RideLust

IndyCar heads to Vegas for their last race of 2011.

I’m pulling for open wheel racing in the United States, I really am. Last season proved that even perennial underdogs like Dale Coyne Racing can still win races, and most events came down to last-lap shootouts with two or three cars. Wheel to wheel racing was back, and the on-track action was finally better than watching Danica Patrick’s post-race, pit-row tantrums. It looked like the bizarre hype of the old days, when Champ Car tried to rely on Gene Simmons, pro wrestlers, carnival rides and live music to build attendance, was finally behind us. And then I see their latest marketing brainstorm: IndyCar is offering a $5 million bonus for an “outsider” to win the final event of the 2011 calendar, scheduled for October 16 in Las Vegas. Read More…