IndyCar Season Opens This Weekend in Brazil

The joke goes -- in several variations -- that if former Professional Bull Riders CEO Randy Bernard can hang on more than 8-seconds in his new job as CEO of theIZOD IndyCar Series, he will have some serious potential.

He grabbed the IndyCar reins officially March 1 and gets his first true ride this weekend as the series opens Sunday in Sao Paulo, Brazil.

Loaded with Brazilian drivers, sponsored by many Brazilian companies in a country that adores auto racing, it's fair to say the IndyCar series will get a larger and warmer reception in Sao Paulo this weekend than at many other stops on its expanded 17-race schedule.

And that goes to the heart of Bernard's greatest and most pressing challenge: Promotion! Promotion! Promotion!

Now unified as the country's premier open-wheel circuit, the IZOD IndyCar Series has exciting racing, close finishes and the top championship dramas of any major racing series.

But it's the best racing show people aren't watching enough of.

Judging by his resume and his lauded reputation for bringing the Pro Bull Riders tour into the mainstream, Bernard may be just the man to rope the attention and prosperity American open-wheel racing deserves.

"I think what we need is to step it up promotionally and from what I understand that's his (Bernhard) forte,'' Team Penske driver Ryan Briscoe said, sounding encouraged by the change in leadership.

"Hopefully he's the ticket to success here.''

After interviewing drivers, team owners and fans for months and having covered the series since its inception in 1996, here are some ideas offered up for Bernard's consideration:

No. 1 -- Get the television package right.

The series' primary broadcast partner, VERSUS, still isn't on DirectTV and the two sides don't sound any closer to an agreement than they did last fall when the channel was dropped over a rate hike disagreement. It affects a lot of potential Indy converts and it's a shame because VERSUS does a really great job of covering the series.

"At the end of the day we need to be on peoples' TVs at home,'' Briscoe urged. "We don't have that. People aren't going to see us, so they don't recognize us (our series) as much.

"We need a good TV package. VERSUS does a great job with us with the pre-race shows and commentary, but hopefully a deal can be worked out.''

No. 2 -- Race where NASCAR isn't.

To its credit, IndyCar has done a good job exploiting markets that NASCAR doesn't dominate - a road race outside Birmingham, Ala., and street courses in St. Petersburg, Fla and Edmonton, Canada mix in nicely with traditionally strong open-wheel venues like Watkins Glen, N.Y., Long Beach, Calif. and Mid-Ohio.

How about returning to Portland, Ore. or Vancouver, B.C. to satisfy the motor sports-starved Pacific Northwest? Elkhart Lake, Wisc. is another oldie-but-goodie.

No. 3 -- Market drivers whose names don't rhyme with Panica Datrick.

Obviously Danica Patrick is the name du jour but the great thing about the series is that it's loaded with stories and personalities. They just need an outlet -- a billboard, a talk show invite, a media blitz. Winning the "Dancing With the Stars" reality television series made Helio Castroneves a household name and he'll tell you his IndyCar fan base grew exponentially -- even though he'd already won two of his three Indy 500s before the show.

Briscoe, Dario Franchitti, Marco Andretti, Dan Wheldon, Sarah Fisher, Scott Dixon, Tony Kanaan are all interesting, well-spoken, marketable drivers who would also attract a following if given the proper chance.

Having the hip, IZOD brand join forces as title sponsor has already raised the exposure for the series, with commercials touting IndyCar airing during the NFL playoffs, for example. In a climate where businesses are tightening the pocketbook, attracting and landing IZOD as a major partner is one of the series' biggest coups.

No. 4 -- Seize opportunity.

Seen the NASCAR race attendance lately? There's a lot of groaning over lower attendance and sagging television ratings in the stock car world, so this is a prime time to get the word out about the IndyCar Series. If it truly is "the racing" that has rankled the NASCAR diehards, then even they could learn to appreciate the heart-stopping, 200-mph, wheel-to-wheel jockeying IndyCar consistently delivers.

No. 5 -- Put more Americans on the grid.

While the series can't exactly mandate American jobs, it can facilitate and encourage teams to give some young Americans a shot. Marco Andretti, Danica Patrick and Ryan Hunter-Reay lead the season's red-white-and-blue list. And second-generation Graham Rahal signed a two-race deal with Sarah Fisher Racing this week and will be on the grid at St. Pete and Birmingham.

But there's got to be more opportunity than a one-off race here or there for our American talent. We appreciate the skill of all the foreign-born champs, but imagine the potential popularity of the series should an American contend for the title again.

No. 6 -- Don't start the season in Brazil.

Want to really sell IndyCar racing to Americans? Then begin the season in America. The Honda Grand Prix of St. Petersburg has been a hugely popular venue since its debut on the IndyCar circuit in 2005 and proven itself worthy of the season's first green flag. The grandstands are always full, the street course lends itself to some of the most exciting racing of the year and its accessibility is going to attract more media and attention.

It makes sense financially for IndyCar to race overseas, but the season should start here.

No. 7 -- Cross-promote with Danica-mania.

If you can't beat 'em, bedazzle 'em. IndyCar might not claim the same serious number of fans as NASCAR right now, but having its most famous driver, Danica Patrick, on the NASCAR grid 13 times this season presents some serious cross-promotional potential for IndyCar. Go into NASCAR's backyard and invite the good ol' fans over for a (imported) beer.

On the competition end of things, there looks to be at least a full grid of 20 cars at every race, with car counts peaking at the Indianapolis 500 and waning on some of the ovals.

Unless someone from Andretti Autosport steps it up, expect the two-car Target Ganassi organization and the newly expanded three-car Team Penske group to once again dominate the championship.

Penske's Castroneves is the favorite to bring home his first season title, according a preseason poll of the series drivers. His teammates Briscoe and Will Power received the next highest number of votes, followed by reigning series champ Dario Franchitti and his Ganassi teammate, 2008 champ Scott Dixon.

It's reasonable to think that 2004 IndyCar champ Tony Kanaan could answer the call. His team owner, Michael Andretti, will be calling his races this season with veteran Tom Anderson replacing Andretti as Patrick's race strategist. She, too, is determined to prove herself a title contender and was the highest ranking (fifth) American in 2009.

Luczo Dragon Racing has teamed with former series champion Gil de Ferran this year and is another team that could raise the stakes with last year's Rookie of the Year, driver Raphael Matos.

"Our racing is as good as it's ever been, the competition is as close as its ever been, and I think we put on amazing show,'' Briscoe said. "It's just a matter of catching people's attention at the moment, really.''

"We need to work as a team to make open-wheel racing what it was during the heyday.''