In my day job, a big part of my job is to oversee disputes between some of the different departments I work with, and whenever possible – manage compromises. Sometime and somewhere in the early part of my career, someone told me that the definition of a successful compromise is when all parties walk away mad. I’m not sure that I subscribe to that theory, but if that’s the case – the policy for managing attendance for this year’s Indianapolis 500 has been a rousing success.
Archive for June, 2020
It’s All About Having Choices
Posted in IndyCar on June 29, 2020 by OilpressureDon’t Believe Everything He Says
Posted in IndyCar on June 26, 2020 by Oilpressure
By Susan Phillips
Note from George: It’s been a while since my wife, Susan, posted anything on here. I mentioned that to her over Father’s Day weekend. Whenever she writes something here I don’t tell her what to say, nor do I make her change anything that I don’t agree with. Today is one of those times when I don’t agree with everything she has written, but I’m happy for the break and she can post whatever she wants. – GP
I know that everyone is looking forward to all of the IndyCar racing that will be coming at us over the next few weekends in July, but no one is as excited about it as I am. It’s not because I’m the biggest race fan out there—but I will enjoy watching them. It’s because George will finally get back to what makes him happy in the summer.
Feast or Famine
Posted in IndyCar on June 24, 2020 by Oilpressure
All of us have been lamenting the fact that after a three-month delay to the start of the IndyCar season, there is now another month between the opening race at Texas and the next race on the road course at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. I think everyone understands that it’s because Richmond was cancelled and Road America took the date previously vacated by Toronto, so that they could make sure fans would be able to attend in July. But that doesn’t make this month of inactivity after the season-opening race any easier to swallow.
What Defines a Hall of Fame Career?
Posted in IndyCar on June 19, 2020 by Oilpressure
I rarely discuss NASCAR here, and when I do – it’s normally not in a very flattering way. This takes me out of my wheelhouse to discuss NASCAR, but it will get back around to the NTT IndyCar Series and the Indianapolis 500 (at least a little bit), so bear with me.
For the Love of the Sport
Posted in IndyCar on June 17, 2020 by Oilpressure
As the country begins to re-open along with sports and sporting events, I am more and more grateful, than I already was, to be a fan of the NTT IndyCar Series. IndyCar was not the first sport back, but they didn’t need to be. That was more due to scheduling issues and logistics, just like this one-month layoff between the first and second races. That is no one’s fault. But with Richmond canceling and Road America wisely taking Toronto’s vacated date created a void after the Texas race.
This Could Be an Interesting Decision
Posted in IndyCar on June 15, 2020 by Oilpressure
Michael Andretti has his fingers in a lot of different pies. Not only does he own and operate a successful five-car team in the NTT IndyCar Series, he owns a successful team in Indy Lights – even though that series is on hiatus for this season. He also owns a team in Formula E as well as a Global RallyCross team. In the past, he has owned teams in ALMS, A1GP, US F2000 and Star Mazda. He is used to evaluating talent and making some tough business decisions.
An Idea Whose Time Has Come…and Gone
Posted in IndyCar on June 12, 2020 by Oilpressure
Every week, I enjoy reading Robin Miller’s Mailbag that he posts every Wednesday morning on Racer.com. I like to see what other IndyCar fans are thinking, but I also like to read his responses. Not only are they humorous, but more times than not – I learn something new. Some say they are bothered by the negativity on there, but I find it entertaining. It’s sort of like listening to Donald Davidson on The Talk of Gasoline Alley, and hearing someone ask if it’s true that Jim Hurtubise put his Mallard through the qualifying line, only to find out he had cold beer under the hood. You know what the response is going to be, but it’s still funny when it happens as you thought.
Oilpressure 