Bull.....

[Chris R]

If Autoracing1.com is correct, the IRL is considering hiring the head of the Professional Bull Riding association to head the IRL...

So, it was not just the owners or CART, or Tony George, apparently nearly anybody with anything to do with AOWR just doesn't get it......

Perhaps they should go after the head of the bowlers assoc. or even professional thumb wrestling...... how much more can you marginalize the sport????

ARGUHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Blancvino]

If Autoracing1.com is correct, the IRL is considering hiring the head of the Professional Bull Riding association to head the IRL...

So, it was not just the owners or CART, or Tony George, apparently nearly anybody with anything to do with AOWR just doesn't get it......

Perhaps they should go after the head of the bowlers assoc. or even professional thumb wrestling...... how much more can you marginalize the sport????

ARGUHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


New race rule ... all car numbers are put in a bowl and the drivers draw for their bull (car) they race that day.

Can you here the announcer now? "Look, Dixon drew the Vision backup car; sucks to be him!"

[Blancvino]

How about this. Drives must keep one hand in the air the entire race.

[Blancvino]

Maybe the can set up a huge barrel racing course in the parking lot for qualifying

[SarahFan]

Well let's look at the bright side..... He won't need to hire rodeo clowns as he already had barnhardt and angst

[Lousada]

At least this guy is an expert on marginal sports :bandit:

[Chris R]

reading the press release I think we are looking at CART 2.0 - the guy apparently formed his bull riding association by banding together the riders - I bet he is being hired to restructure the IRL to spin it off to be a team owned model like CART....

which begs the question - "what was the past 15 years all about....??"

this theory would also explain TG's closing down of Vision - I think he has probably eaten enough crow for a lifetime and would prefer not to be a cog in CART part deux....

[methanolHuffer]

Every single post (but mine) here is so good.

I was going to recommend just retiring the Dallaras and running cows with numbers on them. But what would pit stops be like?

[rabf1]

This must be a joke. What an absolute farce. I think they should just give 1/3 ownership of Indycar to each of Penske, Andretti and Ganassi before its too late.

[TURN3]

Not far off from what I have been thinking for awhile now, Penske needs to take over like he did when him, Patrick, and the gang started CART. With Penske's leadership, I'm sure Ganassi, Andretti (including Mario), etc. would get on board and get the ship pointed back to Earth.

[SarahFan]

reading the press release I think we are looking at CART 2.0 - the guy apparently formed his bull riding association by banding together the riders - I bet he is being hired to restructure the IRL to spin it off to be a team owned model like CART....

which begs the question - "what was the past 15 years all about....??"

this theory would also explain TG's closing down of Vision - I think he has probably eaten enough crow for a lifetime and would prefer not to be a cog in CART part deux....


you folks had better be carefull...

i suggested this about a year ago and was repeatedly told how rediculous it was

[Chris R]

I wonder if this would mean a change to running on methane????

would the drivers be required to wear cowboy hats instead of helmets?

would wrangler make the driver's suits?

sorry just having fun with this sad state of affairs....

[Scotty G.]

Not far off from what I have been thinking for awhile now, Penske needs to take over like he did when him, Patrick, and the gang started CART. With Penske's leadership, I'm sure Ganassi, Andretti (including Mario), etc. would get on board and get the ship pointed back to Earth.


Nope. Penske is too old to do anything like this and Andretti isn't nearly smart enough or rich enough to run a racing series. Most of the other owners are just "hanger-on's", who can barely survive as is.

The next version of Indy Car Racing, will likely be a much cheaper version of what we have now. Most of the current "leadership" will be long gone. Some of the current owners (Penske, Haas, Foyt, Barnes) will retire or sell to family.

Like it or not, the next incarnation of Indy Car Racing is likely to either be run by NASCAR (a "NASCAR American Open Wheel" division") or owned by someone from NASCAR (ISC/France family or SMI/Bruton Smith). They are one of the few entities left that can salvage this and still have the capital/racing expertise to get it done.

With many of these tracks needing race dates (both oval and road courses), a successful Indy Car series would help them with the bottom line. And it could be a nice training ground (which it already is anyway) for future Nationwide/Cup drivers.

There are many Cup and Nationwide owners with AOW/Indy Car ties and some would undoubtedly dip their toes in, if it made sense. These are huge racing business's (just like Penske and Ganassi are) and many are interested in all forms of racing.

It might ruffle some feathers, but that day is coming. It might be that or nothing at this point.

The sport will return a lot closer to its TRUE roots, dominated in America, and will try to re-connect with a HUGE pool of people (a couple of generations now) that left the sport and try and connect to a pool of new people in this country.

After 30+ years, the current management/ownership/fans have had their time to make things work. They failed. Some more then others. But its time to do something RADICALLY different, with different folks running the show and a different mindset for the future. No more owners running the show. No more businessmen from Switzerland or England. No more lackey's from Terre Haute. No more "Jargon Joe's", KISS band leaders and Professional Bull Riders in high profile positions of power.

2012 could be a hell of interesting year. ;)

[Chris R]

Again, hard to argue with Scotty's logic - I just DO NOT like NASCAR and cannot see how they will help make a sport I am interested in....

Overall, I do agree that entirely new blood is what is needed....

[Blancvino]

2012 could be a hell of interesting year. ;)

2012 will most defiantly be an interesting year (US Presidential election and all). The question is, will the IRL even be around?

[Scotty G.]

Again, hard to argue with Scotty's logic - I just DO NOT like NASCAR and cannot see how they will help make a sport I am interested in....

Overall, I do agree that entirely new blood is what is needed....


Hey, many folks will not like the NASCAR part of this. Including me, to be honest.

But it might be what is coming.

[Lee Roy]

Like it or not, the next incarnation of Indy Car Racing is likely to either be run by NASCAR (a "NASCAR American Open Wheel" division") or owned by someone from NASCAR (ISC/France family or SMI/Bruton Smith). They are one of the few entities left that can salvage this and still have the capital/racing expertise to get it done.

I doubt either the France Family or Bruton Smith want anything to do with "Indy Car" racing.

[Mark in Oshawa]

HOLD IT!!! Who says the guy who runs the PBR would be a bad fit? Hear me out. He took a sport, that most people wouldn't watch normally if they were in Cheyenne on that DAY, and got it on ESPN, and got their purses up and got people like that hubby of Jewel's on ABC's "Dancing with the Stars" Maybe you guys have to grasp the guy MAY have a clue of how to take something obscure and to maximize it.

Listen, I have no idea if the guy will succeed, but at least with Indycar, we know it was a big deal once. Pro Bull riders were NEVER a big deal except in a few Western cities in the US and Calgary. With Indycar, the bones are there, so in my mind, the outside the box hire just might work. God knows all the "experts" have screwed this mess right into the ground.

I am of the opinion this guy would be no worse than any one else they could hire, and likely is better than any other option.

As for NASCAR coming to pickup the pieces, if they are not here within the year, they wont be. The price isn't going to be lower than it is now unless it dies and then it will be too far gone to save. I think a new, ad hoc run what you brung formula will be the way at the Brickyard and a few one off events might sort of coalese, but it wont be the IRL....and it will be small scale with just American drivers with the odd Canadian. I guess Scotty will like it.... but it wont be close to even THIS series.

[gofastandwynn]

For those of you who want to join the rest of us in reality, her is an interview with him from Street & Smith.

http://www.sportsbusinessdaily.com/article/118794

This guy has actually grown a sports entertainment company from virtually nothing, but I am sure some people on the internet here know more than him.

[methanolHuffer]

Hey, anything at this point is worthy of a try.

He may be a genius, he may only have to like success more than he does the sport he is running.

I just can't imagine somebody that doesn't share the passion of motorsport delivering an acceptable end product.

TG may have outwardly claimed to have loved the IndyCar series - but let's be honest, he loved the control and power just a bit more. In fact he always kind of believed it was owed to him for some odd reason.

[SoCalPVguy]

Bull rider CEO- more like bull shiite
Desperate times call for desparate measure but this is a 7-second ride to nowhere.

DeFerren Racing-OUT, Vision Racing OUT, NHL Racing 1-car.... The poor economy and lack of sponsors result in little hope of a bid field, especially when the 800# gorilla, also struggling now, hogs all the sponsorship money from well nown consumer products.

When the not-lamented TG said that if Indycar didn't make a profit by 2013 it was done, I am afraid my friends that's where its headed.

[Mark in Oshawa]

Hey, anything at this point is worthy of a try.

He may be a genius, he may only have to like success more than he does the sport he is running.

I just can't imagine somebody that doesn't share the passion of motorsport delivering an acceptable end product.

TG may have outwardly claimed to have loved the IndyCar series - but let's be honest, he loved the control and power just a bit more. In fact he always kind of believed it was owed to him for some odd reason.

Racing is a business. Many people who have loved it have driven it into the ground, although I wonder where TG's love of the sport came from because he sure never understood it.

This guy built a property out of nothing....and it right now is healthier than the IRL so I would have to say he is already more successful than Tony George.

[Easy Drifter]

The Hulman family controlled Indy and the rules there.
It didn't matter wether it was AAA, USAC or CART at Indy you played by the Hulman rules not your own.
TG wanted to extend that control to CART. When they balked he set up the IRL.
Well he won the battles but in the long run lost the war and if he has not destroyed open wheel racing certainly has left it in sad shape.
Now that he can't access family money to run the series, or even his own team, it is obvious he is not willing to spend his personal money.

[NickFalzone]

As far as I can tell, the news today is that Vision Racing probably won't race this season (they'll still be at Indy IMO). Not good news, but is this a huge loss to the grid? Not a huge loss, imo. Second piece of news is that a new CEO will be on board, one with some success on his resume (granted, in a very different type of sport). This news is not bad news. Not great news, but I think it takes some work to paint it as a strong negative. Beyond that, everything else that has been posted here is pure speculation. Rumor is that Graham will be racing for De Ferran, and Cavin has said even within the last week, that Lloyd is very close on a 2nd full time car at NHL. So I think what we're seeing is a little crack of negativity that a lot here and looking to exploit for their usual sky-is-falling laments. Fortunately, they still don't have a lot to back those sentiments up. Still business as usual at the IRL, for better and worse.

[NickFalzone]

HOLD IT!!! Who says the guy who runs the PBR would be a bad fit? Hear me out. He took a sport, that most people wouldn't watch normally if they were in Cheyenne on that DAY, and got it on ESPN, and got their purses up and got people like that hubby of Jewel's on ABC's "Dancing with the Stars" Maybe you guys have to grasp the guy MAY have a clue of how to take something obscure and to maximize it.

Listen, I have no idea if the guy will succeed, but at least with Indycar, we know it was a big deal once. Pro Bull riders were NEVER a big deal except in a few Western cities in the US and Calgary. With Indycar, the bones are there, so in my mind, the outside the box hire just might work. God knows all the "experts" have screwed this mess right into the ground.

I am of the opinion this guy would be no worse than any one else they could hire, and likely is better than any other option.

As for NASCAR coming to pickup the pieces, if they are not here within the year, they wont be. The price isn't going to be lower than it is now unless it dies and then it will be too far gone to save. I think a new, ad hoc run what you brung formula will be the way at the Brickyard and a few one off events might sort of coalese, but it wont be the IRL....and it will be small scale with just American drivers with the odd Canadian. I guess Scotty will like it.... but it wont be close to even THIS series.

Mark, I agree. I'm not going to overly hype up this guy's credentials, but for him to take professional bull riding, a very very niche sport, and break it out in the last couple years into a somewhat mainstream 2nd or 3rd tier televised sport, is pretty damn impressive. I even watched 20-30 mins of bull riding last year. Not my thing, but they did a good job promoting it and it had a good tv production. They also had a cool event at Penn Station 2 years ago with PBR doing an exhibition outside the Garden.

[NickFalzone]

As far as NASCAR, the only reason they'd buy it, is to bury it. Which in theory is a possibility.

[Lee Roy]

As far as NASCAR, the only reason they'd buy it, is to bury it.

Why bother. CART dug it's own grave and buried itself. Champ Car jumped into the same grave before all the dirt was packed it. Just sit back and watch the IRL continue shoveling. They're almost down to 6 feet.

[Chris R]

As far as NASCAR, the only reason they'd buy it, is to bury it. Which in theory is a possibility.

There does not appear to be anything left to "bury" a little acne cream ought to take care of it... :(

[methanolHuffer]

No group will ever buy it without getting a fairly long land lease to have control and use of the IMS.

Two things that will probably not be combined.

After all, the family and any potential buyers would concede that an open wheel series' success is directly related to being able to participate in the Indy 500.

No sane person will run a series like this without having some guarantees that they wont be locked out of that race. In fact - they will need to control that race as if they own it.

It's kind of like our Govna Mitch (IN) and the toll road deal. Lot's of people are going to be mad - but it might make sense for the family to take an investment as a positive opportunity.

[speeddurango]

What does it mean by "head", does that mean getting rid of Brian Barnhart? Provided that is the case, then this shouldn't be too bad anyway. Bull Ring might have nothing to do with racing, but this head might be smart enough in making good business decisions. One simple example for you all to chew over. Tony Cotman, a widely regarded upright and intelligent person in the managing side, made many irritating calls when he was in charge of the race.

[Blancvino]

Well, it's done. PBA CEO replaces the Grandson.

I guess, they really don't have much to loose.

http://www.indystar.com/article/20100130/SPORTS0107/1300376/1004/SPORTS/IRL-hires-Bernard-as-new-CEO-replacing-George

[EagleEye]

Every single post (but mine) here is so good.

I was going to recommend just retiring the Dallaras and running cows with numbers on them. But what would pit stops be like?

Pit stops would now be "sheetstops".

Marbles are now Cow-patties. Driver's trade their helmets in for logo covered cowboy hats. Ehtanol replaced by hay, as is the safer wall. Drivers would sit in a cowpit. The cows would emply for hoof steering.

What is the over under on him being in place in 2012. Who knows, we will give him a chance, but it could be Jargon Joe all over again.

<waits for JJ to post under an alias, again, and tell us how great JJ was, but we know better>

[SarahFan]

tony being replaced by someone who actually heads a sports entity that has seen growth....


while time always tells......at this point I have no problem with this sequence of events....

best of luck to our new leader.....

[Scotty G.]

tony being replaced by someone who actually heads a sports entity that has seen growth....





One minor leaguer from A ball moving to AA ball.

The over/under for his tenure with Indy Car will be 2 years from today. I'll take the under.

The sport needs someone with A CLUE about racing. This guy, no matter how slick or good he's been in bull ridin', has never been to a race in his life.

Good luck.

[TURN3]

One minor leaguer from A ball moving to AA ball.

The over/under for his tenure with Indy Car will be 2 years from today. I'll take the under.

The sport needs someone with A CLUE about racing. This guy, no matter how slick or good he's been in bull ridin', has never been to a race in his life.

Good luck.

I don't think any of us are going to question the choice here, it is a tough sell. I would love to see somebody with racing experience myself. Lets look at the glass half full though, he did successfully promote a niche market...so who knows what he is capable of. Hopefully of sticking Barnhardt with a cattle prod and getting us a new formula (remember the scene from movide "Casino" :D ).

As for over under...I say the IRL will be done as we know it in less than 2. So he'll be gone by then with the league.

[Mark in Oshawa]

One minor leaguer from A ball moving to AA ball.

The over/under for his tenure with Indy Car will be 2 years from today. I'll take the under.

The sport needs someone with A CLUE about racing. This guy, no matter how slick or good he's been in bull ridin', has never been to a race in his life.

Good luck.

Scott, they have taken people from within in the sport. Tony was from WITHIN the sport (not as far in as he was later but at least he was a track stake holder). The CART leaders were sometimes from within, sometimes from outside. What is needed is someone who knows how to sell a series to sponsors. Knows how to effectively market a sport. Whether it is motor racing or bull riding, the fact remains you have to be a good person to represent the sport to the business community for sponsors, and know how to push the right buttons at networks.

PBR is in the black as far as anyone knows, and unlike 10 years ago now gets regular TV time with a quality broadcast on ESPN. Last time I looked, the IRL couldn't claim either. THat makes this guy better than the guy he is replacing.

We have to quit looking at this just from a racing point of view. Racing is a marketing vehicle, where the money allows the teams to race. So if you get enough money INTO the series, the teams can grow and put on a better show. Racing is also being caught in the complex changes in marketing so the fact the new boss isn't a racing guy doesn't mean much if he DOES understand how to utilize the stars of the sport to sell to Madison Ave. It is the logic that no one really has grasped in the IRL in a while.

You take a guy from the current ranks; unless he is Roger Penske, this will fail. Even with that said, I don't know if Roger understands how to make that leap, and credit to Roger, he hasn't volunteered for the job. He KNOWS his limitations....too bad some other people in the last 15 years didn't...

[NickFalzone]

Exactly Mark. Number one thing the IRL needs right now in its leader, is someone that can GROW the series. Is there anyone from the inside that legitimately has it on their resume that they've taken a struggling sports property and given it significant growth in popularity along with a sustainable base for years to come? I don't think so. Yes, having someone with racing experience would be great, but short of getting a top guy from NASCAR or maybe Speed TV, I don't see a whole lot out there. The PBR guy may not be a perfect fit, but as I said, he fits the primarily resume experience that the league needs: taking a niche series and making it popular.

[Scotty G.]

Exactly Mark. Number one thing the IRL needs right now in its leader, is someone that can GROW the series.


And according to Curt Cavin (who spoke to him), he doesn't have a dynamic personality.

Now, you can be a leader without being out-going.

But I think this sport needs leadership AND personality.

I just have the same feeling I have had when other "saviors" (some from racing and some from outside) have whisked in and become "top dogs" in this sport in the past 20 years.

I wish the guy luck. But the track record isn't good.

[NickFalzone]

And according to Curt Cavin (who spoke to him), he doesn't have a dynamic personality.

Now, you can be a leader without being out-going.

But I think this sport needs leadership AND personality.

I just have the same feeling I have had when other "saviors" (some from racing and some from outside) have whisked in and become "top dogs" in this sport in the past 20 years.

I wish the guy luck. But the track record isn't good.

Could be wrong here, but I believe you're referring to Belskus, didn't see anything from Cavin about this new guy's "personality" issues.

[Mark in Oshawa]

What a Journalist thinks of him isn't really the be all and end all. Cavin liked Tony George, but that and a quarter wouldn't buy coffee...

[SarahFan]

tony being replaced by someone who actually heads a sports entity that has seen growth....


while time always tells......at this point I have no problem with this sequence of events....

best of luck to our new leader.....

so i finnaly git around to gooleing this guy..... and below are the first two sentence in his PBR bio

.........................
Randy Bernard

Randy Bernard joined Professional Bull Riders, Inc. as CEO in August of 1995. As CEO, Bernard shared the vision of the founding members of the organization, twenty one bull riders that broke away from rodeo to revolutionize bull riding and establish it as a stand alone sport.

.........................


vision and a break away group.........is this some sort of sick joke?

[Mark in Oshawa]

so i finnaly git around to gooleing this guy..... and below are the first two sentence in his PBR bio

.........................
Randy Bernard

Randy Bernard joined Professional Bull Riders, Inc. as CEO in August of 1995. As CEO, Bernard shared the vision of the founding members of the organization, twenty one bull riders that broke away from rodeo to revolutionize bull riding and establish it as a stand alone sport.

.........................


vision and a break away group.........is this some sort of sick joke?

Just like Gurney and Penske in 79 taking the owners away from the inept USAC management.....look it THAT way...and not vision and 95..