For many, the arrival of Memorial Day this weekend symbolizes the unofficial start of summer. The holiday means a barbeque with friends and family. For some, it means a quick weekend getaway, but for a select few, it means taking in the Indianapolis 500, billed as the “Greatest Spectacle in Racing.”

Sadly, many of you read that last line and snickered a little. The Indy 500 has not been a great spectacle in racing for many years now, and in fact, some might argue the 500 is not even the best racing event at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway (IMS) anymore.

With a surge in popularity, the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series with a competing race the same day in Charlotte, NC (Coca-Cola 600), many race fans could not care less about the biggest event in open-wheel racing these days.

I remember a different time when open wheel racing was the dominant circuit in the United States. The Indianapolis 500 used to boast some of the greatest auto racing talents the world had to offer.

The race, which is steeped in history, was where man pushed the boundaries of speed and drove 500 miles in one day. The 500 was seen as a true test that pushed the racing machines and their drivers to the limits.

Names like A.J. Foyt, Mario Andretti, Al Unser Jr., and Bobby Rahal were recognized as daring individuals who tried to conquer the iconic 2.5-mile oval while piloting a car reaching speeds exceeding 220 mph.

Now the race features few drivers that the casual race fan has even heard of. Even the sports most recognizable drivers, Danica Patrick and Helio Castroneves, are not known for their participation in the annual event.

Patrick is known more for her provocative GoDaddy.com advertisements and modeling career, instead of being the most talented female driver to ever sit in the cockpit of an Indy car.

Castroneves is more familiar to fans for his victory on the popular reality show “Dancing With the Stars,” despite already having won the race three times and sitting on the pole position for this year’s race.

It has been evident, since a major rift in 1995 caused the Championship Auto Racing Teams (CART) to split from the Indy Racing League (IRL) that the talent pool has been on the shallow end.

When CART decided to boycott the event in 1996, taking the most talented drivers with them, the Indy 500 has featured a list of unknowns, who even after winning the race remain an unknown.

CART never recovered either without its signature race to boost interest.

The series filed bankruptcy twice and was forced to reunite with the IRL in 2008. Since the reunification of the two racing series, things have not gotten much better for the open- wheel circuit. The Indy 500 is still the series Super Bowl, but when matched up against NASCAR, the IRL dwarfs in size, talent and revenue.

Many of the circuits’ brighter stars have ended up leaving for NASCAR in recent years. Race winners Juan Pablo Montoya, Dario Franchitti, and Defiance native, Sam Hornish Jr. have all jumped ship and joined the NASCAR circuit, hoping for higher profits and greater recognition.

Making matters worse since the reunification, it has become evident that there is a major gap between those teams with money and those without. Teams like Penske Racing, Andretti Autosport, and the Target Chip Ganassi team have emerged and dominated the series. With money for better technology and to attract better driving talent, the three teams have made the IRL their own personal playground.

This past weekend’s race qualifying was more of the same, as five of the top six qualifiers were from either Penske Racing or the Target Chip Ganassi teams.

When the green flag is waved at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, the deafening roar of 33 cars will come barreling out of turn four, and the 94th running of the Indianapolis 500 will commence.

Whoever wins and gets to participate in the hallowed tradition of drinking milk in the winner’s circle will have completed a difficult feat. The grueling 500-mile champion will have pushed their body and car in the ultimate test of endurance and speed few have ever experienced.

But no matter who wins, one question will linger. Does anyone even care anymore?

Chris Schmidbauer is sports editor for Toledo Free Press and Toledo Free Press Star. E-mail him at cschmidbauer@toledofreepress.com. He also can be heard every Tuesday at 11 a.m. on the Odd Couple Sports Show on Fox Sports Radio 1230 WCWA.

Tags: Indianapolis 500

This entry was posted on Tuesday, May 25th, 2010 at 4:00 pm and is filed under Star, The Cheap Seats.
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