The Indy Racing League, facing a depleted grid for the opening race at Homestead Miami, today announced it would sell "the best seat in the house" via Ticketmaster.
"We're kind of freaked out that we don't have a bunch of teams declared yet with Homestead just a couple of months away so we started brainstorming," said one IndyCar Series insider who asked not to be named. "And finally an intern said 'it's the best seat in the house.' Well, duh."
IndyCar officials wondered if people will pay $400 for three laps in a toned down old Dallara, what would they pay to be in the actual race?
The move came after a similar effort to put rides in the Indy 500 up for bid on ebay in 2006. Although that promotion was a spotty success, IRL officials think opening the entire race schedule to "anyone with the cash" would allow them to make the "ride-buying more reasonable."
"Open-wheel racing has been a 'you got the cash, you got the ride' proposition for a long time," insiders said. "This is just a way to make it a little more democratic. Now more people can be an IndyCar driver."
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