IndyCar Psychology

[IceMan PJN]

I wonder about where the IndyCar community stands psychologically.

Imagine a yapping ankle-biter that's the size of a shoe but acts like it's a Rottweiler. That seems to be the mindset of Indy commentators and fans. They hype up their sport, especially the Indianapolis 500, with false or baseless statements at every opportunity.

Just today I've heard the Indy 500 referred to as "the biggest race in the world." How do they figure? Even the 500 has lower viewership than any Sprint Cup race. Even looking at global viewership, it falls far shy of the hundreds of millions that tune in to any F1 race. On the same day as the Indy 500, over half a billion people will watch the Monaco Grand Prix.

Then Indianapolis is "the greatest race track in the world." How do they figure?

A few years back, I believe it was turn four that they said was "the most challenging corner in all of motorsports." How can you support that statement?

 

[GTPorsche]

There's a thing called hype.

 

[sumbrownkid]

We as American cherish our skills in hyping.

Why are all our sports teams that win titles called world champions, when none of the games are played outside the States and Canada? Nor do other countries besides the States and Canada have professional teams in our leagues.

 

[zippy_the_cat]

Why are all our sports teams that win titles called world champions, when none of the games are played outside the States and Canada?

Myth busted. Baseball is played in Central America, the Caribbean, and significant parts of Asia. Not, on the basis of the available data, at quite the same level as MLB, but quite extensively and at the professional level.

American football is a different kettle of fish. That pretty much is a NA-only thing, the odd club team in Europe notwithstanding. The rest of the world generally prefers rugby when it plays games with an oval ball, and in the broadcasts of it that I've seen the game is sometimes called football.

 

[BKGlover]

The way the US leagues are set up, supposedly they are the world's best players competeing against each other. Look at the NHL, not a lot of games outside NA, but the rosters are full of Europeans. For the NBA, look at the olympics the last 20 years, USA superstars vs the World's best and the game is a 30 point frollic. That said, Europeans and Asians are represented. MLB is a large chunk either Latin-Americans or players from Latin families, but the world does thow a few out there. NFL? Umm... back to indy.

The biggest thing is that they know the product is down, and that interest is down. They try to appeal to people's nostalgia. Mainly because that's all they have left.

 

[NFSCARBON1]

Isn't Indy still classed as one of the Motorsports Triple Crown?

So I suppose on that basis it is the joint greatest race in the world, if nothing else.

 

[Seismica]

American football is a different kettle of fish. That pretty much is a NA-only thing, the odd club team in Europe notwithstanding. The rest of the world generally prefers rugby when it plays games with an oval ball, and in the broadcasts of it that I've seen the game is sometimes called football.

That would be Australian football.

I really do find it odd that the Indy 500 is supposedly the biggest race in the world, but yeah that must be the hype behind it. In terms of world sports, we have to remember that F1 for a long time catered to an almost exclusively European audience (And still does to some extent, when you consider how race start times are set).

 

[Earth]

Just today I've heard the Indy 500 referred to as "the biggest race in the world." How do they figure? Even the 500 has lower viewership than any Sprint Cup race. Even looking at global viewership, it falls far shy of the hundreds of millions that tune in to any F1 race. On the same day as the Indy 500, over half a billion people will watch the Monaco Grand Prix.

How about being the largest single day sporting event in the world? 250,000 permanent seats with countless thousands more in the infield.

Then Indianapolis is "the greatest race track in the world." How do they figure?

Its 104 years old, and has stayed relatively unchanged. Many great drivers have competed there, including former/future and even a reigning F1 World Champion.

A few years back, I believe it was turn four that they said was "the most challenging corner in all of motorsports." How can you support that statement?

1994 Emerson Fittipaldi crashes out of the lead in Turn 4 (Later admitted in an interview it was a driving error, not a malfunction on the car)

:43 in video


1995 Michael Andretti crashes out of the lead in Turn 4

11:31 in video


2002 Tomas Scheckter crashes out of the lead in Turn 4

8:33 in video


2011 JR Hildebrand crashes out of the lead in Turn 4

2:20 in video

 

[zippy_the_cat]

That would be Australian football.

I was watching a Super Rugby broadcast (Southern Kings v Brumbies, ended in a draw) and the announcer was calling it football. Super Rugby <> Aussie Rules.

Edit: The picture at the top of this thread, by the way, is hi-lariously priceless.

 

[Cap'n Jack]

1994 Emerson Fittipaldi crashes out of the lead in Turn 4 (Later admitted in an interview it was a driving error, not a malfunction on the car)

1995 Michael Andretti crashes out of the lead in Turn 4

2002 Tomas Scheckter crashes out of the lead in Turn 4

2011 JR Hildebrand crashes out of the lead in Turn 4

I was just reading an article on Autosport.com written by Dan Wheldon's engineer at Ganassi, Andy Brown, who gave a basic description of each four corners. According to him, turns 1 and 3 are the hardest of the four. He described turn 4 as "the easiest, a slower entry speed like Turn 2, but without the bumps and ripples".

Some of the claims made while hyping up the Indy 500 are a bit over the top but it's not the only race series or event to get that same treatment. I was watching the NASCAR All-Star race last weekend and it was claimed to be the race "everyone wants to race in" or something along those lines. V8 Supercars commentators quite often claim that the drivers in the V8 field are "the best in the world".

 

[Wilbur]

My take on it is to be one of those races just about anyone in a major city in the world that people actually know or heard of. It might not be this massive race that people assume it should be but it is a hard race, it has alot to go wrong, and it holds alot of history behind it.

 

[Earth]

I was just reading an article on Autosport.com written by Dan Wheldon's engineer at Ganassi, Andy Brown, who gave a basic description of each four corners. According to him, turns 1 and 3 are the hardest of the four. He described turn 4 as "the easiest, a slower entry speed like Turn 2, but without the bumps and ripples".

Some of the claims made while hyping up the Indy 500 are a bit over the top but it's not the only race series or event to get that same treatment. I was watching the NASCAR All-Star race last weekend and it was claimed to be the race "everyone wants to race in" or something along those lines. V8 Supercars commentators quite often claim that the drivers in the V8 field are "the best in the world".

1999 Arie Luyendyk crashes out of the lead in Turn 3



2003 Scott Sharp crashes out of the lead in Turn 1

 

[BKGlover]

On making those "best/greatest" claims- Well, yeah. What else are they supposed to say,"Our guys couldn't outrun Grandma's wheelchair, go watch something else."? Of course they're gonna exagerate and strech whatever they can, it's how the hook the magpies in. Let's face it, no one organization has the World's best. Best in the world? Maybe, but not the World's best. NASCAR has a lot of drivers other organizations would love to have, as does F1, and WRC, and V8s, the list goes on. NFL level talent can go play Arena League or UFL ball, and some NFL teams pick players from those organizations. It's all hype, and as a racing fan it's easiest to let it run off your back and only recall the event.