Night-before Nuggets

I had a full-fledged post going, and it was tentatively titled, "33 1/3." It was to go on at intestinal-turning length about how having exactly one-third of this year's Indianapolis 500 field as Americans is the perfect balance between domestic and import. But, AIN'T NOBODY GOT TIME FOR THAT.

It's the night before The Big Show, so let's get on with some random musings, shall we?

Right.

We're doing our part. My fellow Social Media Garage grease monkeys and I "interviewed" the director of Turbo, yesterday. Nice man. Anywho, I make a point to say there's an incredible buzz in the IndyCar community about his new animated film about a snail that dreams of racing in the Indianapolis 500. His response: "Oh, really? Great!"

MOTHER.

Look, I've been pounding the idea that the tide about this movie needs to swing back toward IndyCar for it to do us any good. The fact David Soren had no idea we've been pimping Turbo, like we have, is certainly disappointing, but we're doing the right thing and it's all we can do. Frowny face. Keep on keeping on.   

Tha-tha-tha-thrilla... You lingering Paul Tracy fans--"Hi, I'm Chris, and I'm a PT fan"--he is at The Speedway, working the Canadian telly broadcast. Good to see him in the environs, regardless of the circumstances. By the way: Their broadcast stage is at the exit of turn 4 on the inside. Cool location, though, I'll prolly never see shots from it.

Peace and quiet. Made mention of it on Twitter, but worth stating, again. IMS on Legends Day is a joy--a crazy dichotomy in comparison to the day before, Carb Day. Unrestrained debauchery is (thankfully) replaced with a refreshing dose of measured reverence for the Indy 500. A great day just to wander and soak in the magic. If you haven't made it to one, make it a point.

Write it down. Number 8, Ryan Briscoe, is your 2013 Indianapolis 500 champion. Yeah, he starts 23rd. Yeah, it's a Honda. Yeah, it's a one-off, but he's capable. I made the prediction at the start of May and I'm sticking to it.

The only way to start race day. 9:30 in the Social Media Garage, of course. Steph Wallcraft, of More Front Wing fame, is pulling together an informal tweetup to kick off race day and provide us all a chance to connect before the month ends, way too soon. Simply, if you're on the grounds, no reason not to be there. Hope to see you.

Can you hear me, now? It's always difficult for me to get tweets out on race day, so you may get a well-earned day off--or not. Stay tuned. 

Early to bed... Tomorrow begins early--like, tonight, to be exact. I've heard arrival times anywhere from 4:00 am to 6:00, depending. SIMMER. This is not a complaint. Just a testament to the deep-seated love folks have for this venerable event.  

Go for a drive. If you can appreciate grand, vintage architecture, take a spin up Indianapolis' Meridian St. Just beautiful, and long--the homes just keep going.

Pay homage to Thr3e Wise Men. Located in Indy's trendy Broad Ripple district, 3WM is a micro brewery and eatery. House-made brews and tasty sandwiches and pizza. Nod to Steve Wittich and his better half, Liz for the intoxicating tip. 

More than just a job. If you don't think Mr. Randy Bernard was emotionally invested in the IZOD IndyCar Series, check out his last few tweets. What exec trods back to the execution grounds, just because he cares? And keeps his former employer's name in his Twitter handle? Not dredging up an argument, just saying...

Monster Bash. Curt Cavin tweeted, today, that in its 6-year existence, the Carb Night Burger Bash has raised nearly $100,000 for charity. STRONG. On top of that, it's become a must if your in town on Indy 500 Friday. Proper recognition to Mr. Johnny Rutherford, Scott Dixon, Alex Tagliani, Conor Daly, and Pippa Mann for showing up, last night, to give the fans a little bit of payback.

That's quite enough. This was supposed to be short.

Look. Whether your at home or at the track, tomorrow, just have a great day. If it's not an awesome race, I'll eat my hat. The most wonderful time of year doesn't come around often enough, so savor every moment.

Thanks for reading and following.

--Chris

To win, IndyCar must ENGAGE the Turbo

Dreamworks

If chatter is the telltale, the new animated movie, Turbo—which centers around a snail that aspires to race in the Indianapolis 500 and is scheduled for release in July—is the greatest thing to happen to the '500' and IndyCar racing since...well...whatever the last great thing was to happen to the Indy 500 and IndyCar racing.

But here's the rub. In my opinion, if open-wheel racing in America is to properly capitalize on the opportunity, IndyCar has to leverage it—proactively.

Just hoping a bunch of kids trot out to see it (which they will) and instantly become IndyCar fans (which is up for debate) isn't enough.

When you watched Hoosiers, did you start following high school hoops? Maybe. When you saw Ricky Booby take on Jean Girard, did you become a NASCAR fan? Perhaps.

The point is, the odds are better if you activate.

As much as I'd like to think there's a buzzing war room at 16th and Georgetown dedicated to making the most of the opportunity, I doubt there is. If I'm wrong, tell me—I'll be happy to take the hit.

For my part, here's four random ideas on how to convert Turbo fans into IndyCar aficionados.

What good is a turbo, if you don't light it up?

Give credit where credit is due
Pay to be in the movie. It's simple: Once the credits roll—or whenever—the 2014 Indy 500 logo pops up, with the date of the event, and the verbiage, "To learn more about the Indianapolis 500 and IndyCar racing, visit Indy500.com." Maybe throw in some authentic turbo whine for an aural element.

The Turbo trailer trailer
Loaded with flat-screens, blasting the movie's trailer; crazy cool graphics; simulators; some real Indy-cars; and more, it travels to all the races, goes to kids' museums, and other highly populated locales spreading the gospel of the almighty open-wheel car.

Premiere I
In Hollywood—of course. Get cars out there—old and new—like we did for IZOD [weeps]. Lots of drivers: Dario, Hinch, RHR, Helio, Sim, and Pip (a natural with the little ones) for starts. Be VISIBLE. Make people understand that IndyCar racing is a real-life discipline they can actually experience. It's obvious to us, but it may not be to them.

Premiere II
At the Speedway. Of course! Picture this: It's nighttime...the pagoda is replete in lights...there's a movie screen nearly the size of the one at Marco's crib—let's say, like 300' wide (work with me here)—positioned on the front stretch, and the stands are PACKED with anyone that wants to attend. FREE. This time, the stars come to us—red carpet, Entertainment Tonight, main-stream media, real-life snail races, whatevs! Again, your relating the imaginary to the real.

Will it work? Can we afford it? Hell, I don't know, I'm just the idea man.

Look. I came up with this fluff in an hour or so, when I should have been working. The point is, what if some peeps who are actually smart really thought about it? Then we make the most of the opportunity. But if you don't activate, it's a fail...and if you wait too late to activate, it's a fail. The planning needs to be done NOW, and the promotion needs to start NOW.

C'mon, IMS & IndyCar... We got this! Pssst... will relocate for funds.

—Chris    

Be the one-billionth person to watch the official Turbo trailer, here.