The new boss of the Indycar racing series, Randy Bernard, got to see the track and the race nearly at its best at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway on Sunday. Hot but not unbearable, a good race but not necessarily a classic, a big crowd but probably not the biggest. Good enough to understand the tradition but still showing some room for improvement.

In our section in the Northwest Vista, we had spectators from Indianapolis, Boston, New York, Minnesota, Holland (the wooden shoe types, not the Michigan types) and Ohio. From their collective experiences, here are some suggestions to throw Bernard's way:

1. Spend some money on the museum. A first-time visitor sees many cool old cars and, given enough time, can figure out how design of chassis and engines evolved, if not why.  Surprisingly, there's not a lot of easy information about the track itself, which is the star of the show. The video presentation is a recitation of historical facts, but never really transmits the excitement of the race. The museum needs interactive exhibits, cutaways of engines and chassis, a modern-day multimedia presentation, more explanation of technology and some reference to the future. Tradition is not enough.

2.  Make every driver into a star. I understand it took decades just to have introductions of the drivers, but introducing them row by row throws away the opportunity for the newcomers to learn about each one. There's so much time between arrival at the track and the start of the race that the driver introductions can be more detailed. I'd rather hear a Townsend Bell talk about how he got to Indy than hear some ex-football player publicly display his lack of familiarity with the sport. The IRL has taken positive steps by bringing the whole group of drivers to national media centers, but only Danica and Helio have reached rock-star status.

3. Compress the accumulated traditions. Give Florence Henderson a lifetime pass and a seat in the Hulman Suite, but no singing duties. Do one really stirring tribute to the military, not several weak ones. (Personally, my jaw dropped when the benediction mentioned Izod, but I guess a deal is a deal.)

4. Put some pre-race entertainment in the corners. The video screens are great, but a couple of hours in the grandstand prior to the race would go faster with the kinds of shows they use at NBA halftimes. The acts could rotate around the tracks. Sort of like the Macy's parade in New York.

5. Develop more American drivers. I know everybody has said this for 20 years and efforts have been made, but it continues to be an important priority.

6. Explain stuff. People in our section didn't understand the scoring displays for about 60 laps. If you are working to attract a new  audience, you have to expect some of your audience is new and they don't always buy programs.

7. Put humanity first. When Dave Calabro was calling on the crowd to cheer Dario's victory, everybody on the north end of the track was holding their breath waiting to see movement from Mike Conway. How that horrific crash could have been ignored defies explanation.

8. Figure out exit traffic control. In recent years, law enforcement has become much more active in closing lanes and funneling traffic flow. So far the result seems to us to be more gridlock.  Spectators should know what streets are going to be closed or redirected so that they understand why they're being sent south when they want to go north.

These are just a few thoughts. I'm sure Bernard has his own observations as well. So far, I think he's going in the right direction.