Indianapolis 500

[Scaparri]

May is finally here, which in Indiana, signifies that it's Indy 500 time. Personally, there is nothing more important than the Indy 500. Not even coasters trump it. How do the rest of you feel? If you care, what are your thoughts about this year's race?

 

This year promises to be quite an exciting year. Michael Andretti has come out of retirement to race with his 19 year old son in one more attempt to capture the win that has eluded him his entire career. Al Unser Jr. has come out of retirement as well for one more try at getting a third win. Dan Wheldon is looking strong to make it two in a row and Helio Castroneves is looking very strong to capture his third win. Of course, there is also the always-run-into-the-ground story of Danica Patrick. Also, the entire field will be running the exact same engines and tires.

 

I'm not going to pick a favorite for the race quite yet. I'm going to wait and see how practice and qualifications go. I'm fortunate enough to live an hour away from the track so I will be there frequently this month watching all the stories and events unfold and rooting on my buddy Vitor Meira. I can't wait for May 28th!

[BiCoastal Kid]

I went to Indy a few years ago. Possibly one of the coolest yet worst days of my life. I, unfortunately, got pretty sick toward the end of the race so the rest of my day wasn't up to par. THAT RACE THOUGH, omg, oh how I do enjoy Indy/Formula 1.

 

 

And Rally Car, but that's completely unrelated.

[RBOrrell]

Don't get me started on open wheel racing......

 

The Indy used to be the great race. The last 10 years are a bunch of asterisks to me because only half the field was worthy of being there. Until the IRL (It's Really Lame) and Champ Car get back together, I will not watch the race.

 

I used to go to the Toronto CART event every year but in the last 5 years, I have given up. 18 cars with only a handful of worthy drivers.

 

I am sorry to see Mikey come back though. I think it is a desperation move on Tony George's part to sell more tickets. Mike is a nice guy and his father is great but I think once you retire, you have to retire.

[Carnage]

I haven't followed Indy in years.

 

That's sweet that Andreti is coming back. I hope he wins it, I used to be a huge fan of his.

 

My father grew up like a couple minutes from the track.

[pete4winds]

Personally, I'm a NASCAR Nextel Cup and NHRA (specifically Pro Stock Bike) guy. I was also a late model stock car driver (at my local Saturday night tracks) after high school and for awhile when I was in the Navy. I was an Indy fan when I was a kid, but ya gotta wonder about it when so many of its stars have jumped ship to full fenders over the years...Tony Stewart, John Andretti, Robby Gordon, to name but a few.

 

There also how many former USAC drivers in NASCAR now? USAC has always been a stepping stone to Indy, but Ryan Newman, Kasey Khane, and Jeff Gordon, and numerous others, have also taken the detour to NASCAR. Makes you wonder how relevent open wheel racing still is anymore. Maybe if IRL and CART kissed and made up, they'd be competitive with OTHER forms of racing rather than with each other in the open wheel community. The split has all but ruined what open wheel racing once was.

 

In my opinion, the biggest reason so many Indy drivers have moved to NASCAR is that talent for driving a race car still means something there. There are some very talented drivers in both IRL and CART, but unless they drive for two or three specific powerhouse teams, will they ever make names for themselves? Sure, NASCAR is also driven by money, but if Kirk Shelmerdine can turn in a respectable top 20 finish (he finished 20th) in the Daytona 500 in a borrowed car with an all-volunteer crew, that tells me that maybe IRL and CART are relying a little too much on their technology and not enough on their drivers.

[BeemerBoy]

Scaparri, I love your zest for Indy cars...I really do. Sadly, I gotta agree with most of the others on this one. This race used to be relevent, now it's just another race with too much hype. I quit watching the day the CART/IRL split thing happened, and haven't tuned in since. Other sports can recover from scandals or lockouts, etc. Unfortunately, open wheel racing is not one of them.

 

I admit, I did tune in to watch Patrick last year to see if it was just media hype, or if she was the real deal on some level. Personally, I think she really can race! I hope that the "Hollywood factor" doesn't detract from her honest talent on the track though.

 

That issue aside, I just can't justify calling this race a great American spectacle anymore. In fact, sadly,spectacle may be just what it has become. I remember watching each and every lap of this race as a kid. I even visited on vacation once and took the tour of the facility with the lap around the track, and all that jazz. Times have changed though. I've always really been a Nascar guy first and foremost, and that is where my attention lies whenever I'm gonna watch a race now.

 

Am I wrong in assuming that the only true remaining fans of Indy racing reside in Indiana, or does it just seem that way. That's not a knock on you, just an observation, I guess. I'd love to see the event back the way it was, and I'd even jump at the chance to see it live, but I just can't bring myself to respect the event the way I once did.

[Scaparri]

I really appreciate everybody's responses. It's nice to get some feedback, especially from some people who have lengthy and very respectable opinions about it.

 

First off, to answer your question BeemerBoy, I don't think Indiana holds the only people that are passionate about it, but I have no doubt that it holds the majority. To me, it's in my blood. I hold the event very close to my heart and will always love it. However, I know exactly where you all are coming from.

 

I lost a lot of respect for Indycar when the split occurred in '96. I became a big CART fan and strongly trashed the IRL. My thoughts shifted as the management and direction of CART became very questionable and the racing quality of Indycar increased. Unfortunately, as a lot of you have pointed out, I find pretty much anything prior to the 2003 season to be a bit of a joke. I think in the last several years though, that the competition has greatly improved and the racing quality is the best that can be found. However, the split allowed NASCAR to flourish and the only way I think Indycar will ever regain the glory it once had is if an open wheel merger occurs. I hope and pray it does. And don't get me wrong, I'm not saying I think it can overtake Nascar, but just get some of it's glory back.

 

The Indy 500 is in my roots and it truly saddens me to see the race struggle to get a full field each year. I miss the glory days back when 50-70 cars were trying to make the field... back when Bump Day meant something. Maybe one day, the glory will be restored, but who knows.

[rollermonkey]

Although it's interesting to some degree, I don't care as much for Indy for the same reason I don't like NASCAR:

Way too many left turns.

I like the Indycar and F1 events that mix it up on road courses, though.