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Tuesday, November 17, 2009

Big Changes To Come At IMS/ICS?

If last weeks 40 layoffs weren't bad enough, the IBJ reports that big changes could be coming for both the IZOD Indycar Series and the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.


The IBJ reports that Belskus could be examining the fallowing changes:
  • Futures of both stock car and MotoGP races
  • Funding of Indycar teams (TEAM program)
  • Schedule changes (less ovals more twisties)
  • Month of May Schedule (cut by a week, maybe more)
Due to Robin Miller, it wasn't really a huge surprise when Jeff Belskus, the former Chief Financial Officer for IMS, took over for Tony George last summer. It was however still a little unclear as to why. It was said that "the sisters" were unhappy with some of the decision their brother made, but I think the real reason is beginning to come clear.

Tony George is a loyal guy, sometimes to a fault. And I believe that is a huge reason, if not the reason TG stepped down as IMS and IRL CEO earlier this year. It's quite simple, I think he was told that the layoffs/changes needed to be made and he just couldn't do it.

5 comments:

I could do without MotoGP. I would be OK without the Brickyard 400, but if they continue to alter (shrink) the month of May I will be incredibly disappointed. The Sisters scare me to death.

I'd rather NOT do without the MotoGP event. Been to every FIM-sanctioned race at the Speedway so far, and in spite of one of them being held during a hurricane, they were all fantastic.

The IBJ article came off to me as nothing more that wild speculation with no attempts at supporting any of the claims made in the article.

I agree with Doug - this article seemed to be mostly wild speculation from a "doom-and-gloom" type of writer.

Of course every area will be reviewed, but that's just being thorough, which should be expected of Belskus. Right or wrong, I admire what Tony George tried to do, but as in any family business, there's going to be some dangerous loyalty going on - hiring someone because they're family rather than because they're the best qualified. Belskus has to deal with that.

Anyway, I expect some change in the name of efficiency, and I'll believe it when I see it.

I think that it would be a bad idea to cut the number of oval races and especially the month of may...I think that one of the most important think of the Indianapolis 500 is tradition, and tradition want that the month of May is the month of the Indy 500...the entire month of May is the month of the Indy 500...I don't really enjoyed when the month of May was reduced to just two weeks, in the first years of IRL...

About the number of oval races, I think that the strenght of Indycar is variety and balance of the schedule...I think that the better thing is to have almost the same number of ovals, street and road circuits...this would mean to continue to be the most complete series in the world...

I think that it would be a bad idea to cut the number of oval races and especially the month of may...I think that one of the most important think of the Indianapolis 500 is tradition, and tradition want that the month of May is the month of the Indy 500...the entire month of May is the month of the Indy 500...I don't really enjoyed when the month of May was reduced to just two weeks, in the first years of IRL...

About the number of oval races, I think that the strenght of Indycar is variety and balance of the schedule...I think that the better thing is to have almost the same number of ovals, street and road circuits...this would mean to continue to be the most complete series in the world...

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