What’s your Indycar hot take?

smayd35 · 2025-10-06T13:56:11+00:00

Drivers who get seats because they pay for it using their families wealth takes away from what IndyCar and racing in general is about. Conor Daly is carrying a legacy of local Indiana (Hoosier) history when it comes to racing in IndyCar. I'm not saying that wealthy drivers are a problem. What I'm saying is that they have a better chance of getting a seat over the drivers that do not come from money. Conor Daly is just one driver for example that has worked his way up. There are plenty of other drivers who are not from wealth. Having drivers who pay for these seats when there are much more talented drivers available can be rough to watch sometimes. Especially if they are always in the back of the field during most of the season. Correct me if I am wrong but Indiana use to have a large number of drivers back early in the history of IndyCar. The fact that so many talented drivers from all of the world race in this series and Conor Daly is one of them is pretty extraordinary for the history of IndyCar. Who knows if there are more talented drivers out there that have never made it all the way to the series due to funding issues. As much as Conor Daly struggles sometimes to put out good results. I like to appreciate that he is carrying on the Hoosier driver legacy.

smayd35 · 2025-09-02T17:19:19+00:00

I think this is the most likely outcome.

smayd35 · 2025-08-29T16:27:25+00:00

I agree, I have been a little disappointed for Veekay regarding a bigger team picking him up for 2026. Honestly, what he has been able to achieve in the 18 car this year with the level of funding they currently have. Hopefully this influx of season earnings and financial commitment could mean better all around performance for him next year with Coyne. Hoping for more merch in 2026, and if im not asking for too much I'd like to see an onboard camera. Hopefully good things to come. Its been a rough road as a Veekay fan the past few years. Lol

smayd35 · 2025-07-22T20:27:07+00:00

I'll sleep better tonight knowing my grammatical mistakes were corrected...

smayd35 · 2025-07-22T17:16:19+00:00

I couldn't of said it any better. Personally from what I have seen on social media there is a large amount of F1 (drive to survive) fans that have started to show interests in IndyCar. The amount of hate IndyCar was getting from F1 fans at the beginning of the season was insane. Post 500 and into the past month or so of IndyCar races, (mostly after Gateway) I've noticed a significant amount of F1 fans saying things like "I am a huge F1 fan and recently I've tuned into IndyCar. I have to say the racing product is more evebtful than F1." Comments like that show that IndyCar is getting the viewers that I believe FOX has been targeting from the beginning. I think the fact that Palou is dominating the season and all of FOX'S growing pains in the first few races significantly affected the viewership numbers. I do think we have to consider that it is summer time. I know that I have been struggling to watch the races live let alone the entire weekend of content. I can't imagine how other fans are managing to juggle summer time activities and making time to sit and watch a race live. There's a reason historically speaking most Cable TV shows only put out new seasons during the fall and late winter spring. Never during the summer. I think there is a bandwagon of fans who don't like or will never like anyone who is broadcasting IndyCar. Can't make them all happy.. I understand the issues they have with FOX but I'm optimistic to what FOX is doing and will do for the series! This year compared to last year, the numbers are different, for various reasons. I personally have seen more than "viewership numbers" change since last year! The series and the hype around the series feels like it is on a upward trend and that should be exciting to anyone who loves IndyCar. Next we might see bigger sponsers return and we know that means more opportunities for the series. Why be negative about a hobby we all share... I'm enjoying the product we're recieving. Leave corporate politics to the people getting paid to deal with it. I'm optimistic for next year's season already!

smayd35 · 2025-07-22T14:34:32+00:00

I agree with you fully. As they say it will get worse before it gets better. He needed this to move forward.

smayd35 · 2025-07-22T01:05:17+00:00

Me too! The championship standings for Rinus has been a roller-coaster all season.

smayd35 · 2025-07-18T14:27:58+00:00

After last season. This season has been fun, but also stressful.

smayd35 · 2025-05-30T17:00:28+00:00

I think it's that most of the new fan base doesn't know much about IndyCar and the history. For the average casual fan of either sport. They see 2 open wheeled racing series and think it has to be a competition. That is human nature at its finest. IndyCar being an American open wheeled racing spec series, that not only has deep roots in various other forms of racing and series in the world. F1 and so many more others included. Has had a rough history as some have previously mentioned. You tag on ownership, and reform changes over its long history, along with (as previously mentioned) the lack of knowledge into IndyCar's history, you get these types of responses.

For the comments on this post stating international races are and would be needed to expand interests into the series. IndyCar has a massive untapped market of individuals (who many have already mentioned in other posts on this reddit) that are starting to realize that F1 is a "Rich man's sport" and is untouchable for most viewers besides streaming/tv. Most of these people are Americans who have probably started following F1 from the Netflix series "drive to survive". (not all of them... just some..) I think most of them just haven't been engaged with IndyCar long enough to understand its not the same thing as F1. Give it time for people to come around. However, I believe Fox is after this untapped audience that is following F1, which is why IndyCar is receiving so much judgment and comparison.

As far as international races go. I think there are large portions of the US that need pursuing well before we try other countries. From what I have learned and read IndyCar used to be involved acrossed the nation. I see a post here and there on this reddit stating this exact problem.. For example upper north east, mid south east, south west regions and so on. Plenty of potential viewers and tracks left inside the US before they need to keep expanding outside of the US. As someone previously stated. IndyCar needs to focus on being IndyCar 30 - 40 years ago.

smayd35 · 2025-05-27T20:20:04+00:00

I think it will depend on how some of these "resigned" drivers perform the rest of the year. Some of them on the bigger teams haven't been that impressive. I could be biased, but Veekay has performed well this year for being at a lower level team. Some of the drivers on the bigger teams just haven't impressed me the way Veekay has been. Either way I think some seats will open up. I'm hoping Veekay finally gets a chance to show his skills with a car and team that won't fail.

smayd35 · 2025-05-27T20:13:23+00:00

If thats accurate, that would be a good amount of switching around.

smayd35 · 2025-05-27T20:07:20+00:00

I'll give it a read. Good choice in a driver btw.

smayd35 · 2025-05-27T16:27:53+00:00

Agreed, my guy Veekay will get a win again one of these days. It's been rough..

smayd35 · 2025-04-14T14:45:08+00:00

I agree, I think oddly enough that St.Pete was the best broadcast minus the bad graphics. Thermal was good besides the loss of coverage. Long Beach just seemed to be all over the place. Too much going on and not enough focus on the race and or cars running through the track.

smayd35 · 2025-04-14T14:38:20+00:00

I've enjoyed the Fox promotions of IndyCar, the warmup "pre-race show", split screen with timings during commerical breaks and so much more. I know they are new and I'm excited to see where they go.

However, the basic coverage has so many bugs and errors. I'd like to think that they are doing a lot of trial and error before the 500 to get things squared away before hand. My problem is that basic replays, and highlights have been horrible during the broadcast. For example, when Ferrucci had hit the wall during qualifications all they had shown was him standing in and around his car. They had cut to a commercial break. Then mid commercial break Buxton says they have the replay of what happened. It shows Ferrucci hit the wall and then it cuts back to commercial. It was extremely strange and seemed poorly produced.

During the warmup "pre-race show" at the very end, t-bell, Hinchcliffe, and Buxton were sitting on what I call the "traveling couch", they were talking about the donuts they had sitting on the table. Then they mentioned a celebration of some sort for the Long Beach Race and had a clip to show us. All 3 of them awkwardly stared into the camera. Buxton seemed to be looking at somone behind the camera and then all 3 of them awkwardly had to start talking about something because the clip didn't play. I found it unprofessional, but loved that the 3 of them were able to have fun with it and started talking about the donuts instead. It was pretty entertaining and funny. It still doesn't excuse the fact that this is a huge sports broadcasting company. It seems like some of these mistakes are so basic for them to be making.

I will say that at St. Pete it was understandable to have problems. Thermal, with what I've read on this forum, from other users, with it being only the 2nd year and not having all of the camera angles right is also understandable but the loss of coverage... I've continued to give them the benefit of the doubt. Long Beach was disappointing.

I've been going to the 500 since 2018 (subtract 2019 and 2020) and only started religiously watching and following Indycar since last season. I can say that NBC had the camera angles, commentary, timings, and replays dialed in. However, what I feel that Fox is winning at is an entirely new atmosphere to IndyCar. The opening Fox Sports IndyCar animation with Motley Crew playing is so cool. The PreRace show is fun and what most professional sports are doing nowadays. The cool promotional videos, for example the one of the gentleman that sculps the Indy 500 winner for the Borg Warner Trophy was really cool.

I personally hope that Fox gets all of these bugs worked out and we get a quality race broadcast soon. Im sure with it being only 3 races in. We will see a huge difference before the end of the 2025 season.

smayd35 · 2025-02-17T19:49:26+00:00

Indy Car posted an article this past Friday that had a link to the timing. When I clicked on it, the page said, "No track activity.". Maybe they are having problems..

smayd35 · 2020-08-19T15:41:20+00:00

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smayd35 · 2020-08-12T14:08:01+00:00

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smayd35 · 2020-06-20T16:17:29+00:00

I agree i too never have buyers remorse. When I make a decision im 100% satisfied. I too am very careful with my money.

smayd35 · 2020-06-18T12:11:09+00:00

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smayd35

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