[Keith Collantine]

Big news in IndyCar tonight as Randy Bernard has lost his position as CEO:

http://blogs.indystar.com/racingexpert/2012/10/28/randy-bernard-out-as-indycar-ceo/

This is troubling news. Bernard has only been at the helm for three years and Tony George – who was a major mover in the disastrous CART/IRL split of the mid-nineties – has been rumoured to be looking to take control of the championship again.

[Antonio Nartea]

This is bad. I’m curious what the reasons might be. I’m sure it has to do something with some of Bernard’s many controversial decisions regarding the series’ future, but which one?! There was absolutely nothing that announced his departure and I seriously doubt it was an amicable split. Generally, sudden changes in ownership/management are NOT amicable and NOT a good sign, no matter what type of business they occur into.

I don’t know what the insides are and I’m sure a better job could have been done with the series (I always thought the reduced-size calendar was an awful idea and it contributed to IndyCar sinking rather low in terms of popularity this season) but a change in management is NOT what IC needs now, in the post-Dan Wheldon era, especially since Bernard’s attempts to steer the competition back into some of what made CART great could have proved to be quite a smart long term prospect.

I hope the IMSC will be wise enough to give the job to someone with even more / a wider vision than Bernard. Someone who could actually do a better job running the competition. Those Tony George rumours are a bit scary, for now…

[Lin1876]

Hmm, list of things IndyCar doesn’t need right now.

I’m speculating here, but the fact this has all been so sudden leads me to suspect that he’s made a new proposition which has upset the powers that be. That’s a shame, because the series was really, really good this season and they needed to keep that momentum. Like @tony031r I hope the Tony George rumours aren’t true, though I fear he might be. Not much happens in IndyCar without his direct involvement, unfortunately.

[Prisoner Monkeys]

If even half the things that have been written about the consortium looking to leverage Bernard out of his position are true, then there is only one way this can end: in disaster.

From the sounds of things, they are infatuated with their own ideas on how the sport should be run, and unable to see anything beyond themselves. They are so convinced that they know best, and they need no further evidence that they are right beyond the knowledge that they are the ones who believe it, that they cannot accept that anyone else could be even half as good for the sport as they are.

[BasCB]

I am not sure where I read this, but I think I saw an interesting piece over the power struggle and how the author had some clues pointing to Bernard stepping down, but on his own terms to influence where the series goes from now.
Big shame I don’t remember where and when that was, because if its back to the T. George I fear it’ll be back to the infighting days.

[Keith Collantine]

A furious denunciation of the decision by Robin Miller and he’s absolutely, 100% spot-on:

For the first time in decades, Indy car racing had a chance to be new and exciting and that’s exactly what it was in 2012.

Of course instead of celebrating an American champion and some of the best racing of the modern day, we’ve been preoccupied with the rumours of Randy’s demise and the return of TG’s vision for months.

http://auto-racing.speedtv.com/article/miller-no-cure-for-indycars-stupidity/

[Keith Collantine]

And here comes Tony George:

http://blogs.indystar.com/racingexpert/2012/10/31/whats-the-value-of-indycar/

This is getting too painful to watch.

[Keith Collantine]

This is also worth a read, it goes into the details of what motivated the turn against Bernard:

http://auto-racing.speedtv.com/article/pruett-the-firing-of-indycar-ceo-randy-bernard-part-1/P1

[Author]

Posts