But I've got to say the Indy 500 has lost all interest for me. The owners of the Indy 500 were able to replace USAC with the Indy League and make themselves even richer but they lost me. USAC was a big deal when I was growing up and the 500 even bigger. The Indy League and the 500 now. Meh.
It's not the IRL any longer, it's known as straight Indycar. The merger of the IRL and CART has helped, but open wheel racing is just not the same in America any longer. It's a niche sport now. USAC kids have migrated to NASCAR where the money and fame is greater. Not to mention they race a whole lot more. The France family figured out the formula and took advantage of the Indy war during the split.
That said, it's the Sunday before Memorial Day and it's still Indy. That alone draws me in.
Hey, things change and I always thought the Indy guys took the sport down for their own benefit. Maybe it was just the way things went but the decline in open wheeled racing here seemed to coincide with that. Appreciate the info.
is still my favorite race of the year, with Indycar racing in general being my favorite form of motorsports. I watch all motorsports, but at this point in time Indycar has the best package for close, competitive racing over the other major brands, like Formula 1 or Nascar, in my opinion.
So as far as today goes, I'll watch the follow the leader race at Monaco when I get some free time later tonight, as I DVR'd it, and haven't watched it yet. And I'll watch the Nascar race from Charlotte tonight, but the only one that I'll pay close attention to is the Indy 500. My favorite race of the year.
with the explosion of NASCAR. Efforts to resurrect open-wheel's popularity have been mostly for naught. The 500 in Indy, though, is still a pretty amazing phenomenon, especially if you live in Indy leading up to the race (I lived just north of Speedway, Indiana, for a handful of years in the early- to mid-1990s). It was a blast.
The technology and drivers are at the top. Open wheel racing is usually tougher to pass in. F1 needs to work on more passing. Hamilton getting $50M per season is crazy money. Is he the highest paid athelete or are some soccer stars paid more?
The technology and drivers are at the top. Open wheel racing is usually tougher to pass in. F1 needs to work on more passing. Hamilton getting $50M per season is crazy money. Is he the highest paid athelete or are some soccer stars paid more?
One of the highest paid but Mayweather made more from his fight with Pacquiao and McIlroy probably makes more in golf endorsements, to go with Messi and Ronaldo
Should put to rest the quality of the racing in open wheel. However, the best racing is on ovals and with only 6 ovals during a 16 race schedule, even I get bored watching the parades that are the road/street courses. Unfortunately, unless there is a generational shift away from NASCAR and more sponsor money shows up, open wheel racing will never be what it once was.
Having said that, the Indy 500 as an event is only beat by a Giants Super Bowl for me.
That said, it's the Sunday before Memorial Day and it's still Indy. That alone draws me in.
So as far as today goes, I'll watch the follow the leader race at Monaco when I get some free time later tonight, as I DVR'd it, and haven't watched it yet. And I'll watch the Nascar race from Charlotte tonight, but the only one that I'll pay close attention to is the Indy 500. My favorite race of the year.
One of the highest paid but Mayweather made more from his fight with Pacquiao and McIlroy probably makes more in golf endorsements, to go with Messi and Ronaldo
Having said that, the Indy 500 as an event is only beat by a Giants Super Bowl for me.