.

Hopefully Chief will come through with flying colors.

lor94KJL2mQ

oddlycalm
03-24-08, 05:30 PM
The only appeal is that it is sort of vaguely like a series that meant something a few years ago, and that now it is the only game in town. Top level rear engine open wheel in North America will live or die with this series. If you follow it you can watch ovals and road courses and you can go to places like Indianapolis and Long Beach.

For me, it has about one tenth the appeal of F1, but it is all we have left as Americans. I don't think any of us CART diehards who are planning to watch are really excited about it, but it is worth a shot, at least to me, to see what happens. All understandable, but everyone is on a different page. You do realize that some of the folks on this forum are recently unemployed without notice right? And that others are have close ties to people on who work for the teams effected? It's gonna take some time.

As time passes and the dust settles people will do what they will do and discussions will reflect that. Right now there is a lot of emotion and I don't see that changing overnight.

What there is no doubt about is that there is a significant number of core fans on both sides of what was the split that will quietly turn away. Brick's post contains one reason, a grid full of drivers nobody cares about. For those one the other side of the page it will be because TG turned his series into the same format CART had minus the audience, name drivers and interesting cars. They will rue the loss of the ovals and the dream of short track heroes magically turning into formula car drivers.

Regardless, the racing has been gutted, emotions are raw, and any rebuilding is far in the future. One hopes that the day comes when we stop having to turn formula car drivers into cabbies, but that too is a long way off.

oc

Racing Truth
03-24-08, 05:57 PM
You don't know? Are you lost?

Boss, if yoy're conflating CART with CCWS, then you're right. But for just CCWS only, I can think of only 2 things (though not unimportant): Car design and turbos.

The rest was uninteresting at best, embarrassing at worst. Seriously, since '03, what pitch would you have used trying to convince someone NEW to give CC a shot?

Indy
03-24-08, 07:33 PM
^^^ Damn right.


Also, Chief, I owe you a more explicit answer.

I am really having to think about this, because I am not yet sure what will appeal to me, if anything. Consider this speculative.

1) I want to see guys like Wilson and Power compete and win.

2) I want to see ovals again.

3) I want to see a larger grid.

4) I want to go cheer for someone at the Indy 500. I want to take my kid there for the first time and teach him about the traditions I enjoyed as a kid. He doesn't really need to know more than that right now.

The last two are more psychological than practical:

5) I want to follow something that has a chance, however small, of eventually succeeding. CCWS has been obviously living on borrowed time for far too long.

6) I want to go and relax at races without my attendance being part of a political statement. In other words, I don't want it to be about a cause anymore.

Again, that is all speculative. The whole thing may leave me cold from the very beginning, and I may simply drop it out of boredom. But I am trying to look at it dispassionately. The war is over, and I just want to enjoy whatever there is to enjoy.

Andrew Longman
03-24-08, 07:45 PM
3rd reply without a direct answer.

Brick, I was pretty direct.

Given the ratings for DWTS (higher than for any actual IRL race I believe) and how many IRL fans wetted themselves over Helio's participation, its clear many fans would love to watch IRL drivers compete there. Not me.

As for watching Graham vs Marco, if it had been in a season that included few foot to the floor dronefests at places like Nashville, Kentucky, Chicago, Kansas, Texas and rinky dink road races like Sonoma and Detroit, in cars underpowered and too easy to drive, then I'd have more interest. More interest anyway than watching them dance.

Andrew Longman
03-24-08, 07:52 PM
The war is over, and I just want to enjoy whatever there is to enjoy.

Good post Indy, but I am about as optimistic as a Berliner trying to find fine dining in June 1945.

jcollins28
03-24-08, 08:33 PM
Indy
The war is over, and I just want to enjoy whatever there is to enjoy.

I'm enjoying F1 this year a lot more then I thought I would. I'm waiting/hoping that Atlantic's will continue to put on a good show. Other then that how is this a cure all for the IRL? Outside of NHL and KV Racing these other teams were scrub CC teams. This is a far cry from Penske, Ganassi and TGGR going over. In a few years when/if a new formula comes out I may take a look at it but under this setup I have no interest.

nrc
03-24-08, 10:35 PM
Can you answer the question? Not CART, but CCWS.

I can but I'm not going to. Nobody here has to justify what seasons of Champ car they enjoyed. Period.

This thread was clearly a bash on the IRL. You can ignore that or disagree with it if you like. You can even start your own thread about how great the IRL is now that we're all one big happy family :rolleyes:. But you may not respond to criticism of the IRL with a bash of Champ car.

The place for criticism of Champ car is in the Champ car forum. The last days of champ car will not be dragged in as a red herring in response to every criticism of the IRL.