All-purpose open-wheel (F1, IRL) racing thread

Seconded on the bake shop, a must if you're passing through Terre Haute (and there aren't a lot of musts in Terre Haute).

Outside of IMS Productions, which is closely intertwined with IMS/IndyCar but also does a ton of broadcast production work for outside clients, now Hulman and Company is pretty much all motorsports. Just sounds a little scary given the state of motorsports. Miles used to call Clabber Girl the little miracle in a can, and as a CEO it had to be nice to have something like that in the portfolio.

 

I can't imagine so. I'm not sure how much of the family is still in Terre Haute, and the grandkids have gravitated more toward IMS and IndyCar for jobs. But I'd love to know if it was a tough decision to sell.

 

I'd say last row even if it was all no-names, but this time with Hinchcliffe and Alonso it's especially delicious. Alonso missing would be massively embarrassing for McLaren, even with an accident a few days ago you should be able to repair and stick it in the top 30 without problem. If Hinch doesn't get in for a second consecutive year, the cry will be even louder for full-time teams to get guaranteed spots for the 500. I don't necessarily disagree with that on the surface, but it wouldn't go over well with a lot of fans.

 

Rules in auto racing have been such a moving target for so long. I love Indy traditions but about the only ones left are the pre-race ceremonies and milk. They've done more than 33 starters before, they've protected series regulars. People are so passionate about Indy qualifying yet the vast majority sure manage to not show up on qualifying weekend. I don't think there's a correlation between race day attendance and qualifying formats; if anything the race suffers now when a big name misses out. There just aren't that many to go around anymore. Yet all that isn't to say they should change the rules, I just wouldn't lose my mind over it.

 

The race has rebounded from the post-split doldrums, the 100th 500 in 2016 was labeled a sellout with around 300,000 and I think the last couple years have been over 250,000.

The Indy Star's coverage hasn't done much for me the last couple years. Curt Cavin was quite good for 20 years but in 2016 took a job with IndyCar as their director of communications, a nice parachute out of the Star before they might have cut him and his big salary. His replacement was/is a younger guy who isn't nearly as connected and I wouldn't say he's overtly critical.