Will Power - Road Course Champion

[DanicaFan]

Well, this weekend at Mid-Ohio, Will Power clinched the inaugural winner of the road/street course champion with his 2nd place finish there. He will receive the Mario Andretti Road Course Champion Trophy at Sonoma on August 22nd.

Will Power currently has 359 points with one more road course to go, which is Sonoma. Dario Franchitti is in 2nd place with 272 points. Congrats to Will Power and this shows how dominant he is on these courses.

[bblocker68]

That's my boy!

[jwhite9185]

Just cant get excited about the oval/roadcourse championships. And from seeing the interview with Power after the race, he didn't seem all that bothered either!! Id imagine if he won the overall championship, he would be a lot happier.

[harvick#1]

all that matters is the actual championship, not some garbage the IRL threw in a few races into the season.

[Mark in Oshawa]

Remember, these trophies are a sop to those who cant turn right, or those who cannot figure out ovals....so there is maybe one or two drivers that suck at one and do well at the other....or vice versa....and since one of them is really popular with the fans, it is giving that driver a shot at actually winning something.

Sorta like giving all the kids trophies so we don't hurt their self esteem.

[Jag_Warrior]

I hope this is the last year of this silliness. They need to focus their efforts on rebuilding Indy and the overall championship, not some cobbled together oval vs. road course mini championships that mean nothing. CART used to have the Nations Cup. I wasn't really bothered by that, though it didn't mean anything to me. But even that made more sense than this.

[Shifter]

I hope this is the last year of this silliness. They need to focus their efforts on rebuilding Indy and the overall championship, not some cobbled together oval vs. road course mini championships that mean nothing. CART used to have the Nations Cup. I wasn't really bothered by that, though it didn't mean anything to me. But even that made more sense than this.

I take a slightly different view, instead of taking the trophies too seriously, I just see them a a great reference tool. If it is utilized over a few seasons to build data we can start using a drivers standings in the two championships to do a lot of statistical analysis of drivers and the teams they drive for.

[px400r]

I take a slightly different view, instead of taking the trophies too seriously, I just see them a a great reference tool. If it is utilized over a few seasons to build data we can start using a drivers standings in the two championships to do a lot of statistical analysis of drivers and the teams they drive for.

You don't need separate "championships" to do that. The data is already there.

[DanicaFan]

Im not a big fan of these seperate champions either. I am just stating the facts that are there as of now.

[harvick#1]

....or vice versa....and since one of them is really popular with the fans, it is giving that driver a shot at actually winning something.

Sorta like giving all the kids trophies so we don't hurt their self esteem.

hmm kinda like Nascar expanding the chase again to try and get a certain driver in the top 15 since he first couldn't cut the top 10, and now top 12 :laugh:

[Jag_Warrior]

Im not a big fan of these seperate champions either. I am just stating the facts that are there as of now.

No problem with your post/thread. I wouldn't shoot the messenger.

[Shifter]

You don't need separate "championships" to do that. The data is already there.

I understand that, I just think that this is going to make the process of looking it up quick and easy.

[garyshell]

I hope this is the last year of this silliness. They need to focus their efforts on rebuilding Indy and the overall championship, not some cobbled together oval vs. road course mini championships that mean nothing. CART used to have the Nations Cup. I wasn't really bothered by that, though it didn't mean anything to me. But even that made more sense than this.


Why? What does it hurt to have these? It doesn't detract from anything in my opinion and just offers up another story line for much needed PR for the series. I don't see any particular downside. Why does a nations cup make any more sense?

Gary

[maxmach]

I agree with Gary, what does it hurt....nothing. Which is exactly what the two championships mean too. But, it is something to say to the press, about indycars....it's a free press release. I mean hell, naskar could have a road course champion too you know......and the press (and probably the fans) would eat it up. Anyway, it's free publcity, so why not, doesn't hurt anything.

[Jag_Warrior]

Why? What does it hurt to have these? It doesn't detract from anything in my opinion and just offers up another story line for much needed PR for the series. I don't see any particular downside. Why does a nations cup make any more sense?

Gary

As I said, the Nations Cup didn't mean anything to me. But the purpose of it was to highlight CART's push to be seen as a more international series with top drivers from around the globe. But at that time, the CART championship still meant something. Become a CART champion and you got calls from top F1 teams. And you might even get a sports car named after you. :s mokin: Somewhere I have the video that ESPN(?) made of the "Brazilian Bunch" (sung to the Brady Bunch theme). I think Emmo was the "dad" in the middle, but I can't recall.

All I'm saying is, given the current state of affairs, it seems like the IRL would put its focus (lawyers, guns & money) on rebuilding the overall championship... which right now doesn't mean so much. The top prizes in the IRL should be (IMO) winning the Indy 500 and winning THE championship. But if they want to dice it up and have 4 or 5 mini championships + an overall championship + the Indy 500... and they think they can make that work, it's no skin off my nose. Good luck to them.

In addition to the overall championship, NASCAR could have a short oval championship, a super speedway championship, a road course championship + the Daytona 500. But I don't think you'll ever see that because they wouldn't want to dilute (an already popular) primary championship.

JM2c My dog is not involved - she's on the porch just watching... :dozey:

[px400r]

I agree with Gary, what does it hurt....nothing. Which is exactly what the two championships mean too. But, it is something to say to the press, about indycars....it's a free press release. I mean hell, naskar could have a road course champion too you know......and the press (and probably the fans) would eat it up. Anyway, it's free publcity, so why not, doesn't hurt anything.

So it's all good because you get free press about nothing?

Sounds like a Seinfeld episode...

[Anubis]

I can see method in the madness, to a degree, as it could be a useful tool for attracting teams to the series. If you don't have the funding for a full series, this gives you a viable outlet, especially from the sponsor point of view. Ditto drivers. There are undoubtedly drivers out there who warrant a ride but lack the finance for a full campaign. Running in one of the "mini-series" could be a useful shop window. It might be a bit gimmicky, but I don't think it should be totally dismissed.

Dare I ask where you know who placed?

[Blancvino]

So it's all good because you get free press about nothing?

Sounds like a Seinfeld episode...

No soup for you! NEXT!

[V12]

Why? What does it hurt to have these? It doesn't detract from anything in my opinion and just offers up another story line for much needed PR for the series. I don't see any particular downside. Why does a nations cup make any more sense?

Gary

That's pretty much my attitude to the road/oval championships. They aren't really needed but they don't exactly do any harm either, and if it adds a little bit of extra discussion, well there's no such thing as bad publicity.

[dataman1]

Congrats to Will and his team (basically the old Grand Am guys). I bet it is really tense in the Penske camp with the new guy beating their star Helio. I would also bet the entire Penske operation is focused on getting Helio the over all championship.

I agree with Gary that this dual championship gets the ICS exposure in the media and that alone is good.

What I don't understand is why the ICS promotions people are not promoting this guy more. Heck, look at his name, Will Power. How many catch phrases could they get out of that? He's got looks and the foreign accent. I would think sponsors would eat that up.

[Mark in Oshawa]

hmm kinda like Nascar expanding the chase again to try and get a certain driver in the top 15 since he first couldn't cut the top 10, and now top 12 :laugh:

Oh ya....well there is THAT too...lol..

I don't think this does any harm and can only do good, and it is cheap...but it means not much either as a result...

[Marbles]

I hate the idea of multiple championships and I didn't see this last race but in a couple of races leading up to it they seemed to focus on it more as a trophy with less emphasis on a championship and that's fine by me. I don't know how much they made of it in this last race.

The IRL should spend more time promoting it's heritage and I think this is one way to do it. In the sports I'm familiar with I think the NHL is second to none with regards to named trophies and it adds a certain richness to it's history. Any hockey fan worth his weight in pucks knows about the Vezina, Hart or Calder without being told what they represent. With hope, in a few years we'll just refer to it as the Andretti Trophy. It also makes for interesting trivia when you look back over the years.

Are there cash rewards when winning these? What's the rookie of the year trophy called in the IRL?

But don't call them championships, puhleeze.

Congrats to Will on being the inaugural winner!