Businesses come and go all the time, especially when times are hard economically. Still, it was impossible not to feel a real sense of loss when I heard the news that Newman-Haas Racing will be shutting its doors forever after almost 30 years in the business.
In a time when NASCAR rules the roost, it can be hard to remember that open-wheeled racing of the sort that gets done every year at the Indianapolis 500 used to come first in the hearts of American auto racing fans. But while the 500 may still be billed as “The Greatest Spectacle in Racing,” it’s clear that America’s attention has moved on, which means that many of the sponsors that help keep the circuit alive have too.
In the end, that’s exactly what helped spell the end for Newman-Haas, co-founded by businessman Carl Haas and the late Paul Newman — yes, that Paul Newman — in the early 1980s. Overall, the team won 107 races and eight championships, while boasting drivers like Mario and Michael Andretti as well as former Formula 1 World Champion Nigel Mansell.
The announcement had to come as a thunderclap to the Indy car community. It’s another blow for the circuit, which is still reeling in the wake of the death of Dan Wheldon. The two-time Indy 500 winner was killed in a horrifying wreck in Las Vegas during the last race of the season — a crash that had some people questioning out loud whether or not IndyCar was simply too dangerous.
It doesn’t help either that the sport’s most recognizable driver, Danica Patrick, has abandoned IRL in favor for of running full-time in NASCAR, with a full schedule on the Nationwide circuit supplemented by as many as 10 Sprint Cup races. It ought to be abundantly clear that many of the fans who followed Patrick’s exploits on the IRL circuit will move right along with her — and that’s going to be the case on the couch in front of the television as well as in the stands.
Eric McErlain blogs at Off Wing Opinion, a Forbes “Best of the Web” winner. In 2006 he wrote a “bloggers bill of rights” to help integrate bloggers into the Washington Capitals’ press box. Eric has also written for Deadspin, NBC Sports and the Sporting News, and covers sports television for The TV News. Follow Eric on Twitter.
CORRECTION: An earlier version of this article incorrectly stated that Graham Rahal drove for Newman-Hass in 2011. In fact, he drove for Chip Ganassi.