Tony George resigns as CEO of IMS

[Whee]

Originally Posted by smitdavi

Got to disagree with you on this one Sean. He did so much for the track and basically financially kept the IRL and it's teams afloat for the last handful of years. People like me who REALLY like open wheel racing owe a little gratitude to him. He turned a relic of a track into the mecca of motor sports and a world class racing facility. Yes he is responsible for the split, but he had a good idea in theory. He basically he also funded the merger last year. I'm afraid the new board will stop funding the IRL and it's teams therefore making the series and the sport extinct. I am truly worried for the future of open wheeled racing. Changes did need to happen and I do think it is a needed move. He did a lot of good for the sport. No where else do you see the CEO of a major racing facility and the face of a series at local dirt shows watching the young talent. I hope and pray for the best for the series and the track. Also I keep my fingers crossed that they bring F1 back to the states.

We will have to disagree. I grew up 50 miles north of the track. Started working at the Kokomo Speedway when I was 10 (got to love the mid 70s labor laws) Went to the track alot as a kid.

Once the split occurred, open wheel racing started a decline that continues today. NASCAR capitalized on that. I can applaud him for financing the IRL, but in the end, he didn;t deliver what he initially promised. A less expensive, oval based, American driven sport.

The IRL was struggling before TG left. Small fields, unexciting racing, lack of fan interest. When the biggest draw and attention grabber are boobs(god love 'er though)(and the pr mill is hot with rumors of her move to NASCAR, which would be a disaster) you know you are hurting.

Now if you want to hang out at Bloomington, Paragon, or Lincoln Park (not even sure the last two still exist) and watch good racing, then