“There needs to be commercials. NASCAR has commercials on all day every day about when their next race is,” Patrick said. “The only ones I see commercials for are the Indianapolis 500 and the last race of the year, and maybe the day before. ... The merger is not a magic pill, and it’s not going to fix it overnight.”
Patrick said “there’s plenty of personality” among the IndyCar drivers — more than her bikini-clad image in magazines — and that sponsors can make them stars. But she also acknowledged that “business woes” caused by a tough financial market have forced many sponsors, including her own, to drastically reduce advertising budgets.
Griffin said IndyCar added major sponsors Coca-Cola and DirecTV soon after the open-wheel groups came together and that the series is still early in the process of adding more.
“This is a marathon, not a sprint. Look at any sports league, the basis of success is sponsorship,” Griffin said. “We need to find partners to make long-term commitments to the league and drivers.”
Patrick and the rest of the IndyCar Series drivers race Saturday night at Texas Motor Speedway. Only Indianapolis draws more fans than the 1 1/2-mile, high-banked track known for side-by-side racing and high speeds.
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