The End of the Road…Sort Of
I won’t drag this out, and I’ll get straight to the point. Change is bad, but there are about to be some major changes here at Oilpressure.com. Many of you probably remember that in August of 2023, I wrote an article that incurred the wrath of IndyCar – well, one person in particular with IndyCar who will remain nameless.
Shortly after I was harshly berated for my transgression, I was warned by some of my fellow media-members that she has a reputation for yanking Hard Cards – the annual season-long credential that gives media types preferred status at all the races. I had held a Hard Card since 2016, but when it came time to renew for 2024 – it was denied.
I was given a blah, blah, blah explanation how Hard Cards were being evaluated differently, but strangely enough – all of my contemporaries got theirs renewed. I was told I was welcomed to apply to each individual track for credentials. At many of those tracks with no Hard Card, Susan and I no longer had reserved seats in the media centers, when we always had previously. IMS, Road America and Nashville were the only tracks where nothing had changed.
Things hit rock bottom at Milwaukee. We had no seats in the media center, and were granted no pit access (first world problems, I know). When I asked where I was expected to post from, I was told to post from my car – not exactly the answer I was looking for. When I wrote about that in my Friday morning post from our Milwaukee hotel room, many of you readers took to Twitter to complain to IndyCar. By 10:00 am, I received a phone call letting me know we would have seats in the media center after all, and our pit access would be restored. When the Nashville race rolled around, I was treated like a king!
After what happened in Milwaukee, I decided that I would request my Hard Card be reinstated for 2025. If they refused, that would be it for the site. The tension between me and “that person” became increasingly awkward as last season progressed. I grew tired of the battle. I started this site when I was 50. I’m now 66, and have reached the age where I don’t really feel like playing games anymore. So, I was prepared to shut things down totally if they refused.
Well, last week they refused. I have been told by a few readers over the past year or so, that they can tell I’m getting tired of this – as if I’m going through the motions. It’s not that I’m getting tired or bored; it’s that I’m frustrated that this site is now being scrutinized for anything that could be interpreted as “negative”. It has taken the fun out of things to know that one person with power, now controls what I have enjoyed and been passionate about for 16 years. In short, it’s just not any fun anymore – and it’s all because of one person who showed up just 5 years ago.
The thing is – there is still a part of me that wants to continue. Also, I don’t want to give that person the satisfaction of thinking she drove me away from something I love. Therefore this site will take a dramatic turn, but will still be around. Here is what I plan to do: I will abandon the three times a week format. Admittedly, I have grown tired of coming up with topics three times a week, fifty-two weeks a year. My posts will now come sporadically, and only when I feel strongly enough about something to write about it. I may post on a Tuesday or on a weekend. There will no longer be a schedule. I may post twice a week or once a month – I have no idea. I would suggest subscribing through the RSS function to be notified whenever I do post.
I will no longer post a regularly scheduled Random Thoughts race recap on Monday mornings, or a Race Preview on Friday mornings. If I’m totally blown away by a race, or if something significant happens – I may write some type of recap or something. But I no longer have the desire to try to make a boring race sound exciting on Monday morning.
On the brighter side, the Month of May will stay the same. The Indianapolis 500 has always been my true love in motorsports. I will post here every day in May, as I always have. There will be another Trivia Contest, and I’ve already gotten assurances that we will continue to be credentialed in May. The folks at IMS still appreciate what we do here. We plan to attend all three weekends in May, so absolutely nothing about this site will change in May.
But Susan and I are going to drastically cut back our race travel, strictly because of IndyCar’s decision. The only tracks we plan to visit in-person this year are IMS, Road America and Nashville. IMS and Road America are our two favorite tracks anyway, and we are already here for Nashville. It’s too much of a hassle to go through each track and beg for credentials, only to be treated like a second-class citizen, when we used to be treated so well. We will approach those race weekends when we travel as we always have, and will post from those sites multiple times throughout the race weekend.
For years, it always amazed me that IndyCar treated us the same as they treated the folks from ESPN, NBC or any major news outlet. We were never treated like lowly bloggers. During the 2024 season, we were made to feel very unwelcome at many tracks; all because of one article that hit one person the wrong way. That has been very frustrating and quite frankly, it’s disappointing.
I know some of you are disappointed at this development, as well. Some probably don’t blame me, while others probably think I’m being a big baby and taking my ball home, because they ruffled my feathers. I knew I would give up this site at some point, but I wanted to go out on my terms. I now feel like I am being shoved out, simply because I wrote an article that did not follow the narrative. For the last year, I have been writing articles that I thought IndyCar would approve of. Now it doesn’t really matter. When I do post articles here, you can be assured I am giving you my true thoughts.
This is not the end, but things will be different here going forward and I hope you understand. Please accept my heartfelt thanks for all of you that have followed this site for years. It was a life-changing event when I started this site on May 1, 2009 – almost sixteen years ago. That’s why I don’t want to fully give it up. Please continue to check back here for when I do post. I may have something here later this week, but I may not. It all depends. For me, this is a good compromise. I’ll still be engaged, but I’ll no longer have the pressure of cranking out three posts a week. That person with IndyCar may have actually done me a favor – but I’ll promise you, that was not her intention.
Until next time…
George Phillips
Oilpressure 
February 10, 2025 at 5:06 am
Well, that’s a big bummer but understandable. Your posts have been one of my favorite parts of being an IndyCar fan and I’ve always looked forward to reading your thoughts and stories. Thank you for all the time and energy you’ve put into sharing with us. Enjoy your new freedom, and I hope to see you at the track again some time.
February 10, 2025 at 6:03 am
I am really sorry to read this. I have always enjoyed your opinions and, more than once, you have brought a viewpoint I hadn’t considered. Along with that, I have enjoyed running into you and Susan at the tracks and chatting for a bit. I am glad you’ll be continuing the page and I hope to run into you at Indy this year.
February 10, 2025 at 6:04 am
Change is bad. But your schedule has always been a demanding one and it’s understandable to cut back as you approach retirement. Habits are hard to break though, and I’m sure I’ll keep clicking on Oilpressure every M, W and F for awhile, having done it since the beginning. I’m sorry the Indycar representative doesn’t understand the value of your blog or the foolishness of censoring a writer who is such a supporter of Indycar and who has such a love for all things IMS. Good luck, George, maybe change isn’t always so bad.
February 10, 2025 at 7:52 am
Very understandable decision on your part. It’s amazing someone can have such thin skin within the IndyCar organization. I went back and re-read your post which asked valid questions about IndyCar. It’s a shame they pulled your card because of that.
Look forward to reading whatever you post, George.
February 10, 2025 at 8:20 am
Although I rarely comment, I have been reading your blog religiously for 15 years. I look forward to reading about your unfiltered opinions going forward as I usually agree with you. I also look forward to seeing you and Susan occasionally at Charlie Brown’s or at the track. Thanks for sharing and thanks for your passion for this site!
February 10, 2025 at 8:51 am
What shameful and cowardly behavior from the series! Having such a prickly reaction to constructive criticism from an avid supporter is incredibly unbecoming.
While I am very sorry to see this happen, I thank you for your years of work on this site and thank you for the writing that is still to come. Hope to see you and Susan at the track again some time.
February 10, 2025 at 12:23 pm
100% second this post. Shameful & cowardly.
February 10, 2025 at 9:07 am
This is extremely disappointing. How does IndyCar (or I guess this particular person) not understand that your blog brings more viewers to IndyCar and is a good way for fans to connect. I am thankful that you are not completely shutting down. It will be nice for you I’m sure to not worry about the time schedule. Just don’t be like me and let too much time go between posts. I’m very thankful that May will look the same. Look forward to seeing you both in Indy and Road America.
February 10, 2025 at 9:33 am
It would appear that the TRUMP era mentality has lashed out to OIL PRESSURE.
Nothing like a grain of sand to be reprimaned as if were a mountain.
Such petty response to free speech only reflects poorly on the appropriate INDY Car entities to be and is NOT the American way.
Such action towards free speech only brings to public understanding an INDY car policy making entity ethic holding the ……. to those involved with INDY car.
Abide / play by my rules or suffer the consequences………. petty mentality results which spread like wildfire and only serves and encourages a dimishing fan base.
Pity goes out to ALL INDY Car team owners, INDY Car team personnel, INDY Car drivers, track owners, and public media relations staff who must also toe the line or be similar reprimanded………. or worse?
Too bad Robin Miller is no longrer with us…..
George – Imagine that you would be in good company along with Robin since he also would be banished for using his inherent Freedom of Speech.
Please do not surrender and give this ………
person the satisfaction of knowing that they “got you….”
Reapply and publish…. Do not give “them” the satisfaction of ultimately quitting.
Thank you George and Susan both for your endless endurance and longstanding tolerance.
February 14, 2025 at 10:13 pm
“Trump era mentality”? You’re not a blue haired lesbian by any chance are you?
February 10, 2025 at 10:36 am
That’s a real shame that they didn’t renew your hard cards, especially since there are others that I would think would be denied way before you. But look at this as a blessing for you and Susan.
As we grow older (I retired at the end of 2020), sometimes we don’t like what we see for the future of our favorite passion (insert career, sport, hobby, etc. here) because of changes we don’t agree with. You may begin to feel that your experience or knowledge is no longer appreciated, or that they aren’t listening because you’re just the old guy that will be retiring soon anyways.
When that crossover point happens, and you start to feel those things, it’s time to go. I re-read your article and saw nothing wrong with anything that you wrote back then. IF I was Indycar management, I would have appreciated such information as something we needed to work on for the future (which is still true). But unfortunately, there are those that can’t take constructive criticism without reacting negatively.
So my advice, is to give them what they want. Once your passion becomes more like a job, it’s time to move on. I spent 42 years at “my passion” and it got to the point where we just were not on the same sheet of music anymore. I still enjoyed “country”, while they wanted everyone to enjoy “techno” … or else. Once they said “Or else”, I knew it was time to go.
Definitely going to miss your regular blogs here, but will definitely also be very happy when one of your random posts come into my mailbox! Enjoy your retirement George.. and don’t look back.
February 10, 2025 at 12:09 pm
Looking forward to seeing you in June – May is a busy month for us away from IMS, so the ‘500’ will be our only weekend this year.
February 10, 2025 at 4:03 pm
d
February 10, 2025 at 4:08 pm
First off….Thank you George. I’ve been reading since year one. Back then there were several IndyCar blogs. Ianucci. Pressdog. Will from Isitmayyet. Others as well. But one by one they all dropped off. I really appreciate you staying in there all these years. It’s been a privledge reading your blog. A real treat. I will terribly miss your regular posts, but I totally understand. It’s amazing you’ve been able to keep going at this pace for so many years. It’s a lot of work and we all are so grateful. Thanks again George.
February 10, 2025 at 4:05 pm
G
February 10, 2025 at 4:08 pm
Oops…hit the send key by accident. George, sorry to read that you are going to cut back on your thrice-a-week blogs. Like some have already stated, I’m a regular reader even if I don’t comment very often. I have thoroughly enjoyed your blogs, and hope you’l be around in a reduced fashion as long as YOU want to. Very disappointed in the IndyCar series for how they’ve treated you. I look forward to your blogs in May.
February 10, 2025 at 9:33 pm
Finding your blog many years ago was such a wonderful discovery. I would read Oilpressure MWF mornings before I even looked at my work email. I have enjoyed both yours and Susan’s posts. And the photos have been a lot of fun. I was so pleased to have the opportunity to meet you both at Fontana in 2013.
Thank you again for all of your efforts and honesty.
February 11, 2025 at 4:21 pm
It was the “The Scowl vs the Smile” article you wrote years ago that pulled me in to becoming a regular reader to oilpressure dot com. It resonated with me closely, having never been a fan of the scowl that seemed to elevate coolness over happiness with lots of my peers, which is a really sad kind of pecking order on the palette of possible self-expression when you think about it.
Given what you have written in this here article about the party line / narrative, I wonder how that “The Scowl vs the Smile” would be received today by whoever it is that your writing has rubbed the wrong way, since that old posting was a direct criticism of promotional efforts by the Series.
Thank you for creating this blog and for all the great coverage throughout the years. It’s been a pleasure.
Here’s wishing you and Susan a happy retirement.
I’m glad that you are going to post again whenever you feel like you want to say something. I hope this does not mean the end to your annual article on buzz words. All of those have been very interesting for this non-native speaker. And I also hope that letting go of the posting schedule gives is going to free you time windows and ideas for further episodes of this site’s own video series, “One Take Only”. Be it a hot take or a slow take, it was always a lot of fun to see you and John banter a bit like the guys from The Honeymooners.
Thank you Susan for your trackside photography posts. They provided an angle and point of view rarely seen: that of a fan up close with their stars. It showed the Series in a light that made it obvious how welcoming it has been to its fans.
Of course, I will miss your trackside coverage, but I’m happy for you that you are going to visit some races this year.
In recent years, I have been getting the impression that the blogosphere of old where likeminded people from all walks of life could engage in interesting conversations about their favorite topics and even get good new ideas from the present swarm intelligence, seems to be on the way out, largely to be replaced by machine-curated and ultimately soul-less feeds of so-called social media site providers whose sole purpose is to lure its users into looking at more ad-space for longer periods of time. I kind of feel inclined to call those algorithms the smarm intelligence in comparison.
So, I’m glad that your blog is not going out but merely downshifting because the world sure could use some swarm intelligence at a time when the feeds are dishing up nonsense by the truckload. Thank you for speaking out in this article on how the upcoming changes have occurred.
All the best to both of you. And please feel free to give my regards to John.yannick1m@
February 14, 2025 at 10:20 pm
I knew this day was coming, but I hate to hear it. If I have learned anything from this site, it is that change is BAD. I certainly understand your reasons though, and I don’t blame you. No need for you to stick to a set schedule, but I hope you don’t go too long without giving us your thoughts on what is happening in the series. I’ve always enjoyed your perspective. Take care of Susan, and hope to see you at Barber.
February 21, 2025 at 3:16 pm
It’s actually terribly becoming. We’ve reached peak late stage capitalism. People worship billionaires and give them essentially unlimited power in every sector of society and wonder when silencing and intimidation become the norm. It only gets worse from here.