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All-purpose open-wheel (F1, IRL) racing thread

Discussion in 'Sports and News' started by crimsonace, Feb 19, 2007.

  1. Mwilliams685

    Mwilliams685 Active Member

    Their bakery in Terre Haute has some of the best baked goods you can find.

    Back on topic, Mark Miles did specifically mention IndyCar/IMS as a reason. Obviously, he didn't say it was to prop them up, but it's a fair question to ask.


    Edit: Something I just thought about. Did anyone in the family outside of Mari Hulman George (who passed away in November) want anything to do with Clabber Girl anymore?
     
    Last edited: May 15, 2019
    maumann likes this.
  2. playthrough

    playthrough Moderator Staff Member

    Seconded on the bake shop, a must if you're passing through Terre Haute (and there aren't a lot of musts in Terre Haute).

    Outside of IMS Productions, which is closely intertwined with IMS/IndyCar but also does a ton of broadcast production work for outside clients, now Hulman and Company is pretty much all motorsports. Just sounds a little scary given the state of motorsports. Miles used to call Clabber Girl the little miracle in a can, and as a CEO it had to be nice to have something like that in the portfolio.
     
    maumann likes this.
  3. playthrough

    playthrough Moderator Staff Member

    I can't imagine so. I'm not sure how much of the family is still in Terre Haute, and the grandkids have gravitated more toward IMS and IndyCar for jobs. But I'd love to know if it was a tough decision to sell.
     
  4. wicked

    wicked Well-Known Member

    I’d want to continue to have something to do with a company that brought in consistent profits, but that’s just me.
     
    playthrough likes this.
  5. Mwilliams685

    Mwilliams685 Active Member

    It's not looking good for the second day of Indy 500 qualifying. Mark Miles has said neither session is being moved. It's happening at the allotted time or it's not happening at all. TV rules the sports world.

    I've been wondering, if you're interested in qualifying/Indy 500, which are you more interested in: Last Row Shootout or the Fast Nine Shootout?
     
  6. playthrough

    playthrough Moderator Staff Member

    I'd say last row even if it was all no-names, but this time with Hinchcliffe and Alonso it's especially delicious. Alonso missing would be massively embarrassing for McLaren, even with an accident a few days ago you should be able to repair and stick it in the top 30 without problem. If Hinch doesn't get in for a second consecutive year, the cry will be even louder for full-time teams to get guaranteed spots for the 500. I don't necessarily disagree with that on the surface, but it wouldn't go over well with a lot of fans.
     
    maumann likes this.
  7. maumann

    maumann Well-Known Member

    Nobody outside of Kyle Kaiser's immediate family has ever heard of Kyle Kaiser. But his unsponsored car is in the show and World Championship Fernando Alonso is not. McLaren, NBC and millions of fans would rather have it the other way around, but those are the rules. If you decide to change the rules just to placate the rich and well-known, then why have rules at all?
     
  8. playthrough

    playthrough Moderator Staff Member

    Rules in auto racing have been such a moving target for so long. I love Indy traditions but about the only ones left are the pre-race ceremonies and milk. They've done more than 33 starters before, they've protected series regulars. People are so passionate about Indy qualifying yet the vast majority sure manage to not show up on qualifying weekend. I don't think there's a correlation between race day attendance and qualifying formats; if anything the race suffers now when a big name misses out. There just aren't that many to go around anymore. Yet all that isn't to say they should change the rules, I just wouldn't lose my mind over it.
     
  9. LanceyHoward

    LanceyHoward Well-Known Member

    It has been 35 years since I graduated from IU and I have been back to Central Indiana just once. How many people actually attend the race now? I know that official attendance is a closely guarded secret.

    Another side question would be that when I was at IU I always thought the Indianapolis Star served as a a PR arm of the Hulman family. Is coverage anymore critical now?
     
    Liut likes this.
  10. LanceyHoward

    LanceyHoward Well-Known Member

    I think that question belongs on the politics thread.
     
    playthrough and 2muchcoffeeman like this.
  11. playthrough

    playthrough Moderator Staff Member

    The race has rebounded from the post-split doldrums, the 100th 500 in 2016 was labeled a sellout with around 300,000 and I think the last couple years have been over 250,000.

    The Indy Star's coverage hasn't done much for me the last couple years. Curt Cavin was quite good for 20 years but in 2016 took a job with IndyCar as their director of communications, a nice parachute out of the Star before they might have cut him and his big salary. His replacement was/is a younger guy who isn't nearly as connected and I wouldn't say he's overtly critical.
     
    Last edited: May 20, 2019
  12. PCLoadLetter

    PCLoadLetter Well-Known Member

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