Indy Lights Racing Series by: Jim Gandolf

I have really love open wheel racing my whole life. From the time I used to race my marbles in the top of a game box, sitting on that comic orange shag carpet in 1971 Cheering on the blue marble as if it was the Johnny Lighting Special. Times were hard on me as a young boy in that time frame of my life. I as a young man just tried to make it through life by dreaming about Indy 500 type racing (Open Wheel is what we call it). I absolutely love IndyCar Series racing, and Formula One, and just about any type of open wheel racing. I do feel that there is the step child syndrome for the stepping stone side of IndyCar; Which is the IndyLights, Mazda Road to Indy, Formula 2000 series. I really don't like to mention the NASCAR word, but here we go, I do like what they (NASCAR) do to get a race car driver prepared for the next stepping stone in life as a race car driver. ARCA to the NASCAR Trucks and Nationwide series there are situations that a whole team can get an education on all levels of that sport. Pit stops, are so vital in IndyCar, but in know way to test a person from the start to move that person up the latter in sports. ARCA and the next steps up in NASCAR pit stop and training for the drivers and crew members to get real practices in a live race. This is where my favorite racing series is failing (IndyCar) to keep the cost down and working as a team on all levels to help team owners and potential race car drives trained to be intuitive, efficient, and fully executed the roles of each race team. Actually having IndyCar driver's drive in some of these IndyLights races as a tie in to help promote better team style and effective operation system for up in comers (Drivers, Crew personnel, and new team owner's). Fan interaction and excitement of a great race. What can IndyCar do? Make a system implement of pit stop activities for the stepping stone platforms to the road to Indy. Management system to keep the cost down for these stepping stone series in IndyCar. Management of the marketing and move along sponsor's to get these companies ready for main series IndyCar. Cross branding on each level of these series (Formula 2000, Mazda, IndyLights, and IndyCar) to achieve total excitement across the world about open wheel here in the USA. Sponsor's can grow with the sport in each interaction with a real numbers report system and sales reports of merchandizing systems. Getting major educational schools to do education systems on all levels, to market share classes, and PR campaigns, to hospitality, and crew member support, plus race car drivers nutritional support, and crew health. Then people that think open wheel racing is kind of a scramble to UN answers for so many fans, and what a system to make the Verizon IndyCar Series the best racing on the planet. Will this work? Yes! It all starts at the top!

Jim Gandolf