USA Today - Indianapolis 500 is paying price for diluted series

Here's sobering commentary on an issue that affects not only Indy Cars but whose lessons can be applied to any level of racing.

USATODAY.com - Indianapolis 500 is paying price for diluted series:

By Jon Saraceno

May 18, 2006 - Paul Dana has been dead for eight weeks and, not surprisingly, the racing landscape that helped dig his asphalt grave hasn't modified one iota. That not only is tragic, it should be unacceptable for one of the wealthiest families in Indiana and those who mourn the passing of successful open-wheel racing in America.

Saturday is Pole Day for the Indianapolis 500, but the fissure in a bifurcated racing series seems wider than ever. With its talent and fan base diluted and two series choking on the financial fumes of declining sponsorship and television ratings, the race no longer can be considered the 'Greatest Spectacle in Racing.'

That title, trademark or not, belongs to the Daytona 500.

Rather, it has denigrated into a sorry sight, reflecting an ailing industry and the ineffective unification attempts between IndyCar founder Tony George — his grandfather Tony Hulman bought the track after World War II — and Champ Car's Kevin Kalkhoven.

That is why this time of year no longer carries the cachet it once did, when entry lists, grandstands and hotels were full. Names such as Andretti, Foyt and Unser sprinkle a watered-down, shrunken field. Those famous names merely serve to jog our memories, generational remnants of a bygone era when open-wheel racing was king of the road and NASCAR sucked tailpipe, when delivering money wasn't the prerequisite for climbing into the cockpit of an Indy-style car.
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