Almost every channel you tune to on your cable dial is running Izod-funded advertisements promoting upcoming IndyCar broadcasts, including this weekend's Honda Grand Prix of St. Petersburg -- the first of five races on this year's schedule set to be aired on ABC.

With ratings up substantially for Versus' broadcast of the season-opening event in Brazil, analysts are keen to see what kind of numbers the first race televised this year on a free-to-air network will produce.

Meanwhile, rising American star Graham Rahal, who was not on the grid in Brazil, is set to make his 2010 debut for Sarah Fisher Racing this weekend in St. Petersburg, one of two races he's set to run for Fisher's team. If Rahal manages to run competitively in SFR's Dollar General-sponsored car, it promises to be one of the feel-good stories of the season. Even better news for the series and its fans is that Rahal is reportedly set to announce his return to Newman/Haas/Lanigan Racing for the rest of the season, starting with the Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach on April 18.

But perhaps the news of most importance to the long-term health of Indy car racing is that there is finally action being taken in terms of nailing down a new chassis, engine specification and a supply process for 2012 and beyond.

These important decisions have been dragging on for the past several years under the leadership of IRL competition president Brian Barnhart, and the desperately needed new car has already been pushed back from 2011 to 2012.

Bernard revealed this week that he is assembling a seven-member advisory committee to plot the series' technical strategy for the future, and he has appointed retired four-star U.S. Air Force Gen. William R. Looney to chair the group.

While some observers are grumbling about Looney's complete lack of racing experience and knowledge, others applaud the fact that Bernard is taking quick and decisive action in consultation with a man with a reputation for intelligence and integrity.

"This is the defining decision of this decade," Bernard observed. "My knowledge in open-wheel racing is very limited, but now that I'm a part of this, the one thing I want to do is make sure we articulate a process and set criteria that we weigh very importantly. The seven advisors will be experts -- engine experts, chassis experts, and I'm going to give a vote to the team owners.

"It's really important that we all work as a team," Bernard added. "The fan is also very important. We need to understand the pulse of the fan and what they want, and we put 6,000 surveys out seeking fan input about the new chassis."

Looney admits that he is also not an open-wheel racing expert, but he believes his vast experience can be an asset in terms of managing the decision-making process.

"It was not the normal request for the consulting I do, which mostly is involved with defense matters, leadership and management," Looney said. "Randy needed someone to facilitate, mediate and chair the discussion that had no agenda, was completely objective and had no bias with respect to the businesses of racing. I do fit that bill.

"He wanted someone who had been in that kind of environment where you bring people with different skill sets together and you're tasked with a mission that needs to be resolved. Together you work through it to come up with an answer that is good for the enterprise that is the Indy Racing League and all its different stakeholders."

Bernard says he hopes to reach a consensus on the new chassis formula within 60 days and wants to make an announcement shortly after the Indianapolis 500 at the end of May. And while it is unlikely that everyone will be happy with the final decision, at least it is finally obvious that there is a sense of urgency within the IRL to set a technical course for the future and get on with the hard work of turning concepts into reality.