Here is a rundown of what got me thinking...
Ford will be returning to Formula One as an engine constructor for Red Bull starting in the 2026 season. Red Bull showed off something old in New York. The NASCAR season began with a fire and Martin Truex, Jr. winning the Clash at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. We might have to get used to the Coliseum, as Fontana may be out of commission for two years and will definitely be unavailable for 2024. Mercedes-AMGs came together at Bathurst but set up a grandstand finish. People are angry they couldn't attend a test. IndyCar dropped double points from the Indianapolis 500. But there are a few other IndyCar-related things that are on my mind...
Early Season IndyCar Thoughts
Less than a month is between us and the 2023 IndyCar season opener, and with testing just concluding, I found myself with a handful of IndyCar thoughts racing around my skull. It was difficult to settle on one to write about, and frankly, it would be a disservice to only focus on one when the others are worthy of consideration. This week we are going to tackle a few topics, and we will start, fittingly enough, with the most recent IndyCar test.
Why is Thermal Club's Interest in IndyCar a Bad Thing?
This year's preseason test was at an unfamiliar setting for IndyCar. Thermal Club in Palm Springs, California is not your typical racetrack. The country club track is known more for being a playground to wealth individuals looking to drive their sports cars or club racers for fun. It is for novices that just want to play race car driver like a kid playing starting forward for the Los Angeles Lakers in their driveway.
Thermal Club doesn't host any other professional series. It has never hosted a proper event. IndyCar's two days at the track last week was the first time the series ever made laps at the place.
With Thermal Club being a private facility, most aren't going to be able to strut up to the front door and get in. Entry requires membership or at least an invitation from a member. For the IndyCar test last week, it was a private event. The doors were not open to spectators. Even without people in attendance, Thermal Club has made it known it would like to host a race. It has even suggested some form of exhibition pro-am, where club members are paired with an IndyCar entry, the club members race and set the grid for the IndyCar drivers' main event.
This test received a fair share of backlash, partially over it being closed to the public, and also because it was not broadcasted, but the talks about a new IndyCar event and something catering a select group of individuals has been met with distain.
Understanding the resentment to IndyCar doing something to please the wealthy, I must say IndyCar has all the right in the world to do this and at least try something different. For starters, IndyCar has a track interested in hosting an event and paying to do so. That is something rare for IndyCar. Tracks aren't lining up to host IndyCar at the moment. There is a reason Richmond didn't try to return after the 2020 race was cancelled due to the pandemic. The same with a possible Homestead return. Those tracks didn't see IndyCar as worth it. Hence why the schedule has been relatively unchanged since the pandemic. If a track is interested, the series must listen.
If this event can be one that allows the teams to make some money, and reportedly club members would fork over at least $100,000 to participate in the pro-am, I don't think we should prevent teams from getting a small chunk of change. It is also a chance to network and allow teams to create new partnerships and possibly gain new sponsors that could be around for many years.
It is a bit closed off, but IndyCar has a right, as any business does, to do what makes the most sense for the business. One event that is focused on the corporate crowd isn't going to kill the series. It would likely strengthen the series. I don't know if any future event at Thermal Club will be open to the public. I don't know if IndyCar would require the club to open its doors to non-members to be spectators, but as I have written before, basically every IndyCar race is fan friendly. There are good deals throughout the schedule to attend, including the Indianapolis 500.
It is ok if the Thermal Club isn't targeted at you. It is a different way for the series to grow, and IndyCar should try every way possible.
IndyCar's Travel Bug
We are still basically a month from the season opener, and there has still been almost six months since the most recent IndyCar event. There aren't many tracks with the United States where IndyCar could start earlier than its current season opener at St. Petersburg, but this offseason we saw IndyCar scratching a travel bug.
Juncos Hollinger Racing took a car down to Argentina for a demonstration runs at two tracks in the home nation of JHR co-owner Ricardo Juncos. Juncos has been a key figure in discussions about a possible race in the South American nation. IndyCar has even perked up its ears at the possible trip south, even though IndyCar ownership has been rather dismissive of flyaway races.
Is it realistic for IndyCar to become a traveling series?
Obviously, IndyCar will not become Formula One with two-dozen races around the globe, but can IndyCar even afford one intercontinental trip let alone multiple? IndyCar isn't that popular. As much as we talk about the international flavor of IndyCar, it doesn't have a large enough fanbase anywhere off the North American continent to host a sustainable races. We have seen Germany, England, Japan, Brazil, Netherlands and Belgium each fail to sustain races in the 21st century. Argentina is a motorsports mad country and properly supported its Formula E races in Buenos Aires while also having popular domestic series, but it is hard to believe the support will be there for IndyCar to become an annual visitor.
IndyCar has enough struggles creating successful domestic events. It takes more to make an international race work than one at home, and those international events are more dependent on sponsorship and, in some cases, government funding. All it takes is one administration change and the event is gone in a blink.
It would be nice if IndyCar had at least a race on another continent, but it must have massive support behind it and be properly researched before attempting to organize it. We should keep those passports in the safe for the time being.
Long Beach Invitational
It wouldn't be proper to be thinking about IndyCar without coming up with one pie-in-the-sky idea.
Long Beach this year falls on the weekend of April 16. Nothing special. The weekend after Easter. It is just another date on the calendar. However, 20 drivers will not be busy that weekend. These aren't IndyCar drivers. The Chinese Grand Prix was supposed to take place that same weekend, but Formula One cancelled that race due to travel restrictions due to COVID-19. Though replacement races in either Portugal or Turkey were floated to fill that weekend, Formula One will not have a race that weekend and teams will get an extra few days at home.
However, IndyCar should take advantage of this. IndyCar needs attention. That is its biggest problem. Many are interested in Formula One. IndyCar... not so much. Everyone keeps talking about the growth in Formula One's popularity in the United States leading to other forms of motorsports growing in popularity as well. I don't buy it. I don't think general motorsports fans are being created. People are smarter than that. They are in love with the glitz and glamour of Formula One. They aren't going to be fooled for an imposter.
If IndyCar wants to grow off the back of Formula One, it has to get dirty. Ugly. Make people stare though they know they should look away. If IndyCar wants to get popular off the back of Formula One, it has to get out there, nearly be the antithesis of Formula One's current direction, and demand attention.
How does IndyCar do that? Take advantage of Formula One's cancelled race.
IndyCar has nothing to lose by throwing caution to the wind and inviting some Formula One drivers to participate at Long Beach, and it should raise the stakes. It should be something that is borderline insulting to Formula One drivers, $1 million if any Formula One driver shows up to Long Beach and can finish in the top ten.
It is a gamble, but it is IndyCar puffing out its chest and putting money behind the ability of its drivers that it doesn't think a Formula One driver, the self-proclaimed best drivers in the world, could crack the top ten in an IndyCar race. Basically dare anyone in Formula One to think this will be a free million dollars.
Would this work? Obviously, most drivers would have some contract stipulation prevent them from participating. There are also plenty of drivers that do not need the million dollars. Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen likely wouldn't roll out of bed if even $10 million was offered. Ferrari isn't going to let either of its drivers show up.
But McLaren might be game. Lando Norris will have some free time. Oscar Piastri is basically a nobody. It could be worth it. Williams might let American Logan Sargeant make his first proper racing start in the United States in this one off. It might actually be worth it for Sargeant because that million dollars could be used to help pay for his next Formula One season. It would almost be a fundraiser for the likes of Sargeant and any other young driver needing a checkbook to support a ride. Alexander Albon could give it a go. Haas might be open to letting Kevin Magnussen compete especially since Magnussen has run at Long Beach before in sports cars. Maybe Fernando Alonso will be game for the challenge. Alonso likes attention! He would get to be the star for another IndyCar fling.
Doing nothing and sitting on one's hands isn't going to get IndyCar any attention. A challenge, especially to those who believe they are already superior? That will turn some heads. And if the likes of Alonso or Norris or Piastri or even Sargeant were to show up and compete, it would only sell more tickets for the Long Beach race and more people would have a reason to tune in at home.
If IndyCar wants to grow it must take a crazy risk every now and then. Playing it safe has only gotten the series so far and it has fallen a little flat. Let's light a fire under everybody. Pony up the money and let's see what happens. Even if IndyCar has to pay up it would not be a negative for the series.
Winners From the Weekend
You know about Martin Truex, Jr., but did you know...
The #75 SunEnergy1 Racing Mercedes-AMG of Jules Gounon, Luca Stolz and Kenny Habul won the Bathurst 12 Hour, its second consecutive victory and Gounon's third consecutive victory.
Eli Tomac won the Supercross race from Houston, his third victory of the season.
Laurens van Hoepen won the 67th New Zealand Grand Prix. Kaleb Ngatoa and Charlie Wurz won opening races of the Formula Regional Oceania races from Hampton Downs Motorsports Park.
Coming Up This Weekend
Formula E has its inaugural event in Hydrabad, India.
Supercross warms up in Tampa.
Rally Sweden freezes the World Rally Championship.
Dubai has the opening doubleheader of the Asian Le Mans Series season.
Taupo Motorsports Park closes out the Formula Regional Oceania season.
