It is time for the 2017 Verizon IndyCar season. Testing is over, the cars are prepped, the drivers are ready, and St. Petersburg is laid out. Time to do this for real. We here at ReadMotorsport are excited to get the IndyCar season underway, starting with Practice 1 on Friday March 10 on the streets of St. Petersburg in Florida, with the race on Sunday March 12. To prepare you all for the upcoming 17-race season, here are three reasons to get excited about the 2017 IndyCar season.
Twitter: Couldn’t come sooner!
This @IndyCar #FirestoneGP commercial is getting us so excited! https://t.co/zhMyeSDtCR (@GPSTPETE)
1. IndyCar popularity is on the rise
IndyCar viewership numbers and attendance have seen a steady rise recently. According to the official IndyCar website, IndyCar experienced a 38 percent bump in both television ratings and viewership between 2013-15 and an additional seven percent in 2016. That is tremendous growth for the domestic open-wheel series.
“The release of the 2017 Verizon IndyCar Series schedule continues to build upon the success IndyCar has experienced the last three years and establishes continuity and consistency in our event calendar.
“As a series we are working diligently to create long-term relationships with our promoters to establish date equity and to provide them with the opportunity to initiate ticket renewals and event promotions earlier, which is pivotal to continuing the increase in attendance at our events,” said Mark Miles, CEO of Hulman & Co., the parent of IndyCar and the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
The growth of the American open-wheel series comes at a time when worldwide numbers for Formula 1 are on the decline. So the IndyCar marketers are definitely doing something right. Add to that the positive exposure the series received when driver James Hinchcliffe appeared on “Dancing With the Stars”, IndyCar popularity is on the rise. With the promise of creating long-term promoter relationships, it could be prime time for IndyCar to capitalize on its popularity ahead of the universal aero changes in 2018.
2. Driver changes
A number of drivers are starring for new teams this upcoming season. Most notably, Josef Newgarden at Team Penske, taking over for Juan Pablo Montoya (Montoya will still run at the 101st Indianapolis 500). With Penske behind him, Newgarden has a great chance at the driver’s championship.
The all-new tandem of Conor Daly and Carlos Munoz at A. J. Foyt Enterprises. The pair are both on the rise and teaming together at A. J. Foyt Enterprises, could potentially give fans a glimpse at the future of IndyCar inter-team battles with two young, hotshot drivers, similar to F1.
Veteran driver Takuma Sato has joined Andretti Autosport, his presence could play a big role in how Andretti develops with Honda.
In addition to the driver changes, there is one rookie in the field, Dale Coyne Racing’s Ed Jones. It’ll be interesting to see how the 2016 Indy Lights champion fairs alongside tougher competition.
3. The 101st Indianapolis 500
The 2016 edition featured the most dramatic finish in years, and a surprise win by reigning IndyCar rookie of the year, Alexander Rossi. The 2017 version will be a bit more tempered in terms of pageantry compared to 2016, when the iconic race was celebrating its centennial running, but the promise of exciting on-track is just same. With all the drivers gunning for the milk in victory lane and the Borg-Warner Trophy, with several aiming for multiple wins at the “greatest spectacle in racing”, the 2017 Indianapolis 500 will definitely be one to watch.
