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Indianapolis Star
a day ago
- Automotive
- Indianapolis Star
Fewer cars, bigger cities, more risks part of McLaren Racing CEO's advice for IndyCar's future
DETROIT — If you see McLaren Racing CEO Zak Brown walking around the IndyCar paddock during the tail end of the Detroit Grand Prix, and you notice he's not wearing a hard card, don't be alarmed. It's simply result of forgetting to pack it during a whirlwind couple weeks that culminated last weekend with his first Monaco Grand Prix win and bled into his first visit to the IndyCar paddock in 2025. He's not, as he joked with a small group of assembled media Saturday afternoon, run so far afoul of Roger Penske to have had his hard card pulled. But that doesn't mean Brown doesn't have bold ideas for the sport that expand far beyond Penske Entertainment's MO of prioritizing cost savings, balancing the books, making incremental steps toward growth and largely only looking toward partners in order to tackle big, bold projects, rather than stepping into the unknown and betting on the sport's brand, momentum and stars on its own. 'We need to play more offense. Sometimes, we're playing too much defense,' Brown said. ''Cost savings, cost savings, cost savings …' At some point, you've got to say, 'I want to spend more to make more.' 'I'm of the view that whatever (Roger Penske) bought (IndyCar, IMS and IMSP) for, it can (be worth) 10 (times) that, but the way to get there is to put in even more substantial investments into the sport. There's a difference between sustaining the spot and covering some losses, versus going and putting $100 million in. There's no reason why IndyCar as a series shouldn't be worth billions, but I think we need to put in more investments in key areas, and that's where the payback comes from.' Now, that's not to say Penske, Penske Corp. and Penske Entertainment haven't injected untold amounts of millions into the sport that weren't being spent before Tony George approached Penske on the grid at Laguna Seca in 2019 to gauge his interest in stewarding the sport's future. At last count in 2023, Penske had spent at least $50 million on refurbishing the Indianapolis Motor Speedway to bring it up to "Penske perfect" standards. Other sizable, notable investments in and around the sport include backstopping the ever-delayed hybrid launch that IndyCar and its manufacturers eventually had to take into their own hands to get to the finish line after a series of delays, purchasing the Long Beach Grand Prix, expanding staffing levels at key areas of IndyCar to help the sport in its attempts to seek growth and reach younger audiences in the ever-changing media landscape and taking on various levels of promoter roles at new events like Iowa, Milwaukee and Nashville. Undoubtedly, the sport is in a better place than it was before Penske took the reins, but after years of solidifying IndyCar's foundation — a process many in the paddock would privately say has lasted too long — teams outside those annually competing for championships are finding it increasingly difficult to stay afloat, with budgets that have risen as much as 30% or more in recent years and prospective partner interest not following the same trajectory. Many of the sport's biggest events have seen multiple years of attendance growth, and IndyCar, too, has experienced the occasional TV ratings win — most notably last weekend's Indy 500 that averaged more than 7 million viewers and saw a peak at 8.4 million, despite a rather lackluster closing stint. But even as series leadership parrots its off-track victories in ratings, attendance and merchandise sales, the implication around the paddock is that all isn't so swell for the teams who put their all on the line each weekend — without which the series wouldn't survive. And so, in Brown's eyes, in order for the entire ecosystem to experience a positive financial impact, the swings from series leadership need to be bigger — something ex-IndyCar team owner Michael Andretti famously said a year ago at St. Pete, only for Penske and his leadership to be up in arms privately, and public announce the creation of multiple small committees within the paddock to tackle the various issues at hand. That weekend, Penske Entertainment president and CEO Mark Miles told reporters that, among that project, Brown had been added to a new marketing committee, something which has turned into a running joke Brown brings up with any chance he gets. Because that 'committee' has never met. Brown said he was never formally invited to anything and only found out second hand of the nomination, and he quipped Saturday that perhaps he actually is the chairman of said committee, 'And maybe that's why there's been no meetings, because I'm supposed to call them.' Several of Brown's big-picture ideas aren't altogether new. After all, he's been known to release the occasional manifesto or open letter to fans and, for years, he's been the sport's loudest and most frequent voice that IndyCar should be pushing boundaries, leading instead of following, investing in more cutting edge technology in its cars and racing in bigger markets. But it was notable Saturday to hear that a meeting he had earlier in the day with Penske, Penske Corp. president Bud Denker, Penske Corp. executive VP of marketing and business development Jonathan Gibson, IMS and IndyCar president Doug Boles and Penske's son, Greg 'was one of the best meetings I've had with IndyCar,' according to Brown. 'I was very encouraged. I think they recognize the issues and opportunities. 'It was a good hour, and you could see a few raised eyebrows of, maybe everyone doesn't always say that to (Roger), but I was doing it in a productive (manner).' Brown later accused some of his rival team owners of 'when 'the captain' isn't around, they say one thing, but then when he is, they say another. When he's not around, the teams are like 'grrrr', and when he is, it's like, 'Hey, everything's great!' It's like, that's not what you said 20 minutes ago.' And I actually think that does a disservice when you don't give him real feedback.' On a positive note, Brown said the addition of Fox Sports as IndyCar's exclusive media rights partner, led by CEO Eric Shanks, has been 'mega,' noting that, 'When you look at the list of things we need, you need to get the right broadcaster, and I think we've done that. We still have the other 19 things to do, but that one has been done and done successfully.' Brown would, though, like to see IndyCar start its schedule even earlier — as early as the Saturday of the Daytona 500 race weekend, he boldly said, and if not at minimum the weekend immediately after NASCAR's Super Bowl-esque event, so as to expand IndyCar's season as much as possible and shorten the period during which it largely becomes irrelevant in the motor racing world. Like so many, he thinks IndyCar is sorely in need of a new car and an explicit road map for what that will look like. Though he understands current and prospective manufacturers are continuing to weight their options on whether to hop on board the proverbial IndyCar train for 2027 and beyond, 'but at some point, you've go to go.' As the team boss of the 2024 World Constructors' Championship in Formula 1, Brown intimately knows and has first-hand experience in the ways in which F1 commercial rightsowner Liberty Media has taken the sport to new heights, particularly in the U.S. Among the ways in which he thinks Penske should take a page out of Liberty's playbook are the ways in which F1 has twice now launched game-changing new races in the U.S. in the last five years and used those additions to supercharge the entire ecosystem with funding and revenue opportunities. 'Even though (the Las Vegas Grand Prix) isn't profitable today, it brought in a ton of new sponsors, and you've got a more lucrative TV contract. So if I look at the (IndyCar) schedule, I think we need to be in bigger cities,' Brown said of his not altogether new refrain. 'I know it's got to be fiscally difficult to say, 'I want to race in New York City,' but I think you've got to invest in a few more key markets where races may not be profitable, but you'd drive greater following of the sport, more sponsorship and bigger TV ratings. And then you'd get your money back in value creation and growth of the teams and the sport. 'The payback probably doesn't come on a race-by-race basis, but what it does is elevate the sport. You might not be making millions off of the New York Grand Prix, but you could have hundreds of millions off the value creation growth, which then drags up all the teams and gets more sponsorship.' And though Penske Entertainment launched a charter system last fall that gives full-time teams on the grid (outside newcomer Prema Racing) something tangible to be able to sell, should they wish to scale back or take advantage of tides rising within the paddock, that system comes with very little in terms of true revenue sharing that major American sports fans see across the NFL, NBA, MLB and NHL, beyond rather miniscule Leaders Circle payments ($1.2 million in 2025) that make up somewhere around 10% of an individual car's budget. Brown would love to see what he calls 'a true franchise system' for IndyCar, where teams could ride the waves the sport's governing body and ownership group are said to be feeling while also benefitting from a truly exclusive club that can't be joined without purchasing an existing team's entry, or 'charter.' Last fall, Penske Entertainment doled out 25 charters, but still allowed for Prema Racing's two open cars to make for a 27-car grid. 'Then, that means as a team, my (profit and loss) is one thing, but the value of my IndyCar team has gone up," Brown said. "You have everyone rowing in the same direction, because everyone is sharing in the growth of the sport.' And it's in that vein where Brown holds perhaps his most controversial take: the McLaren Racing CEO sees multiple cars on the grid as anchors holding IndyCar back, or parachutes significantly slowing the sport's growth potential. In his 'quality over quantity' vision, he points to Ferrari road cars and Richard Mille watches, the ownership of which exude luxury and exclusivity. 'Is it 20, or 22, or 24 cars? It's probably in that range, and all a sudden, you've got three or four people looking, and they might want to buy a franchise, and you can't get in unless you buy your way in,' he said. 'I think like any sport, 75% of your fans are mostly interested in your top teams. I don't think the fans would miss three or four cars from the grid that aren't going to win races and don't add much value. And if you have scarcity, it'll help with fewer yellow flags. These tracks are congested, and you'd probably have a better on-track product.
Forbes
2 days ago
- Business
- Forbes
Roger Penske Talks Big Indy 500 Rating, Sellout And Team Penske Moves
Indianapolis Motor Speedway owner Roger Penske gives the command, 'Drivers, Start Your Engines" at ... More the 109th Indianapolis 500 on May 29, 2025 DETROIT – Last Sunday's 109th Indianapolis 500 included a grandstand sellout of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway for the first time since 2016, and FOX Sports produced the largest television audience for an Indy 500 in 17 years. With 7.01 million viewers, including a peak audience of 8.05 million from 4:15 to 4:30 p.m. Eastern Time, Indianapolis Motor Speedway owner Roger Penske could take a victory lap. 'Well, when it comes down to FOX, they were outstanding,' Penske told me in an exclusive interview in Detroit. 'They told me when we originally shook hands to put the relationship together that they'd take the sport to the next level. 'And when I saw some of the advertisements for the race during the Super Bowl, I told FOX Sports CEO Eric Shanks, 'You are a man of your word.' 'From that point on, you could see the momentum that we had with the race, the TV, the coverage, the celebrities, the Blackhawk helicopters on the Parade Lap. 'And guess what? 'Legitimately over 330,000 people were at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway and to sell out the grandstands was just amazing.' Penske is one of the world's great businessmen and one of the top industrialists in the United States. The Penske Corporation has 77,000 employees worldwide specializing in the transportation industry. But his love is the Indianapolis 500, and the 88-year-old Penske loved what he saw last Sunday at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. 'When you think about the fans themselves, the demographics and the kids and the people were there, you have to be there and look at the impact that it has for the State of Indiana,' Penske told me. 'Probably $1 billion dollars coming out of that race weekend and the rest of things we do there. 'So, I could only say FOX was a great quarterback.' The Indianapolis 500 is cool again among the younger generation and that is important because it was always deemed cool from younger fans beginning after World War, II to the mid-1990s. Then came the infamous, split between CART and the Indy 500 over the creation of the Indy Racing League. But in recent years, more younger fans are turning out at the Indianapolis 500 and that is very important to the rise of success that continues to happen at Indy in May. That is also evident by the television numbers as FOX brings a more youthful approach to its telecasts of the NTT IndyCar Series and the Indianapolis 500. 'I think one thing you've got to take a look at is that the 18- to 36-year-olds was up 100 percent when you looked at TV audience,' Penske said. 'I would say that we also had a tremendous amount of young people, a lot more women than we've had in the past. So, the sport I think is resonating across, many different age groups, certainly from the standpoint of the fan base. 'But more important, the fact that we were able to deliver an event like that on Memorial Day, for the men and women in our military, the first responders. 'When you look at the outcome, I think our team, Doug Boles (IndyCar and Indianapolis Motor Speedway President), Mark Miles (Penske Entertainment CEO), the whole team there did an outstanding job.' The race day experience is also bigger and better than ever. That was one of Penske's visions when he purchased the Indianapolis Motor Speedway from the Hulman-George Family on November 4, 2019. Despite the COVID-19 pandemic forcing the 2020 Indy 500 to be held without spectators, Penske plan to improve the race day experience is his No. 1 priority. 'Well, I think it's come together very steady, and we're not done yet because what we are concerned about, how do we make the guests, the fans, have a greater experience?' Penske responded. 'And that certainly is what we're trying to do, and I think we're accomplishing that each and every race.' As the owner of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, IndyCar and the Indianapolis 500, the Month of May was a big success for Penske. But as team owner of Team Penske, he was forced to dismiss three key members of management after the team was rocked by a second scandal in as many years. Last year, it was manipulation of the push-to-pass system in the season-opening race at St. Petersburg. Penske suspended team leadership from being at Indy in 2025. When a second scandal hit on Pole Day when the teams for the No. 2 Chevrolet for Josef Newgarden and the No. 12 Chevrolet for Will Power had modified the rear attenuator, Penske took strong and decisive action. Team Penske IndyCar President Tim Cindric, along with the team's Managing Director Ron Ruzewski and General Manager Kyle Moyer were dismissed from the team. I asked Penske how important it was to get out in front of that and regain control of what had happened at Team Penske, he gave a short, but direct, response. 'Well, I think it's all been said,' Penske said. 'I don't think I have to say it again. 'We understand the penalty. We accepted the penalty, and we're moving on.' Penske gave high praise for this year's Indianapolis 500 winner, Alex Palou of Spain. He is proving that he is a generational talent and could ultimately become one of the greatest drivers in IndyCar history. But Penske gave even higher praise to team owner Chip Ganassi. 'Remember, it takes a team to make a winner, and I'd have to say, Ganassi is a pro team,' Penske told me. 'They've had success at Indy and obviously winning a number of IndyCar Series championships, so I think the combination is first class. 'They are going to be tough to beat all year.' Penske has made a career by being tough to beat, both in business and in racing. As a team owner, he has won a record 20 Indy 500s. Penske knows a winner when he sees one and this year's Indy 500 was a big win for his organization, for FOX and for IndyCar fans. For just the third time in the last three decades, Sunday's Indianapolis 500 will be the most watched motorsports event on American television as 7.01 million viewers tuned into the FOX broadcast with a peak of 8.5 million for the climactic ending from 4:15 to 4:30 p.m. Eastern Time. By comparison, 6.4 million viewers watched February's Daytona 500, also on FOX. The only other times the Indy 500 has received a higher rating than the Daytona 500 was in 1995 and 2021. It was also the most-watched Indianapolis 500 in 17 years (7,245,000 viewers in 2008). This is the first year all IndyCar Series races are broadcast on FOX including the Indianapolis 500. The network has aggressively promoted the NTT IndyCar Series and interest level in this form of racing appears to be on the rise. It was also the first time since the 100th Indianapolis 500 in 2016 that all grandstand seats were sold out. Indianapolis Motor Speedway President and IndyCar Series President Doug Boles announced the attendance at 350,000 spectators during Monday night's Indianapolis 500 Victory Celebration at the JW Marriott Hotel in downtown Indianapolis. The Indianapolis 500 purse record was broken for the fourth year in a row for the 109th Running of the Indianapolis 500 presented by Gainbridge, with first-time winner Alex Palou of Chip Ganassi Racing earning $3.8 million from a total purse of $20,283,000. It was the largest purse in the century-plus history of 'The Greatest Spectacle in Racing' on the heels of four consecutive record-breaking years. This year's average payout for NTT IndyCar Series drivers was $596,500, which also exceeds last year's average of $543,000. In 2024, the Indianapolis 500 purse was $18,456,000, and the year's winner payout was $4.3 million, which included a $440,000 roll-over bonus from BorgWarner for earning back-to-back wins. In 2023, the Indianapolis 500 purse was $17,021,500, and the winner earned $3.7 million. In 2022, the Indianapolis 500 purse was $16,000,200, and the winner earned $3.1 million. Prior to 2022, the largest Indianapolis 500 purse was $14.4 million for the 2008 Indianapolis 500.
Car and Driver
4 days ago
- Automotive
- Car and Driver
Porsche Teases the 963 RSP, a Roadgoing Endurance Racer
Porsche released a teaser video for a new one-off car called the 963 RSP. The 963 RSP appears to be based on the 963 endurance race car that has won twice at the 24 Hours of Daytona. Only one will be built, and we expect it to make its debut ahead of this year's 24 Hours of Le Mans, which starts on June 14. Last month, Porsche took the time to highlight an obscure vehicle from its past, a special 917 race car from 1975 that was converted from endurance-racing spec for street use. While it wasn't entirely clear why Porsche was bringing attention to this undeniably cool piece of automotive history, a video released at the time hinted that Porsche was cooking up something special. Now we know that Porsche is planning to unveil a one-off version of its current endurance racer, the 963, that could also be road-legal. In a new teaser video, Porsche revealed the name of this special creation: the Porsche 963 RSP. We're not entirely sure what RSP stands for, as this moniker has never been used in Porsche's illustrious and alphanumeric-filled past. Our friends over at Road & Track pointed out that those letters match the initials of Roger Penske (whose middle name is Seale), the motorsports mogul who owns the team that operates Porsche's factory endurance racing program and has seen massive success in both IMSA and the FIA World Endurance Championship. In the video, we see Porsche workers handcrafting the 963 RSP, presented in an ASMR-style format. The workers cut and sew upholstery, sand down carbon-fiber body panels, and mix paint. We also see the employees attaching a real Porsche badge to what appears to be the car's hood, an important distinction since the real race car wears the Porsche crest as a sticker to save weight and improve aerodynamics. Caleb Miller | Car and Driver The Porsche 963 race car in action at the 2023 24 Hours of Daytona. No details were provided about the 963 RSP, other than the fact that only one will be built. The RSP will likely be closely related to the 963 race car, which has won the 24 Hours of Daytona in back-to-back years with Porsche Penske Motorsport, as well as the IMSA Teams' Championship for the top class in 2024. The race car features a twin-turbocharged V-8 mated to a seven-speed sequential transmission and a rear-mounted electric motor, and we expect the RSP's powertrain to follow a similar approach. We think the 963 RSP will likely debut ahead of the 2025 24 Hours of Le Mans, which kicks off on June 14. Caleb Miller Associate News Editor Caleb Miller began blogging about cars at 13 years old, and he realized his dream of writing for a car magazine after graduating from Carnegie Mellon University and joining the Car and Driver team. He loves quirky and obscure autos, aiming to one day own something bizarre like a Nissan S-Cargo, and is an avid motorsports fan.
Forbes
4 days ago
- Business
- Forbes
Indianapolis 500 Final Results: The Good And The Bad For Roger Penske
The good: The 2025 Indianapolis 500 had an average viewership on Fox Sports of 7.05 million on May 25. That was the highest television ratings for the event since 2008 and up from 5.02 million in 2024, the last time NBC televised the race. It was also better that the almost 6.8 million viewers for the Daytona 500 in February, NASCAR's biggest race, also televised by Fox. Since the mid-1990s, NASCAR has dominated IndyCar racing in the United States. In the 1990s, IndyCar was split between competing series. NASCAR zoomed by. This year, on television at least, IndyCar took the lead. The bad: The Indy 500 had some embarrassments. Two cars owned by Penske, who also owns the Indianapolis Motor Speedway and the IndyCar Series, were forced to start from the back of the race. That was because of a cheating scandal. On top of that, Marcus Ericsson, who finished second in the Indy 500, was penalized for a rules violation and officially came in 31st out of 33 cars. For Roger Penske, 88, it was at best a mixed bag. Penske has used racing to promote his transportation businesses. He's won a lot at the Indianapolis 500 races as a team owner (20, actually) and has also been a winner in NASCAR. Penske promotes a winning image, with professionalism and preparation. He owns major auto dealerships and a truck rental business. But this year, he fired three leading members of his IndyCar racing teams after the Indianapolis racing scandal. Professionalism and preparation seemed to be a thing of the past. The businessman, in a Fox Sports interview with Jamie Little, said changes may take place in IndyCar, such as a more independent body to oversee the Indy series. That remains to be seen. The IndyCar series this week moves on from Indy to a Detroit event. For now, the Indianapolis 500 is, more or less, at a high. IndyCar faces other issues. Does the series have a succession plan? Nobody outside of the series, or Penske, really knows. One addition for IndyCar in 2026 is the IndyCar Grand Prix of Arlington, where Penske is joining forces with Dallas Cowboys owner, Jerry Jones, 82. Then again, Penske has gotten used to working with aging business moguls. Fox Sports is controlled by Rupert Murdoch, 94.
New York Times
25-05-2025
- Automotive
- New York Times
Indy 500's Penske cheating scandal explained
IndyCar powerhouse Team Penske fired its entire senior leadership team Wednesday morning, just five days before the Indianapolis 500, after being caught in a cheating scandal that has overshadowed the world's biggest auto race. Roger Penske, who owns the racing team, the IndyCar Series and Indianapolis Motor Speedway, announced team president Tim Cindric, managing director Ron Ruzewski and general manager Kyle Moyer had all left the organization. No replacements were announced for a team that had entered May as the prohibitive favorite to win Penske his 21st Indy 500 — as driver Josef Newgarden goes for his unprecedented third straight victory in the 'Greatest Spectacle in Racing.' 'Nothing is more important than the integrity of our sport and our race teams,' Penske said in a statement. 'We have had organizational failures during the last two years, and we had to make necessary changes. I apologize to our fans, our partners and our organization for letting them down.' Read more below. GO FURTHER Team Penske fires senior leadership team in wake of cheating scandal
