REMEMBER WHEN

Saturday, October 25, 2008

SURFERS Paradise was the second biggest Indy event after the Indianapolis 500 itself, but Indy Racing League management had failed to realise it, said Indy team owner Craig Gore.

In an unusual broadside at some of the IRL management team, in which he threatened to axe his team if the Gold Coast race was dumped, Mr Gore said while IRL supremo Tony George probably recognised the scale and importance of the race in the Indy schedule, his “lower management” just didn’t get it.

“I think Tony George’s management has a huge influence over his decisionmaking process and in business you employ people to give you advice so you can understand the path forward,” said Mr Gore.

“I just don’t think he has the best people advising him.”

In what seemed a dim take on the IRL negotiating team, Mr Gore said although Mr George would have a better understanding of

the significance of Indy by the event’s end, his management probably would not.

Mr Gore said the Surfers race was “far and away” the second most important race on the calendar and must be retained at all costs.

“I just hope that Tony George and the rest of his boys of the IRL see sense and recognise that this is probably like throwing away the Indy 500,” said Mr Gore.

“It is far and away their second biggest race. They … probably need to hand out corn cobs at some of the races to get people to some of them. This (Surfers) is an already made up and set up race.”

It proved to be the final Indy.