HAMMOND, IN: With the demise of the Champ Car/CART group, the 12 year war which tore American open-wheel racing apart is finally over. But, the question
remains: who won?
I’m sorry, but it’s hard to be optimistic about the
post-“war” situation.
As we all know, an entire generation of potential open-wheel fans and ticket buyers were lost during the
split. Our loss was obviously NASCAR’s gain.
In order for IndyCar to begin to regain the ground that it lost during the “conflict”, it will be necessary to offer the racing public something it can’t get anywhere else. In other words: something
NASCAR can’t provide.
Mainly, I’m worried about the Indy 500. Like many of you, I grew up secure in the knowledge that the Memorial Day classic was, indeed, the “Greatest Spectacle in Racing”. In the beginning, the magic 500 mile distance, coupled with the biggest purse in motorsports, made the Indy 500 truly unique. Later, after other 500 mile races appeared on the racing calender, lap speeds and new track records became one of the major draws for Indy Car fans and competitors
alike.
It’s hard to forget the excitement that was generated at the Speedway each May at the prospect of broken speed barriers and record laps. During the ’50’s and ’60’s, the big goal was the long-anticipated one minute lap at Indy: 150 MPH. After years of anticipation, the barrier was finally broken by Parnelli Jones in 1963. But, happily, there were always bigger speed numbers waiting to be challenged
on the horizon.
As the decades passed and technology moved forward, 175 MPH was achieved. Then, almost before anyone realized it, the 200 MPH wall came tumbling down! The Indianapolis 500, and Indy Car racing in general, was on a roll. Interest in open wheel racing was at an all time high, and it appeared that the end was nowhere in
sight.
The peak was reached in 1996 during the IRL’s first season, when Arie Luyendyk pushed the unofficial track record to over 239 MPH! It’s unlikely that we’ll see a 240 MPH lap at Indy during our lives and, in some ways, that’s unfortunate. Due to safety concerns and the resulting rules changes to slow the cars, the magic and appeal of broken speed barriers at Indy is
probably over.
In the ’70’s, a group of rich car owners…refugees from the defunct Can-Am sports car series, began to invade Indy Car racing. Very few of these folks had any real knowledge of, or interest in, traditional American oval track racing, but they needed a new playground, and the Indy 500 was still the “Greatest
Spectacle in Racing”.
Before long, the Can-Am boys banded together to form CART and, in the early ’80’s, when unable to gain control of Indy Car racing, they broke away and began a rival series which placed more emphasis on road and street racing. And, for the next decade, only the
Indianapolis 500 would bring the two groups together.
Finally, in 1996, Tony George attempted to rekindle interest in open wheel oval track racing, and lower the cost of competition at the same time, by forming the Indy Racing League. Unfortunately, the wealthy CART group decided to continue on their chosen path…and the “war” was on. And, slowly but surely, the very fabric on American open wheel racing began to
dissolve…
Now, 13 years later, the CART/Champ Car group has finally awakened to the fact that the Indy 500 was…and still is…the cornerstone of open wheel racing in this country. By ignoring this fact for years, they have finally run out of money. Attempting to control American open wheel racing with their
checkbooks rather than their hearts just didn’t work!
Is there a way to revive interest in Indy Car racing? With the recent defection of Indy 500 winners Dario Franchitti, Sam Hornish Jr., Juan Pablo Montoya and Jacques Villeneuve, has NASCAR captured too much of
the market to be rivaled?
Like every other year since 1911, we’ll have to wait
until May for the answers. Cross your fingers…
IndyCar SeriesJohn AtlasThe Dirt Guy