IndyCar needs to bite bullet, and bite it now

UPDATE Another reader writes, Dear AR1.com, Scrap those 2014 rules, Put a "Indy Car" cover on the 1995 rule book! 950 hp V8s Any car builder you want, NO SPEC Dallara shit box. It was the best racing in the world at the time and could be again. Oh don't get me going, the state of Indy Car racing makes me sick. I was trying to talk it up the other day, the guy says, "My road car makes more power than an Indy Car, why should I bother with them". Enough said. John Miller

05/18/15

James Hinchcliffe before crashing hard

Rob Chinn/AR1.com

A reader writes, Dear AutoRacing1.com, I have an absolute solution to the problems plaguing the sport I love, IndyCar, right now.

Revert back to the spec that produced great safe racing for the past three years! IndyCar needs to bite the bullet, admit it made a mistake, with the best of intentions but a mistake nonetheless, and pay each entrant $250,000. (about half of what they have spent but worth it to bring back great, safer, racing) and mandate the 2014 spec from Detroit on.

Now IndyCar has been reduced to having two classes of cars on the track at the same time, one class clearly faster and more agile (Chevy) than the other (Honda). How in the world are Honda teams going to retain their current sponsors, much less secure new ones, when it is evident the Hondas are going to be back markers for the next three years under the current IndyCar rules?

IndyCar has mandated teams spend at least $500,000. Per entry;

Primary Car: $75k Road Course Aero Kit
Back Up Car: $75k Road Course Aero Kit

Primary Car: $75k Oval Aero Kit
Back Up Car: $75k Oval Aero Kit

Primary Car: $50k Misc. Parts (Headers, etc. to allow the aero kit to fit the chassis)
Back Up Car $50k Misc. Parts (Headers, etc. to allow the aero kit to fit the chassis)

Primary Car: $50k Man hours to fabricate and install new aero kit
Back Up Car: $50k Man Hours to fabricate and install new aero kit

Minimum cost per entry: $500,000. And that doesn’t include track testing of any type (which has been nowhere near sufficient to determine what the new aero kits will do).

Result

Best racing on the planet reduced to two classes of cars on track with the fastest Honda generally slower than the slowest Chevy.
Indy 500 Qualification speed less than previous three years.
Safety for the Drivers substantially reduced.
Safety for the Fan’s in jeopardy (will a IndyCar now ‘Fly’ high enough to clear the catch fence at races)?
Public Perception of IndyCar officials and Management: Incompetent.

Frustrated in Iowa. Dale Jennings

Dear Dale: We here at AR1.com agree with your suggestions. And to think, $500K per entry x 24 cars = $12 million that would have put every IndyCar race on network TV for the next several years, something we have been saying must be done for the sport to grow. Mark C.