Post by Jim Bowie

I went toe-to-toe with ChatGPT over IndyCar. Recently, Adam Stern posted the highly quotable and therefore often quoted Zak Brown where he suggested that IndyCar’s stakeholders spend too much time on cost containment, and not enough time on “growth”. I agree with Zak, but don’t think that’s the real issue. Over the past couple of decades, the big brains in and around IndyCar have all sang the same tune: The product is great – more people need to see it. This is a fascinating take to me. Literally millions of people have seen IndyCar racing, and the product – as presented, and as great as it is – fails at aggregating mass audience. It doesn’t stick. So, I got curious. Has Zak, or anyone else… like anyone at all…. actually identified what is stopping IndyCar’s growth? What is the actual problem? Does IndyCar have a product problem or a promotion/marketing problem? Here was my first prompt to ChatGPT (deep research for what that’s worth): You are a motorsports business expert. You read a recent quote from Zak Brown, CEO of McLaren Racing where he said about the IndyCar Series: "There’s putting money into this sport to keep it going, and then there’s playing offense, and I think we as a sport talk too much about cost containment and not growth. You’re never going to cut your way to success. Definitely, cost-containment is important, but I feel like the meetings I’m in, it’s 70% cost containment and 30% growth, and I think that needs to go the other way around." Zak speaks here about "growth", but he has not identified the barriers to growth. Has Zak, in any other previous interviews, podcasts or other public statements offered why IndyCar has been unable to grow over the past 25 years? What are the actual barriers to growth for IndyCar? I’ve compiled my 'exchange' with ChatGPT into a 30-page PDF which I’d be happy to send to you. Here’s some highlights: Page 5 – ChatGPT said: “Marketing has long been IndyCar’s Achille’s heel.” Page 9 – ChatGPT said: “IndyCar doesn’t have a product problem — it has a marketing and promotion problem.” Page 9 – I said: “I disagree, and want you to change my mind. I believe that it IS a product problem.” Page 20 – I bring up the sport of badminton. ChatGPT blows a stone. Page 22 – ChatGPT said: “The IndyCar product can resonate. It just hasn’t yet.” (WTF?) Page 23 – I said: “I can’t believe you brought up F1.” Page 24 – ChatGPT said: “The problem is the product is incomplete.” Page 25 – I said: “OK. We’re getting somewhere.” Page 26 – ChatGPT said: “Then the product, as it stands, is incomplete.” Page 28 – ChatGPT said: “So yes, IndyCar has a product problem.” Page 29 – ChatGPT said: “So yes – 100% yes…” and… “You got me.” To see the entire exchange and the prompts I used to push back on my pal ChatGPT here, reply with “IndyCar” in the comments and I’ll send you the PDF. If we’re not connected, send me a connection request first. I’d enjoy your – and Zak’s – thoughts. #IndyCar