IRL gains speed in cyber space

The Indy Racing League appears to be hitting on all cylinders. Through the first two races this year, the IRL, which recently unified with Champ Car, is seeing gains in attendance and television ratings. Now, IRL officials are reporting significant gains in traffic on the series’ Web site, Indycar.com.

Indycar.com has seen a 90 percent increase in unique visitors since January, according to series officials. One of the site’s most popular sections, IndyCar Nation Talkback has had a 243 percent increase in traffic from February to March alone.

The site’s Web traffic shows a solid portion of the increased activity is comprised of first-time users, said IRL spokesman John Griffin, a sign that the unified open-wheel series is gaining new fans. More than one-fourth of Indycar.com’s total visitors for each of the first three months of 2008 have been new visitors, Griffin said.

While most of the gains are being attributed to the unification of the IRL and Champ Car, Griffin said improvements to the Web site which were unveiled in March also are a factor. Interactived features sponsored by DirecTV, Firestone and Peak have been popular traffic drivers for the site, Griffin said, adding that the Web site has given sponsors added exposure with open-wheel racing fans. The Web site in turn has become an important drawing card series officials have been able to use to gain traction with current and prospective sponsors, Griffin said.