IndyCar looking to expand quickly in United States
Recapturing the American fan base with increased television coverage and new races in big U.S. cities is one of the priorities for the new Indy Racing League CEO.
Randy Bernard has not become a racing expert just 10 days into his new job, but he has already learned enough to start working on his biggest task - expand the IndyCar Series in the United States.
After 15 years successfully promoting the Professional Bull Riders Inc., Bernard took the job at IRL hoping to give open-wheel racing the same kind of visibility he gave bull riding, helping increase the sport's TV audience and attendance.
Although Bernard will be watching his first IndyCar race when the season kicks off on Sunday in Sao Paulo, Brazil, he feels he already knows in which direction he needs to steer the series to restore the prestige that open-wheel racing had in America in the early 1990s.
``What we need to do is have more mass television network coverage, it's one of the key steps,'' Bernard told The Associated Press. ``That helps build superstars, and then we can get more appearance time for these drivers so they can become celebrities and known athletes.''
The IndyCar Series has a 17-race schedule, but ABC will broadcast only five. The other 12 races will be carried on cable.
``I think if we create a different graphics packages for TV, it's one way,'' Bernard said. ``Additional television is another, as well as creating some new types of competition.''
Terry Angstadt, president of the series' commercial division, said the league is working hard on the television package to try to drive higher ratings and expand the IndyCar household reach in the U.S.
IndyCar is also trying to reach new markets abroad by promoting more races outside the U.S., but Angstadt reminds that from the beginning IndyCar is a U.S.-based series. He said new venues in the U.S. would not be overlooked despite some disappointing results in terms of attendance recently.
``We are looking to different countries around the world,'' Bernard said. ``I think that is important for the growth of the sport, but (they) will be taken into consideration along with all of the great big cities in the United States.''
Drivers and teams have embraced the arrival of Bernard's fresh approach to the sport and his desire to do a better job marketing the series.
``For a long time we emphasized on the competition side of what we do,'' said Mike Hull, the managing director for Target Chip Ganassi. ``But we are way too much on the competition side and not enough on the branding and promotional side of our business. We need to find a better balance. If we do that and grow a fan base in the process, I think we really have a good product.''
Open-wheel racing took a hit in America when Tony George created the IRL in the mid 1990s to compete with the more established CART series, eventually causing a significant decline in the sports' fan base.
``What made IndyCar racing so strong for so long was that it represented innovation and technology with a strong fan base,'' said Hull, who is in his 20th year with the team. ``We have to relate to that existing fan base. Lets enhance the brand by moving forward, and I think Randy Bernard can do that, he has that kind of background.''
Even if that background has nothing to do with racing, as Bernard freely admits.
``Last week, it was like drinking water out of a fire hose,'' Bernard said. ``I learned a lot, it was a tremendous week. I'm more motivated today and more excited than I was when I started.''
He said he doesn't want to be too aggressive in the beginning and is at a stage where he is starting to get to understand some concepts and ideas, analyzing what is right and wrong and what needs to be done to improve the series.
``Everyone is very excited about the opportunities we have and I think that it's great coming from a sport that I built from nothing to all the way to where it was,'' Bernard said. ``I hope to bring that type of momentum and opportunity to the Indy Racing League.''
