AUSTIN, Texas — While a new NTT IndyCar Series schedule that kicked off with the Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg in mid-March, some believe a 17-race season isn’t enough.
However, IndyCar management, led by Hulman & Co. CEO Mark Miles and IndyCar President Jay Frye, has done a very good job of hitting areas all over North America while keeping the series economically feasible to its teams.
There remain a few gaps on the schedule that Miles would like to fill, but for the next few years the schedule will remain at 17 events.
A race schedule should feature the best possible events at the best possible venues and the second race on the NTT IndyCar Series schedule is the IndyCar Classic (See separate story on pages 36-37) at Circuit of The Americas in Austin, Texas.
For many of the teams that participated in IndyCar’s Spring Training event Feb. 12-13, it was their first experience at the spectacular racing venue.
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“The track is phenomenal,” said defending Indianapolis 500 winner and 2014 IndyCar champion Will Power, who drives the No. 12 Verizon Team Penske Chevrolet. “I love it, love it, love it! It’s very technical, obviously a lot of complexes. … Great facilities, all the drivers are stoked to be here.”
The annual preseason test is usually a great indicator of what to expect during the upcoming season. And despite the fact 2018 Indy Lights champion Pato O’Ward has left Harding Steinbrenner Racing, Colton Herta remains on the Honda team and the 18-year-old was very impressive during the two-day test.
Herta was the fastest driver in three of the four sessions. IndyCar star Alexander Rossi of Andretti Autosport claimed the fast time in the final session, but Herta surprised many by turning the fastest lap on the 3.41-mile permanent road.
“This track just suits my driving style a lot,” Herta said. “The team has been working really hard to get the car where it needs to be. Obviously, they’ve made really big gains in the wintertime compared to last year, and we’re kind of seeing that. Really stout job by the boys.”
Twenty-five car and driver combinations participated in the two-day test, with drivers racking up more than 8,000 miles. Only a few years ago, a full field for the IndyCar Series was 18 to 20 cars.
When Miles was hired by Hulman & Co. in late 2012 as the CEO, he was charged with building IndyCar back to relevance while bringing in more money to the company. Under his regime, the schedule has improved, car count is up, new teams have joined the series and a bold, new television package is in place that will feature eight races on NBC with the remaining nine on NBCSN.
From 2014-’18, Miles helped secure entitlement sponsorship from Verizon. Beginning in 2019, the new sponsor is global technology company NTT.
Although NTT is not a consumer-based product, it is involved with providing technology and other data to some of the biggest companies in the world. That is a chance for these companies to be introduced to IndyCar as a potential platform for business opportunities.
In December 2013, Miles hired Frye as the chief revenue officer for Hulman Motorsports — which includes IndyCar and Indianapolis Motor Speedway. After the 2015 season concluded, Frye was named president of competition and operations for IndyCar.
Frye’s leadership has paid tremendous benefits for IndyCar. He engaged the teams in the paddock and listened to what they had to say before making decisions. He scrapped the competitive aero kits to come up with a sleek, new aerodynamic package that is featured on all cars. He has helped improve the schedule, strengthened relationships with the manufacturers and continues to evolve what he calls a “five-year plan” that will include a new engine formula that features more than 900 horsepower.
Last December, Frye was rewarded for his efforts by being promoted to the position of IndyCar president. With additional responsibilities that include overseeing IndyCar’s marketing and communications efforts, Frye may have been the busiest man at COTA, meeting with drivers, owners and other series partners.
The tide has turned for IndyCar, as the series is now described in positive tones instead of the negativity that plagued this form of racing for close to 25 years.
Oh, and the racing on the track is pretty good, too. In fact, it might be the most thrilling and competitive racing of any series on the planet.
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