- Andretti brands efforts to adopt a charter system “comical”
- Brad Hollinger calls out the marketing of the series versus F1
- Chip Ganassi backs Roger Penske in light of criticism
Outspoken team owner Michael Andretti has called on IndyCar owner Roger Penske to “sell the series” if he is unwilling to invest.
Speaking to reporters in the buildup to IndyCar’s opening race of the season, Michael Andretti called the series’ attempts to adopt a charter system “comical”, as reported by IndyStar.
Series executives want the funds raised from a charter system to be reinvested into the series, but Andretti opposes the idea.
He continued: “First of all, US$20 million isn’t going to do anything. You’ve got to have five times that number – at least. And it’s like, ‘Don’t take our money, Roger. You bought the series. We don’t own the series’.
“[If he’s not willing to invest] then sell the series,” Andretti said. “There’s people out there willing to do it. I think there’s a lot of people on the sidelines thinking, ‘This is a diamond in the rough if you do it right’. But what you need is big money behind it to get it to that level, and if he’s not willing to do it, I think he should step aside and let someone else buy it.
“I told him, ‘Why don’t you sell part of the series to somebody to use that money as an equity stake? You still keep that control, but take that money and invest it’. But, he doesn’t want any partners.”
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Andretti’s stance is perhaps fuelled by his failed bid to secure an entry to Formula One and now wants to see the necessary investment to propel IndyCar onto a global stage. This is something with which Brad Hollinger, co-owner of Juncos Hollinger Racing, agrees.
“We have by far the best product, the racing is spectacular. It’s phenomenal. Just compare it to what’s going on literally right now over in Saudi Arabia – we already know who is going to win the race, who is going to come in second and third,” he said in reference to Formula One’s processionary nature.
“Here you can have the top 15 to 20 guys fighting for the top position. But the way it is packaged and promoted needs to be dramatically enhanced. And the only way to do that is to get more money into the programme.”
This is not a unanimous opinion, though. Chip Ganassi, owner of his eponymous team, has backed Roger Penske.
“I think it’s healthy for ten owners to have ten different things they want,” Ganassi told reporters, including Motorsport.com.
“I think that means the series is doing good because nobody can pinpoint exactly what we need, so I think that’s a good thing…
“I think part of that is the offseason. I think it gives guys time. It’s always good to come back racing and it kind of stops a lot of the bullshit.”
BlackBook says…
The last thing that IndyCar needs now is a division developing between team owners. The series has plenty of potential, hence the comments from Michael Andretti, but disagreements spilling out into the public will only damage its image.
Motorsport fans are crying out for a major single-seater series offering competitive racing, yet IndyCar’s in-fighting risks letting this opportunity pass by. Obviously, the series cannot compete with the budgets of Formula One and Nascar, but a solution needs to be found.
IndyCar reportedly saw its largest crowd ever for the Streets of St Petersburg last weekend, while last season was the most-watched IndyCar season on NBC since 2011 – the signs of growth are there.
But it’s also important to remember what Roger Penske did for this series. If not for the motorsport veteran, IndyCar would likely not have survived through the pandemic. He also invested US$17 million in marketing the series last season, a 60 per cent increase on the year prior.
It may not be perfect – nothing ever is – but more perspective is needed for IndyCar to move forward.