Kokomo —
The timing of the ousting of Randy Bernard as CEO of IndyCar couldn’t have been worst for teams and tracks looking to sign 2013 sponsorship packages.
After denying last week that Bernard was fired by the Indianapolis Motor Speedway directors, it was then announced on Sunday that his days at the throttle of the organization were at an end.
The IMS board has to act quickly to name a replacement for Bernard, someone who can take over the reins of the organization and restore confidence among the teams and potential sponsors that IndyCar really has a clue what is taking place.
Now is the time of the year that sponsors begin to decide whether or not to stay involved with a race team or event or look for another venue to spend their advertising dollars with.
It certainly didn’t help matters when car owner Roger Penske called Bernard’s dismissal poor judgment and stated that the board has no future plan to take IndyCar to the next level.
After a disastrous finish to the 2011 season, IndyCar bounced back with the new chassis and engine packages and one of the best Indianapolis 500s in memory.
Instead of building on that success, the IMS board has elected to part ways with Bernard and not immediately name a replacement.
Whoever becomes the next CEO of IndyCar has to be given a long-term contract, at least five years, with a no-cut clause. That’s needed to assure sponsors the series has long-range plans and there is a design for future growth.
With Indy Racing League founder Tony George wanting to purchase IndyCar, that might be the direction to take to save major open-wheel racing in the U.S. George recently resigned from the IMS board, eliminating a potential conflict of interest.
IndyCar cannot survive on the Indianapolis 500 alone, it needs to have a strong schedule of oval, street and road courses. Each race has to build on the rest to be successful.
There isn’t an announced timetable for the naming of a new IndyCar CEO, but it should include some input from the team owners and series title sponsor, Izod.
Open-wheel racing has gone through a crisis in the past with CART and IRL, a split that almost ended the racing for good.
An immediate and long-term solution is mandatory to alleviate the fears of the sponsors, team owners and most importantly the fans.
In other racing news
• The Chase for the Sprint Cup title is basically down to five-time champion Jimmie Johnson and Brad Keselowski. Johnson holds a two-point lead over Keselowski with three races remaining.
Denny Hamlin’s chances of the title ended when his Toyota suffered a mechanical problem resulting in a 33rd-place finish at Martinsville.
Keselowski salvaged a sixth-place finish at Martinsville after starting 32nd. The right pit strategy at the finish kept him in the hunt for the title.
• The United States Speed Association has announced that the Glen Niebel Classic for non-wing sprint cars will take place on Sunday, April 14 at Anderson Speedway. The 100-lap event will be the first of as many as eight USSA sanctioned non-winged sprint races in the Midwest.
Series officials are in discussions with Lucas Oil Raceway, Illiana Speedway, Limaland Speedway, Toledo Speedway and Angola Speedway about potential race dates.
If USSA can’t make the non-wing series financially successful in 2013, it could mean the end of traditional non-wing pavement sprint car races in the Midwest.
• Ken de la Bastide may be reached at ken.delabastide@kokomotribune.com or 765-454-8580.
Sports columns
de la Bastide: Bernard’s departure leaves IndyCar Series in turmoil
Chase for Sprint Cup title down to two
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GASKINS: Hibbert’s block was thing of beauty
For the better part of the NBA season, ESPN devoted all kinds of time on SportsCenter episodes to replays of two dunks. Anyone who watches any ESPN at all surely knows the two to which I’m referring: 6-foot-11 DeAndre Jordan of the Los Angeles Clippers posterizing 6-3 Brandon Knight of the Detroit Pistons, and 6-8 LeBron James of the Miami Heat hammering home a dunk over 6-2 Jason Terry of the Boston Celtics.
Day after day, ESPN commentators lavished endless praise, which quickly grew tiresome. The dunks were strong, but Jordan and James were much taller and heavier than Knight and Terry and the dunkers also caught perfect alley-oop passes with the defenders in poor positions to defend. Still, ESPN commentators loved these plays.
I kept wondering if a great defensive play would receive the same kind of love. -
Gas City I-69 Speedway has big show in store
Weather permitting, the local racing action will kick off this weekend as the Gas City I-69 Speedway will play host to the USAC Amsoil National Sprint Car Series on Friday night.
Last week’s scheduled opener for the bullring in Grant County fell victim to the heavy rains that besieged large portions of central Indiana. -
BOWMAN: Frederickson ready for his 20th year of racing
As hard as it is to believe, when Kokomo’s Jamie Frederickson rolls onto a race track in the coming days, it will mark his 20th year of toiling in a non-wing sprint car.
Entering this season, Frederickson has high hopes as a result of the previous 19 years honing his craft and bettering his equipment.
“This year is pretty much like I am every year,” said Frederickson. “My main goal is that I would really like to pick up a feature win at some time this year. I don’t care where it’s at and how I do it, I just want to win a feature before this year is over.” -
Indiana’s Crean simply fails to inspire confidence
Survive and advance?
More like, struggle and aggravate.
Such is the frustrating reality for Indiana University men’s basketball fans this season. Blessed with roster talent rivaled only by Hoosier teams of lore, coach Tom Crean stumbles his way through game plans, matchups and adjustments; the outcome is occasionally brilliant, but largely inconsistent and underachieving.
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GASKINS: Schultes' deaths hit hard
Like many others, I am walking around with a pit in my stomach following the senseless deaths of Dennis and Judy Schulte earlier this week in Seattle. The retired Kokomo couple was walking with their daughter-in-law, Karina Schulte, and her 10-day-old son when they were slammed into by a suspected drunk driver.
Dennis had deep roots in Western athletics. He was a longtime assistant coach in football and wrestling and later the head coach in wrestling. In addition, he was a rock-solid teacher in the math department. Judy worked in education at Northwestern. -
Hoban had zeal for Tigers
While Merrill Hoban put his signature on Howard County basketball during a 12-year reign as coach at Northwestern High School, it was his influence and lasting relationships with players, students, colleagues, friends and family that will be remembered most fondly. Hoban, 91, was a teacher at Northwestern for 31 years. He died Wednesday at St. Joseph Hospital.
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de la Bastide: Questions aplenty in IndyCar
The long-awaited start of the Izod IndyCar Series season kicks off this weekend on the street course at St. Petersburg with 25 cars entered for the event.
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de la Bastide: NASCAR’s Gen 6 car passes first test on 1.5-mile oval
In its first appearance on a 1.5-mile oval, tracks that dominate the Sprint Cup Series, the new Gen 6 car has to be given a passing grade.
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de la Bastide: Gen 6 car facing big test
Two races into the Sprint Cup season and the jury remains out on whether or not the new Gen 6 car is going to improve the racing in NASCAR’s top division.
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de la Bastide: Indiana should help IMS
For almost a century the Indianapolis Motor Speedway has been the biggest draw in terms of tourism dollars in Indiana. Now it is requesting some public assistance to enhance that impact.
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