Penske Entertainment CEO Mark Miles has hired McLaren Racing CEO Zac Brown as part of a small new task force designed to help improve the IndyCar Series' marketing efforts. .
More accurately, and humorously, Miles said so in an interview before the Brown lobbying actually took place. Oversights were handled with care.
“I read that,” Brown said wryly. “I've talked to him since then, and I've definitely talked a lot about the opportunities that I think we're missing out on to make the sport better and take advantage of what I think this sport is capable of in the future.” I have an opinion and would be happy to help.”
As a young driver in the American and European junior open-wheel scene, Brown stood out among his competitors with his ability to attract sponsors. A huge success, he moved into the business side of racing with the formation of Just Marketing Incorporated, before his knowledge attracted the interest of McLaren, and while he found a partner willing to inject huge investment into the company, he moved on to F1. I've led the team.
Conversely, Penske's core strengths are mostly demonstrated in business-to-business transactions that require minimal marketing on behalf of series owners. Recruiting Brown and other astute marketing minds to address IndyCar's longstanding biggest weaknesses is a smart move, and as Los Angeles native Brown said, it's a smart move to bring in opinions and opinions that could greatly improve the series. It's not that I lack ideas.
“I think there's a lot of room to optimize the race schedule,” Brown said. “I think some of the recent changes are fine. Once the season starts, it might make a lot more sense to have non-championship races, like pre-season, tests and races. In a great market. I think it would be a shame to lose one Texas.As for the doubleheader, I think the sponsors don't see it as two races, so a doubleheader would be a solution to expand the race calendar. I don't think so.
“I think we need some cars, and I've been saying this for a while, new cars. I don't think we should introduce new technology in the middle of the season. With hybrids coming out. , I think it's a high risk for a little reward. Why not just finish this season and call it a day? There are still 78 races left, so what's the rush? Wouldn't it be better to finish the season and give all teams a chance to properly modify their equipment for 2025?
“I think the drivers are the stars and we need to put them on a pedestal. And a proper podium. It may sound like a small thing, but considering the attention the podium ceremony gets. And the image that comes from that…
Brown was one of many who embarrassed the series and the drivers who stood on the cut-rate podium in Thermal Club's Million Dollar Challenge.
“I didn't think it was good enough for the level of IndyCar,” he continued. “I think it takes investment. And I think these things get sponsors and get a proper podium. Sometimes you have to invest and then get sponsors and wait for the sponsors to come to you. It may mean, but there's a lot of social media and images and exposure generated from the podium and I don't think it's a missed opportunity to get a proper podium.”
Brown was unimpressed with the podium at Thermal Club.James Black/IndyCar Media
F1 broadcasts are rich with analysis and strategic predictions that engage viewers on a deeper level. This is another area where Brown welcomes change in IndyCar.
“I think whoever the new broadcaster is, whether it's the same broadcast or whatever the new TV deal is, we can do a better job of showing the race,” he said. “I think it's good to get into predictive scenarios. You hear a lot of things like, 'They're on red tires.' Unless you're a really big fan, and I consider myself a big fan. Unless you're thinking that, you want the next level of information: “Because it's a soft tire, your lap will be 0.5 seconds faster.'' If Pato didn't catch up with Joseph by the 8th lap, the tire would come off and the strategy wouldn't work. ”
“To help the fans understand how the race is unfolding and the strategy behind it. I don't think it's always that clear, so I think there's room for improvement.”
The number of cars, charters, and the overall value of IndyCar was another big concern for Brown.
“We need to focus on quality over quantity,” he said. “I don't think a NASCAR show would be that bad with fewer cars than the 'must have 43 cars' magic.
“There are 20 cars in F1, 27 (Indy), 29 cars, lots of red flags at Nashville, lots of yellow flags at Laguna Seca. I think we need to focus more on the quality than the quantity of what we do. I think once you get to about 20, the fans won't care as much. Then the other six, seven, eight, nine. What are these machines doing other than frequently raising red flags?
“So I think there's a lot of room for improvement. I think schedule-wise we really need to get into the East Coast. I think there are two things that will increase the value of the sport: Generate cash. But there is also franchise value.”
Brown, who brought McLaren into the all-electric Formula E series ahead of the 2022-23 season, wonders why the 10-year-old series, which has a modest fan base, is so much more popular than IndyCar, whose roots go back more than a century. Wondering if it's worth it.
“If you look at the value of Formula E, I don't know how many IndyCars were bought for – if you believe the rumors that it's close to $300 million – but from a financial perspective, Formula E With all due respect to Formula E, Formula E doesn't have the history of IndyCar when it's trading at double the price, but I think there's a lot of value creation and it's a huge growth opportunity. ” he said.
“So I think you can take the view and invest in street racing where you might not make any money on street racing itself. IndyCar limited the number of teams, so if there was more supply and demand, IndyCar racing would be limited to 22 teams. You can create a dynamic where the value is much higher. Demand; get more favorable media deals.
“More sponsors come on board, so more teams want to come on board. But if you have limited teams, you have to create franchise value. So as an industry we consider I think that’s what we need to do.”
