The return of Indy Lights Racing

[ChicagocrewIRL]

http://www.indystar.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080321/SPORTS01/803210419/1052/SPORTS01

Looks like the IRL is pushing to bring back the Indy Lights name to the ladder series, getting rid of the Indy Pro Series name with the addition of Firestone as a title sponsor.

I think this is a great move to tie in the heritage that so many of the current IndyCar drivers competed in on their way up to IndyCar.

The series' championship winners include 2 CART champions, 2 IRL champions, 7 CCWS race-winners and two Formula One drivers.(from Wikipedia)

And I think also that the major upgrade in the marketability of the IRL lead Firestone to pony up the cash to add their name to the ladder series.

Congrats IRL and looking forward to the new Firestone Indy Lights Championship racing.

And thanks Indy Pro Series aka Infinity Pro Series

[Lousada]

That's great! A more sensible name than Indy Pro I'd say.

[Marbles]

The Indy Light series, regardless of it's "heritage", was proven redundent once and will be again. They should stirke up an agreement of some sort with the Atlantic series and focus on that! What's the point of having identical rungs in a 3(?) rung ladder?

IMO, of course!

[nigelred5]

Because there is no connection between the Atlantics and The IndyCar series?
The Lights series wasn't only redundant, it was made irrelevant when the performance envelope of the Atlantics was changed and the setups and chassis dynamics of Atlantics and the Indycars had more in common than the Lights cars. It simply wasn't needed and was too costly to run.

Atlantics no longer run on ovals or compete on the same tracks as Indycars, so how is that an identical rung in a ladder?

I see Atlantics essentially becoming the top rung in a Formula Mazda ladder system of open wheel road racing. Surely it is a fine training ground, however Atlantics are hardly the same level as say GP2 IMHO. There will need to be a lower level of competition that competes on the same tracks as the big cars.


You know I really hate feeling like I am on the "dark side" but people just don't want to come to grips with the fact that the CC series and it's former teams have no more input or control of ANYTHING in the IRL than they do in NASCAR.
If you want to play in Tony's yard, you have to buy his ball and play his game, which is what this whole mess was always about.

[ChicagocrewIRL]

The Indy Light series, regardless of it's "heritage", was proven redundent once and will be again. They should stirke up an agreement of some sort with the Atlantic series and focus on that! What's the point of having identical rungs in a 3(?) rung ladder?

IMO, of course!

Well I think with no oval courses on its schedule, Atlantics is not really a good primer for competing in IndyCars. Atlantics is a feeder series without anything to feed to at the moment.

With over 26 car and driver combinations already set to take the green flag in Homestead, the new Indy Lights is strong and healthy with a brand new title sponsor.

Atlantics on the other hand, have had a few teams fold or bail the last few weeks with no new additions.

Redundant you say ???

[Placid]

I remember when they were called The American Racing Series before re-naming them the Indy Lights.

[!!WALDO!!]

I remember when they were called The American Racing Series before re-naming them the Indy Lights.

And Tony George drove for Foyt.

[Civic]

So what was the American Indy Series?

[Phoenixent]

So what was the American Indy Series?

The American Indy Series was formed as a cheaper alternative to CART by Bill Tempero I believe. They used older Indycars and stock block motors. It never achieved the glamour that Indycars did.

[gofastandwynn]

The American Indy Series was formed as a cheaper alternative to CART by Bill Tempero I believe. They used older Indycars and stock block motors. It never achieved the glamour that Indycars did.

I wouldn't it was an alternative to CART, it was like a Formula BOSS that ran a bunch of short tracks across america. The only drivers that I can think of that came out of that were the Lazier brothers.

[nanders]

I wouldn't it was an alternative to CART, it was like a Formula BOSS that ran a bunch of short tracks across america. The only drivers that I can think of that came out of that were the Lazier brothers.

Robbie Unser too.

[nigelred5]

just another step at improving brand equity and eliminating any confusion as to what the series is. Just by the name it implies connection with Indy and lights has the usual connotation of something slightly less than the full deal. atlantics is well known in racing circles, however it has little history as a training ground for oval trap racing. Besides, GF still owns the series, so I expect it will be a cold day in hades before they are any kind of support for the IRL.

[Phoenixent]

atlantics is well known in racing circles, however it has little history as a training ground for oval trap racing. Besides, GF still owns the series, so I expect it will be a cold day in hades before they are any kind of support for the IRL.

I agree with you on that and it would not surprise me that GF aligns with ALMS and the Atlantics get fenders like the old Can-Am cars in the 1980's.

[BenRoethig]

Well I think with no oval courses on its schedule, Atlantics is not really a good primer for competing in IndyCars. Atlantics is a feeder series without anything to feed to at the moment.


Not necessarily. It makes a pretty good F3 surrogate.

[IWUTitan90]

http://www.indystar.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080321/SPORTS01/803210419/1052/SPORTS01


I think this is a great move to tie in the heritage that so many of the current IndyCar drivers competed in on their way up to IndyCar.


And I think also that the major upgrade in the marketability of the IRL lead Firestone to pony up the cash to add their name to the ladder series.


And this is what is needed at both levels, Lights and ICS. MAJOR corporations seeing a worth, that compells them to spend money, add their name, and PROMOTE the series. I hope this is the first of MANY announcements like this. :up:

[mikiec]

Didn't one of the CART team owners buy Indy Lights? Do they still own the naming rights?

[TU Homer]

seriously, TG wants IRL to be CART of the early 90s. Yet another example...

[BenRoethig]

Why not. Unlike the all oval IRL and the all road/street course Champ Car, it actually worked.

[SpeedyRB]

seriously, TG wants IRL to be CART of the early 90s. Yet another example...

He wanted to be on their governing board and they said "no" so he took the Indy 500 away from CART, started his own series, started to make his new series more like CART by adding street circuits and then road courses, drove the original series out of business, and now his series is looking more and more like the series that shunned him all those years ago, but instead of just having some power, he's got it all. Who'd have thought he would have been able to pull that off?

[Phoenixent]

Didn't one of the CART team owners buy Indy Lights? Do they still own the naming rights?

That would be Pat Patrick who owned it originally when it was American Racing Series.

[TU Homer]

He wanted to be on their governing board and they said "no" so he took the Indy 500 away from CART, started his own series, started to make his new series more like CART by adding street circuits and then road courses, drove the original series out of business, and now his series is looking more and more like the series that shunned him all those years ago, but instead of just having some power, he's got it all. Who'd have thought he would have been able to pull that off?

AJ Foyt.

[!!WALDO!!]

AJ Foyt.

!!WALDO!! too, because 65% of the CART teams sponsorship was tied to one race, the USAC Sanctioned Indianapolis 500.

That December of 1991 CART non vote was a fatal move.

[TU Homer]

!!WALDO!! too, because 65% of the CART teams sponsorship was tied to one race, the USAC Sanctioned Indianapolis 500.

That December of 1991 CART non vote was a fatal move.

Reminds me of Bill O'Reilly. He makes a statement as if fact, then argues from that statement.

[nigelred5]

can we refrain from ever mentioning that *****'s name on this forum ever again??

McNasty,not Waldo ;)

[pits4me]

Because there is no connection between the Atlantics and The IndyCar series?
The Lights series wasn't only redundant, it was made irrelevant when the performance envelope of the Atlantics was changed and the setups and chassis dynamics of Atlantics and the Indycars had more in common than the Lights cars. It simply wasn't needed and was too costly to run.

Atlantics no longer run on ovals or compete on the same tracks as Indycars, so how is that an identical rung in a ladder?

I see Atlantics essentially becoming the top rung in a Formula Mazda ladder system of open wheel road racing. Surely it is a fine training ground, however Atlantics are hardly the same level as say GP2 IMHO. There will need to be a lower level of competition that competes on the same tracks as the big cars.

Interesting that you should mention GP2. There's a lot of talk about plugging in an FIA backed GP2 as the top development rung here. Forsythe, PCM, Minardi, Walker, Sierra Sierra. Hmmmmm.

Something to foster renewed interest in F-1 and a return of USGP East and USGP West. Bernie can only dream, but then again -- he has the money.

[DBell]

I'd like to see both series kept. That would show some commitment by the IRL to developing young talent and building a top notch feeder system for Indy car. The more seats available for young drivers to race, the deeper the talent will be to pick from.

[gofastandwynn]

Something to foster renewed interest in F-1 and a return of USGP East and USGP West. Bernie can only dream, but then again -- he has the money.

You're right Bernie does have the money.

You know how he got the money? By not spending it. Bernie never spends his own money, it is always somebody else's cash.

[BobbyC]

You're right Bernie does have the money.

You know how he got the money? By not spending it. Bernie never spends his own money, it is always somebody else's cash.

When track operators have to use government subsidies to keep F1 races, it shows how Bernie runs F1 -- he takes all of the track's revenues save general admission fees, and makes track operators have just one source of revenue, while he gets it all

[BobbyC]

The name change reflects something that's also used in Motocross racing in the United States (where the classes are called MX and MX Light) and once used by IMSA (Camel GT and Camel Light). The "lights" term pays homage to RJ Reynolds (ironically) because of how IMSA called what would be called "P2" today "Camel Lights". The "Lights" name stuck and that's how CART, the AMA, and now the IRL use "light" in their second-tier classes.

Some interesting bonuses for drivers:

$5,000 - go back to back, cash $5,000
$5,000 - No DNF's for the year.
$25,000 for the driver AND owner for the championship.

Also a "lottery" drawing for $2,500, $1,500, and $1,000.

Also a nice short-track racing rule has been added -- all cars, teams, and uniforms will be judged with decals, patches, uniforms, trucks, transporters, etc, by the Firestone boys. Winner gets a cash bonus of a grand each weekend. In essence, a beauty contest before the race to have car and crew look good has been added.