IndyCar owners weigh in on new marketing plan, team payouts, end of Indy double points

THERMAL, California – Last week’s “Content Days” and the return of the annual “Spring Training” open test (which made its debut at The Thermal Club) also was a marketing cram session for the NTT IndyCar Series paddock.

In addition to returning to track action for the first time since last season’s finale at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca, it was also a time to learn about IndyCar’s promotional plans for the 2023 season.

Those include some ambitious ideas that are being implemented by IndyCar owner Roger Penske and his senior management staff at Penske Entertainment.

The most visible is the “100 Days to Indy” docuseries that is being produced by VICE Media and will air on The CW later this spring. IndyCar is hoping to attract a younger audience and create new interest, similar to what the Netflix docuseries “Drive to Survive” has done for Formula One.

“I love it,” IndyCar team owner Michael Shank told NBC Sports. “We got to hear from the president of programming and Entertainment of The CW and the head of VICE. I love the fact The CW President is a hard-core Indiana guy that loves the Indianapolis 500 and IndyCar. I think we have a special weapon with that attitude.

“If we give him the proper content, we will have a compelling show that people will want to follow and grab onto. I don’t know if we will have the success Netflix has with ‘Drive to Survive,’ but we have compelling characters. If they get time to develop like they did with ‘Drive to Survive,’ that’s the key.

“What’s the key to keeping it rolling? They explained it to us. It’s a business, and they have to have eyeballs on it. It’s up to us to have compelling TV and make it dramatic.”

There are other marketing initiatives in IndyCar’s plan. Those have been