Champ Car fans rejecting the IRL

UPDATE #3 Another reader writes, In response to V. Feldman's letter, You have got to be kidding me! Lack of attention at home? I know this may be hard to fathom for such a self-absorbed person as yourself, but people went to the track to watch a race and not to look at you modeling your colorful CCWS gear. Do you feel entitled to the red carpet treatment just because the horse you backed ended up like Eight Belles and now you have decided to dip your toe in the IRL waters? It is a freakin' sporting event and you are a relative nobody, just like I would be in the same situation.

I agree that the IRL needs to do things to broaden its fan base, but let's remember that this just came together less than 5 months ago. The IRL may have a few more pressing issues than making CCWS fans feel "special." (The TV broadcast team for starters!!)

It is hard to believe from the tone of this message that I too was a long time supporter of the CCWS/CART, but I am more than willing to give the series a few years to hopefully get it right. If they don't, then I go elsewhere for my racing fix. That is the beauty of a free market society!! Regards, Don Roeder, Nashville

06/04/08 A Champ Car fan writes, I was at the Milwaukee race this weekend and had some Champ Car gear on that was hard to miss. Not once did anybody from the IRL come up to me and say anything. Not why are you still wearing CCWS stuff, not would you like some current IRL stuff instead, not get the frack out, not welcome to the race – hope you enjoy the show. At the IndyCar experience trailer there is a walk-through with a brief history of open wheel racing in USA. The facts were correct but not all the CART/Champ Car facts were included.

Outside there was a small stage where an IRL employee would conduct giveaways of T-shirts, hats, etc. to the small crowd gathered. He would ask a bit of trivia and then throw out the trinkets. I was standing there pretty close to him and I know he had seen me but he did not address me, nothing. Not an effort of any kind to acknowledge my presence even though it is obvious that I am an OWR fan. Perhaps he suspected that I may be hostile to him/IRL and would cause a scene or say something negative but I sure did not feel like I was welcomed at the race that I paid to attend.

Later I spotted the same gentleman at the airport bar talking to his co-workers and he saw me [I was still dressed the same] and ignored me again. I get a feeling that the IRL is aware that CCWS fans are out there but they are not making any effort to try and keep us as OWR fans. Not a 'Welcome all INDY CAR AND Champ Car fans' on the PA. Nothing. They have to be aware of the general dislike of the IRL by CCWS fans but they are not doing anything to address/correct it. Simply ignoring the problem will not make it go away. Not without the fans just leaving the sport. V. Feldman

06/04/08 A reader writes, Regarding your comments about all the "red hat giveaways" in Milwaukee last Sunday, all I saw was Penske hats (other than Firestones on track workers etc). When we arrived at the track at 8:00am, there was constantly a long line for Penske redemptions even after the race started. So, the "free tix" you wrote about were from Penske (or is that really Marlboro wining and dining guests off-site?). Tim Hassenger

06/03/08 A reader writes, Dear AutoRacing1.com, I saw the dismal 0.8 TV rating for the Milwaukee Indy Car race and was surprised to see that the Indy Car and Champ Car TV ratings from last year added together are higher than this year's Indy Car race. I would have expected to see at least a 1.2 rating. This indicates to me that there are only a minimal number of Champ Car fans that are tuning in to IndyCar races this year. Mordichai Rosen

Dear Mordichai, As we have written on many occasions, the split has killed the sport of open wheel racing in the USA. That coupled with the way Champ Car simply folded up like a deck of cards at the 11th hour before the season started really pissed off all their fans who essentially said goodbye to the sport forever. Yes, we have seen a slight increase in attendance at the races, but how much of that is free ticket giveaways we don't know. We did see a lot of free red hats in Milwaukee, indicating ticket giveaways. So those who expected the merger to give a huge boost to the sport are just kidding themselves. The new IndyCar will not be introduced before 2011 now. By then the Champ Car fans will be long gone because they hate the current IndyCar and three years is too long to wait. And that's too bad. Mark C.