IndyCar drivers to setup advisory committee

UPDATE The IZOD IndyCar Series drivers got together Friday night at Mid-Ohio to share ideas and opinions. "TK (Tony Kanaan) has been the driving force behind this and he’s been trying to get all of us to sit down together since the first race in Brazil," said Dario Franchitti, who pretty much serves as the unofficial spokes person to chief steward Brian Barnhart. “Rather than a couple of guys talking to Brian or Randy (Bernard), this opens up communications. It’s a matter of getting everyone on the same page and getting people to speak up and I’d say about 80 percent shared their opinion,’’ Dario Franchitti told SPEEDTV.com.

08/03/10 IndyCar Series drivers wanting their voices heard on various topics are considering launching a Drivers’ Advisory Group.

The drivers of the open-wheel series have had concerns about some of the tracks on this year’s schedule from a safety standpoint and also the ability to pass. The drivers also feel like an official Drivers’ Advisory Group would help keep their ranks apprised of all the rules and recent rules changes.

The chatter of a drivers’ advisory group heated up at Edmonton. Those discussions are expected to continue this weekend at Mid-Ohio.

Ryan Briscoe is one of the IndyCar pilots driving the discussions about forming a group. Dario Franchitti, Scott Dixon and Tony Kanaan also are likely to play a role if the group is formed. I would also expect to see at least one driver from one of the smaller teams on the committee, though there’s no indication of who that might be. One suggestion that has surfaced is Sarah Fisher.

While the IndyCar Series, and in particular, CEO Randy Bernard solicits driver input on a range of topics, there’s currently no official drivers’ group, and some drivers think it's time that drivers take official—and unified—positions on certain matters.

It’s not clear how a Drivers’ Advisory Group would work with series officials or Bernard’s ICONIC Advisory Committee. Like any groups coming together, I suspect there could be some collaboration and conflict, both of which could potentially make the sport stronger. IBJ.com