msrpk.com blog

Indy and Brickyard--In Good Hands?

We begin our blogging with some gleanings from an informal chat with Fred Nation, Indianapolis Motor Speedway Corporation VP of Public Relations.

Some speculation in other outlets suggests that the vacancy which will be left at the Speedway by the departure of President Joie Chitwood might be filled by one H. A. "Humpy" Wheeler. This was fueled by Humpy's appearance at the Indianapolis 500 in May. The speculation is best described as connecting dots that don't exist. As of now, there are no plans to fill Chitwood's position at this time.

We also spoke about the vacancy that will exist at the FIA once Max Mosely retires in October. The ACCUS (Automobile Competition Council of the United States) met here in Indianapolis, as they do each year around the Allstate 400 at the Brickyard. Jean Todt (ex of Ferrari) looks to be the choice of the ACCUS for Mosely's job--Todt would be expected to appoint American Nick Craw as President of the FIA Senate. Craw came to prominence as the boss at the Sports Car Club of America, and is presently involved as the FIA's Deputy President for Sport (#2 in the sporting side).

I asked Fred about the possibility of Formula One returning to Indianapolis, given the dynamics of the FIA leadership and Grand Prix commercial supremo Bernie Ecclestone. Fred told me point blank that the Speedway (the only existing venue in the USA which can conduct a F1 event, given the logistics and regulations in place) would like to have one but "only if it made economic sense."

Sprint Cup Cars will begin practice a little later. This may be pivotal, with the weather forecast for qualifying day (Saturday) calling for showers and thundershowers--Rainouts of qualifying would put the point leader (Tony Stewart) on the pole. Jeff Gordon has four wins here--is going for number 5. Stewart would like win number 3--and the other 41 drivers would, of course, be happy to make the big left turn into Indy's Victory Circle.

Tires were a big deal last year--Goodyear stepped up their testing at the corner of 16th and Georgetown significantly. Depending on which driver you speak with, the new spec tires last anywhere from 32 to in one case 40 laps before performance falls off enough to warrant replacement. You might want to go through the July 2008 archives to find out what happened in 2008--twasn't pretty, fun or desirable.