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Tony George (on 6/30) resigns CEO post of Indianapolis Motor Speedway, IRL

Discussion in 'Sports and News' started by Clerk Typist, May 27, 2009.

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  1. DanOregon

    DanOregon Well-Known Member

    Re: Report: Tony George out as CEO of Indianapolis Motor Speedway

    This is somewhat off-topic, but apparently the Indy 500 ratings sucked only slightly less than Fox's coverage of the rain-interrupted Coke 600.
    And the Indy 500 is running out of excuses. You've got Danica, you've got the IRL and CART split over and done with, you've got the winner of Dancing with the Stars coming back a month after almost going to the pokey for tax evasion.
    I enjoyed the race, but can't see it ever return to what it used to be. Heck, SI didn't even give Helio the cover.
     
    DanOregon, May 27, 2009
    #25
  2. Bob Cook

    Bob Cook Active Member

    Re: Report: Tony George out as CEO of Indianapolis Motor Speedway

    I have a hard time imagining Tony G. getting the bum's rush from his family, no matter what they think of how he's spent money ("Tony! You're sucking the money away from Clabber Girl!"). I wonder if they're already fighting over succession, especially as Mari Hulman George gets older and battier. The sisters' kids are interesting in racing, and the sisters might be trying to figure out how to get their feet in the door.

    As for ratings and the race, they're never going to be back to what they were, and Tony G. and the IRL-CART split is among the many zillions of reasons why. You could make a pretty strong argument that had things kept going as they were going under CART, Indy would be in worse shape.
     
    Bob Cook, May 27, 2009
    #26
  3. spnited

    spnited Active Member

    Re: Report: Tony George out as CEO of Indianapolis Motor Speedway


    And the CEO of IMS is largely to blame for that.
     
    spnited, May 27, 2009
    #27
  4. playthrough

    playthrough Moderator Staff Member

    Re: Report: Tony George out as CEO of Indianapolis Motor Speedway

    SI is a different beast. Tom Brady's on the cover, in May, for chrissakes. No one from the IRL but Danica will probably ever land on the cover again, though I'd give Helio a shot if he wins a record-breaking fifth Indy 500 down the road.

    I'm an Indy fan so I see your points and am pained by them, but unfortunately on the national stage open-wheel racing is gone and not likely to return. And it's going to get 10 times worse if/when Danica goes to NASCAR.
     
    playthrough, May 27, 2009
    #28
  5. Clerk Typist

    Clerk Typist Guest

    Re: Report: Tony George out as CEO of Indianapolis Motor Speedway

    Patrick was getting the cover had she won.
     
    Clerk Typist, May 27, 2009
    #29
  6. Bob Cook

    Bob Cook Active Member

    Re: Report: Tony George out as CEO of Indianapolis Motor Speedway

    After seeing what happened to Sam Hornish Jr., Dario Franchitti and Juan Pablo Montoya, I will bet she's not as quick to head to NASCAR as everybody thinks. Even if you're a consistent winner in one series (which Danica is not), it's a tough adjustment to step into another. If someone in NASCAR pays her big money to switch, to me it says a lot more about how nervous NASCAR is about losing ground (not to open-wheel, but in general) and its dearth of mainstream personalities than it does about Danica or the IRL.

    Anyway, SI had its big takeout on Helio the previous week.
     
    Bob Cook, May 27, 2009
    #30
  7. playthrough

    playthrough Moderator Staff Member

    Re: Report: Tony George out as CEO of Indianapolis Motor Speedway

    That's just it, Bob, NASCAR can score twice with Danica -- finally get their female driver (the on-track results are almost of no consequence, and I don't think anyone would expect her to do well anyway) and drive a stake into the heart of IndyCar.

    Whoever is running the IRL will have to dig deep to keep her. Now that Danica is represented by Tiger's gang at IMG, they're going to bring in something huge from NASCAR. She could go cash checks for a couple years and come back to open-wheel later, if it survives.
     
    playthrough, May 27, 2009
    #31
  8. playthrough

    playthrough Moderator Staff Member

    Re: Report: Tony George out as CEO of Indianapolis Motor Speedway

    Probably right. But it was a longshot and SI should have a had a better backup plan than a giant Tom Brady head.
     
    playthrough, May 27, 2009
    #32
  9. DanOregon

    DanOregon Well-Known Member

    Re: Report: Tony George out as CEO of Indianapolis Motor Speedway

    No way Patrick goes to NASCAR unless its to drive for Hendrick or Roush. There is no point. And while it wouldn't be a bad idea for her and NASCAR if she took one or two races at some point this season, maybe just for a road race, she doesn't do herself any favors with a 20th place finish.
     
    DanOregon, May 27, 2009
    #33
  10. Bamadog

    Bamadog Well-Known Member

    Re: Report: Tony George out as CEO of Indianapolis Motor Speedway

    Danica hasn't established herself as a consistent winner in open wheels along the lines of Montoya or Hornish. Making the jump would be a huge mistake for her.
     
    Bamadog, May 27, 2009
    #34
  11. playthrough

    playthrough Moderator Staff Member

    Re: Report: Tony George out as CEO of Indianapolis Motor Speedway

    I'd agree with that, Bama, if racing was the only variable. It's nowhere close to that.
     
    playthrough, May 27, 2009
    #35
  12. slappy4428

    slappy4428 Active Member

    Re: Report: Tony George out as CEO of Indianapolis Motor Speedway

    True dat
     
    slappy4428, May 27, 2009
    #36
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