IndyCar's Struggle With Relevancy

There might not exist another major form of auto racing that has a longer offseason than IndyCar. Six full months of no on track activity describes IndyCar's winter break. While NASCAR and Formula 1 soar in ratings due to season ending excitement, IndyCar sits stagnant.

Despite the few news stories of drivers changing teams, there isn't much happening in IndyCar that is worth discussing. Teams are supposedly developing and testing aero kits. European drivers who cannot find a drive in Formula 1 are being given IndyCar tests. Josef Newgarden is probably volunteering right now.

Those aren't enough to keep casual or hardcore fans interested. Social media work can only do so much. That seems to be IndyCar's battle plan. If we post as much on social media as possible, people  will remember we exist.

It sadly doesn't work that way. Without a major news show dedicated completely to auto racing, the majority of fans actually do forget IndyCar is still around.

There have been talks about some winter races in warmer climates. Hopefully a completely separate championship. However, the likelihood of Mark Miles making that a reality sits at questionable.

It's time for IndyCar to understand if they are committed to ending the season before Labor Day, they need to stay relevant. Stay relevant in all forms of media. Make an effort to gain exposure in newspapers, on television, and on the radio. Continue the level of social media involvement. Just by all means, don't let us forget you exist!

Formula E: Fox Stepped Up

Doubt has long loomed over Fox Sports' commitment to Formula E. Critics remain skeptical of the sport's appeal. Fans appear disinterested. As a result, many people, as well as myself, have wondered if Fox is willing to remain loyal to Formula E.

Fox decided to air the Putujaya ePrix live on the less available Fox Sports 2 over the weekend. For the sake of a college football news program on Fox Sports 1. However, Fox employed a strategy that worked well for their sports car coverage.

Fans who may have missed the second round of the Formula E calendar due to the time zones had two more chances to catch the race. Fox opted to re air the race about mid morning on Saturday. This time, on Fox Sports 1.

Fox didn't stop there. Taking a gamble that would either pay off or cause permanent disinterest, Fox re aired the race once again, after the early NFL game. Exposing NFL fans to such a radical idea as Formula E seemed risky.

The ratings are not in. The reactions have not been recorded. Whether or not viewers even bothered to pay attention to the race remains unanswered.

However, one thing is certain. Maybe Fox does see a future in Formula E.

NBCSN: Race Fans' Dream?

Race fans are probably some of the most spoiled sports fans on the planet. Traditional sports have long offseasons. Auto racing, doesn't really have an offseason. Instead, we have a period of time in which the next season has not yet started.

We are now in that period. Race fans channel surf on weekends, hoping to find something interesting. However this year it seems that will be a little easier.

At the conclusion of the Formula 1 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, NBCSN made the first public promo for the Race of Champions. For race fans, the Race of Champions is like our olympics. Two of the most successful drivers from any given country compete to become the Champion of Champions.

In previous years, US television hasn't touched the Race of Champions. Few even know it exists. Yet NBCSN has announced it plans to air the event on a one week tape delay.

NBCSN has quickly become the new SpeedVision. Boasting a line up that includes the biggest three motorsports in the world, NASCAR, IndyCar, and Formula 1, as well as racing's minor leagues such as GP2, Indy Lights, Pro Mazda, USF2000, and ARCA. They don't slouch in sports cars either, sharing coverage of the Pirelli World Challenge with MavTV.

Very few people ever thought we would see the Race of Champions over here in the United States. Thankfully, NBCSN knows auto racing can build a network. It worked for ESPN, so far it's working for NBCSN.

College Football Vs......Formula E?

Yesterday, Fox Sports announced a programming shift. The Formula E race from Malaysia will now air live on Fox Sports 2 instead of Fox Sports 1. The reasoning for this change was cited as "scheduling conflicts". However, the timeslot now shows a college football news show.

It's a pretty well known fact that college football is necessary for a national sports channel to grow. The rights are relatively easy to come by. Just take the games no one will broadcast. Yet, how many people religiously watch college football news?

Apparently, more than would watch the Formula E race. This would not be as big of an issue if Fox was pushing harder to get Fox Sports 2 bundled with Fox Sports 1. For most people, Fox Sports 2 is too expensive. Many race fans wanting to tune in will be alienated.

The question of whether or not Fox cares about Formula E remains. In a previous article, that was the main focus. It appears relevant still today. Fans were promised these races on Fox Sports 1. It's expected they will be able to see it. However, unless you have Fox Sports 2, it appears as though the college football saturation will be the only thing to watch.

Editorial: Racing's Greatest Women

 Settle in. This could get long.

Ever since I entered college, I can't say I kept up with the events at my former high school. That was until this last week. I noticed arguing on Twitter. Students typing in all caps as to illustrate their displeasure. As focused as I was on the news of auto racing, I couldn't help but take notice and investigate.

I soon found out someone had made a bracket. No, not an early draft of NCAA predictions. A bracket ranking girls in the school based on perceived attractiveness. My first reaction was sheer disbelief. I honestly thought this was a middle school student garnering for attention. As I investigated further, I found out the culprit was a senior. A student one year younger than me.

As the dust settled and my anger subsided I realized something. This issue of equality was at the forefront of my life. I could finally speak up. I found the Twitter page of the women's group from my school. They had campaigns left and right preaching equality and feminism. Many students also were speaking up with them. It was a heartwarming sight to see after all the outrage and anger just a few days prior.

Scrolling through the inspirational and motivational tweets and stories I noticed a retweeted article. There was a photo attached showing Ryan Hunter-Reay after he won the Indianapolis 500 this year. Hunter-Reay was surrounded by the United Fiber and Data grid girls. The caption read "The tradition of using women as trophies continues. At some point, will someone please realize how stupid this?"

Now it was my problem. Those girls were not being used as trophies. When a driver wins a race the last thing on their mind is women. Maybe thirty or forty years ago, but certainly not today. The sponsors place those women there for the sake of marketing. I do not personally agree with that strategy, but it is not meant to be demeaning. Most of those women are models. Getting paid to simply look good and advertise a product. They sign up for it. When Danica Patrick won at Motegi in 2008 she posed with girls just like that. They are there to increase awareness for a brand and nothing more.

One of the things I love about auto racing is the fact that it is the only sport in which men and women compete at the same time on a level playing field. Teams do not care about gender. They care about talent and marketability. If you're not talented enough you won't last long unless you have money.

Then I thought about all the women in auto racing the media passes over. Never do I see ESPN doing documentaries on female racing drivers. I would argue they have it worse than anybody.

Good motorsport journalists talk about women racing drivers as they would male. If the driver is doing well, talk about them. If the driver is doing poorly, do not talk about them. Several journalists have lessened the amount they talk about Danica Patrick because she is simply under performing in NASCAR. They are not being sexist. Do you ever hear anyone talk about how well Josh Wise ran 36th?

It's not just the female drivers either. Few people mention Sarah Fisher outside the IndyCar niche. I had never heard of Leena Gade until Audi ran a commercial showing off her work. The females in racing who never raced or no longer race are even more strong.

Sarah Fisher went from being a racing prodigy to being a successful team owner and mother. Leena Gade was turned down countless times until Audi gave her a chance. She later won the 24 Hours of LeMans as the head engineer. Nobody talks about the work DeLana Harvick did for her husband's race team. Or the fact that Teresa Earnhardt kept her deceased husband's race team alive well after she even had to. All of these women were successful on their own.

I firmly stand for equality. And that's why I love auto racing. The inner workings of the sport love women. The media for some reason does not.

ESPN and NASCAR: A Farewell

This weekend marks the final NASCAR race ESPN will broadcast for the foreseeable future. The network that grew the popularity of NASCAR and auto racing will end its seven year run with NASCAR this Sunday.

When NASCAR and ESPN announced a seven year deal in 2006, it seemed success was imminent. However, the network had not covered or even discussed NASCAR since the cancellation of RPM2Night in 2003. ESPN failed to produce a quality broadcast in its first year back as well as subsequent years. NASCAR fans grew to dread when the ESPN part of the season arrived.

It wasn't just the race broadcasts that were bad. SportsCenter continued to ignore NASCAR news. There were so few mentions of NASCAR on ESPN's flagship program some wondered if the network had the rights to broadcast highlights. ESPN launched NASCAR Now, a NASCAR news show similar to Baseball Tonight or NFL Live. NASCAR fans enjoyed the program. NASCAR Now would air every weekday at 5 PM on ESPN2. Right after SportsNation.

NASCAR Now provided the most in-depth look at NASCAR. ESPN did not slack on hiring talent. As is the norm with ESPN, they hired former drivers and crew chiefs as analysts. However, their hires of Dale Jarrett, Andy Petree, Ricky Craven, and Ray Evernham were met with praise. Couple some of the most knowledgeable former drivers with the best NASCAR journalist Marty Smith and you had the most credible news program on ESPN.

By 2011, ESPN's production in NASCAR had stepped up. They were now on par with Fox. The commentating team of Allen Bestwick, Dale Jarrett, and Andy Petree was a pleasure to listen to. Bestwick was professional only when he needed to be. Never botching a call, Bestwick could make paint drying an event to see. Dale Jarrett was just like his father. A smart, strategic driver with a knack for television. Jarrett could almost broadcast the thoughts of each driver. Petree had the best pedigree of them all. Having worked with Dale Earnhardt and being a former small team owner with a win under his belt, Petree knew the ins and outs of the sport. If there was a problem with a car, pit crew, or team, Petree could tell you.

Now, ESPN will say goodbye to NASCAR for only the second time in fourteen years. However, they have announced to be retaining Marty Smith and Ricky Craven. Smith, the most professional journalist around. Craven, the former driver turned investigative journalist. Both are tasked with explaining NASCAR to general sports fans. Only time will tell if ESPN sees NASCAR as a worthy topic of conversation. With the inclusion of Smith and Craven, it's a pretty good guess NASCAR will be about as relevant as the NFL.