| CARTs Return to Indy 500 |
Is CART Welcome Back at the Indy 500?
Copyright © 1996 IndySpeedway.com All Rights Reserved
2001
With the creation of the Indy Racing League in 1996, some teams from
CART, the previous sanctioning series at the Indy 500, joined the IRL,
while others, including the wealthier CART teams, stayed separate and
also began boycotting the Indy 500.
New teams formed and joined the IRL, which created opportunities for
new drivers to race at the Indy 500.
Thanks in large part to a biased media led by reporter Robin Miller, a
derisive campaign began against the IRL in the media. The bad
mouthing and insults were also directed at the president of IMS Tony
George, who created the new IRL series. [Tony George's Response]
The end result is that open-wheel racing in America has lost many fans.
Last year, Chip Ganassi broke ranks with the other CART team
owners and returned to the Indianapolis 500-mile race, having realized
that without Indy, CART was in a dowward spiral. He brought drivers
Jimmy Vasser and former Formula 1 driver Juan Pablo Montoya to
the Indy 500. Montoya led most of the race and cruised to victory.
That opened the floodgates and this year, the wealthier CART teams
who can afford to buy the IRL equipment, are planning to return to Indy
too.
Racing is a business and while fans like myself may not be so forgiving
of the comments made by CART teams, drivers and fans over the last
five years, the IRL and their teams will look at the situation from a
business standpoint.
Here are some of their comments as printed in the Indianapolis
Business Journal.
With the creation of the Indy Racing League in 1996, some teams from
CART, the previous sanctioning series at the Indy 500, joined the IRL,
while others, including the wealthier CART teams, stayed separate and
also began boycotting the Indy 500.
New teams formed and joined the IRL, which created opportunities for
new drivers to race at the Indy 500.
Thanks in large part to a biased media led by reporter Robin Miller, a
derisive campaign began against the IRL in the media. The bad
mouthing and insults were also directed at the president of IMS Tony
George, who created the new IRL series. [Tony George's Response]
The end result is that open-wheel racing in America has lost many fans.
Last year, Chip Ganassi broke ranks with the other CART team
owners and returned to the Indianapolis 500-mile race, having realized
that without Indy, CART was in a dowward spiral. He brought drivers
Jimmy Vasser and former Formula 1 driver Juan Pablo Montoya to
the Indy 500. Montoya led most of the race and cruised to victory.
That opened the floodgates and this year, the wealthier CART teams
who can afford to buy the IRL equipment, are planning to return to Indy
too.
Racing is a business and while fans like myself may not be so forgiving
of the comments made by CART teams, drivers and fans over the last
five years, the IRL and their teams will look at the situation from a
business standpoint.
Here are some of their comments as printed in the Indianapolis
Business Journal.
Some IRL Voices...
"As Chip Ganassi found out last year, CART teams get more exposure
from this one race than they do from their entire series," said IMS
spokesman Fred Nation. "You can't ignore the biggest race in the world.
The reason CART teams are coming is because they know at the end of
the day, that it's in their economic best interest. The market will rule, and
in the end, they'll all be here."
Asked if the IMS would do anything to give the IRL advantages,
Nation replied, "There's no interest in creating any perceived barrier to
CART teams. At the Indianapolis 500, teams have always been bumped.
IRL teams have had every opportunity to be ready for CART teams to be
added, and we have every belief they will hold their own. But there's no
guarantee. If the teams are not ready by now, they'll never be ready."
At this point, most IRL team sponsors welcome the exposure CART teams
bring to the Indianapolis 500.
"We feel we have a pretty competitive team, so we expect we'll get extra
publicity out of this," said Ray Kennedy, vice president of marketing for
Delta Faucet, which sponsors Hemelgarn Racing, piloted by driver Buddy
Lazier.
Menard, whose team is sponsored by his own Menard's lumber and
hardware store chain and is one of the better-heeled IRL teams, is not
concerned about his driver, Greg Ray, making the race. But he said he's
already heard rumblings from other team owners that run the majority of
the IRL circuit. "I think everybody worries about CART cherry-picking our
best races, but I'd rather see open competition. That's racing."
From a fan standpoint, adding the CART teams has taken this race to a
different level," said Reinbold, who formed Indianapolis-based Dreyer &
Reinbold Racing in 1999. "The crossover validates that our series is
growing and getting better."
"As Chip Ganassi found out last year, CART teams get more exposure
from this one race than they do from their entire series," said IMS
spokesman Fred Nation. "You can't ignore the biggest race in the world.
The reason CART teams are coming is because they know at the end of
the day, that it's in their economic best interest. The market will rule, and
in the end, they'll all be here."
Asked if the IMS would do anything to give the IRL advantages,
Nation replied, "There's no interest in creating any perceived barrier to
CART teams. At the Indianapolis 500, teams have always been bumped.
IRL teams have had every opportunity to be ready for CART teams to be
added, and we have every belief they will hold their own. But there's no
guarantee. If the teams are not ready by now, they'll never be ready."
At this point, most IRL team sponsors welcome the exposure CART teams
bring to the Indianapolis 500.
"We feel we have a pretty competitive team, so we expect we'll get extra
publicity out of this," said Ray Kennedy, vice president of marketing for
Delta Faucet, which sponsors Hemelgarn Racing, piloted by driver Buddy
Lazier.
Menard, whose team is sponsored by his own Menard's lumber and
hardware store chain and is one of the better-heeled IRL teams, is not
concerned about his driver, Greg Ray, making the race. But he said he's
already heard rumblings from other team owners that run the majority of
the IRL circuit. "I think everybody worries about CART cherry-picking our
best races, but I'd rather see open competition. That's racing."
From a fan standpoint, adding the CART teams has taken this race to a
different level," said Reinbold, who formed Indianapolis-based Dreyer &
Reinbold Racing in 1999. "The crossover validates that our series is
growing and getting better."
