Well it finally came. The answer we have been waiting to hear for the last few days (or for more than 10 years for some). The series have merged and there is now one open-wheel series in the US.
So as excited as everyone has been for this news, I think there have been some who haven't really stopped to think about what this could mean for the series...A few thoughts of mine below...
- More sponsor dollars. Splitting a target market into two series and then splitting sponsor dollars between the two series just doesn't make sense. Advertisers going after the type of consumer who follows open-wheel racing now have a single series to put money into. I think this can only be a good thing for both sides.
- More talent in the series. The best of the best in US open wheel racing. This will make for more exciting racing, including more cars competing for spots in each race. Qualifying will become more important which will cause teams to improve in order to compete amongst themselves and improve the level of racing in the series.
- Names. Like it or not, Champ Car did have some big name drivers in the series. Fan favorite (ha!) Paul Tracy and son of legend Bobby Rahal, Graham, the influx of big name drivers to go along with the stars of the IndyCar series will provide fans the opportunity to build some team/driver loyalty in the same way that NASCAR has done. The merchandising opportunities with that kind of driver loyalty are huge.
- More races. This one is pretty simple for the fans - we love it! But, this also adds a few more races to get sponsors -- that's a good thing.
- Bottom line...the merger means more money for the series. More money = the absolute best and most popular drivers = the best and most popular racing.
What do you think will be the biggest results/changes coming away from this announcement?
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