IndyCar Offers $5 million for Win by Driver from Another Series

[ScionDriver]

Link from USA Today

The Izod IndyCar Series confirmed its 2011 season finale at Las Vegas Motor Speedway with an enticing twist: A $5 million reward to any driver from another series who can win the race.

"We showcase our drivers as being the very best, fastest and most versatile in the world," IndyCar Randy Bernard said. "We are putting our money where our mouth is. If any race car driver in the world outside of the IZOD IndyCar Series can win the Vegas race, we will give you $5 million. We will accept five entries for this challenge, with entrants being determined by mid-summer."

While I think this is a really neat idea and could make it very interesting, hardly anything will come of it, because NASCAR and F1 are both still in season at this point so likely no drivers will attempt to do it.

I think it'd be cool if they did though, like Tony Stewart going back to Indy Cars or Jeff Gordon trying his hand at it. I think it'd be really crazy if Schumacher was retired and could be coaxed into it, but again I don't think any of this will happen.

[NicFromLA]

Some say he thinks American auto racing is a joke and that his eyeballs physically bleed when he's forced to watch Top Gear USA . . . All we know is he's called THE STIG.

How great would it be if he won the race?

[LHamilton_w]

Some say he thinks American auto racing is a joke and that his eyeballs physically bleed when he's forced to watch Top Gear USA . . . All we know is he's called THE STIG.

How great would it be if he won the race?

It would be awesome. LOL that would be $5 million for TG to play with to possibly bring special tests of rarer cars and/or a longer season, and most certainly don't expect the Stig to utter a word in the press conference.

So, who is "baby" stig? Except, if stig raced his reputation would be put on the line and he would have to hate more drivers than just Barrichello

[pimento]

He also have to reveal which racing series he is a part of (presumable that's part of being selected...), greatly narrowing down who he might be - not gonna happen. Would be amusing though.

I wonder if they'd have to be actively participating in another race series to be considered? That would considerably narrow the options for entry - and the likelyhood they'd have to pay anyone out.

[culver]

God I hate this. In the old days Indy was on par with F1. In some ways it was ahead. In the old days there was real energy and excitement involved with Indy. Sadly the current series is a shell of what it used to be. Perhaps the problem is Indy, unlike NASCAR and F1 was a race, not a series. The days of developing cars for a single race and testing them for the month leading up to the race are over. Under CART for a while Indy had a great series but ever since the split (which was based on a number of legitimate concerns) Indy has been a disappointment. It makes me sad to say it since I feel if run correctly it could have shown just how bad (and expensive) a joke F1 has become. Here's hoping that Indy will recover. This stunt isn't going to make it recover.

[csl177]

"We showcase our drivers as being the very best, fastest and most versatile in the world," IndyCar Randy Bernard said.

Sure they are. That's why they're exploiting their extraordinary skills in Indycar, a near-spec open wheel series with declining ticket sales. Vegas makes it a double promotion, conveniently on an oval. Not saying there's no talent in Indycar, on the contrary... but it must seem a backwater to drivers with greater ambitions.

As a PR stunt this is the equivalent of smack between WWF and NWA. Randy's $5,000,000 is safe from any possible "challenger".

Gotta say it would be perfect if TG put up the Stig, though.

[ScionDriver]

Sure they are. That's why they're exploiting their extraordinary skills in Indycar, a near-spec open wheel series with declining ticket sales. Vegas makes it a double promotion, conveniently on an oval. Not saying there's no talent in Indycar, on the contrary... but it must seem a backwater to drivers with greater ambitions.

As a PR stunt this is the equivalent of smack between WWF and NWA. Randy's $5,000,000 is safe from any possible "challenger".

Gotta say it would be perfect if TG put up the Stig, though.

Yeah it's sad, there are a lot of good drivers in Indy and if there were promise of any kind of financial gain they'd stay in Indy rather than jump to NASCAR the first chance they get (think Tony Stewart or Dario Franchitti). The first chance a good driver gets to jump to a series with more money potential they do it. It could be an awesome series but it's just been poorly managed it seems.

[Cobrafan427]

I think Tony Stewart will jump at this opportunity just because he loves to race, no matter what car he's in. Earnhardt Jr. is a possibility as well (although a long shot) because he has also shown interest in driving other cars like the Corvette C5-R and the Aussie V8 Supercar at Bathurst. I personally would like to see one of the Le Mans Series drivers participate like Allen McNish or Pedro Lamy just for shits and giggles. Oh and Bourdais too just for hopes of seeing him crash through the catch fence haha

[NSXType-R]

Are they sad that Danica Patrick went to NASCAR?

[drakkie]

Maybe an interesting outsider would be Robert Doornbos

[LHamilton_w]

It would be epic if Raikkonen decided to participate and win, but the chances of that are 1 in a million unfortunately. :/

[cmcpokey]

Are they sad that Danica Patrick went to NASCAR?

something tells me that no. no they aren't sad she left.

[ringle]

This has Jacques Villeneuve written all over it.

However someone more well-rounded like Robby Gordon may be better suited to take up the challenge.

[ScionDriver]

This has Jacques Villeneuve written all over it.

However someone more well-rounded like Robby Gordon may be better suited to take up the challenge.

Looks like you aren't wrong. Rumor has it Villeneuve is mulling it over and so is former WRC Champ Petter Solberg. I guess the $5 mil prize has drawn more attention than we thought it might!

Source

Villeneuve has not raced in Indy-style racing since September 1995, when he bowed out as champion and headed to Formula 1 with Williams.

He has always ruled out returning to American single-seater racing, and declined to comment on the Las Vegas race earlier this week. But a spokesperson for the 1997 world champion confirmed that discussions were ongoing.