It's Back
Open-wheel Racing Gets A Second Chance
By Doug Kennedy

For three decades beginning in the sixties, open-wheel Indy-style racing sat on the proverbial royal throne, while stock car -- NASCAR -- racing was just struggling to try to find the key to the outhouse.

There were no comparisons between the two racing series.

It was trendy to attend the Indianapolis 500. It was a low-class, red-neck move to be seen at a stock car race.

It was just that lofty stature and ensuing attitude that aided the downfall of open-wheel racing. Add to that an influx of open-wheel drivers who bolted to join the ranks of stock car racing, and by the mid-nineties stock car racing had surpassed open-wheel in terms of popularity and following.

Yet open-wheel simply didn't deem that decline to be a matter of concern. While they buried their collective heads in the sand, NASCAR was doing everything it could to promote their sport, and more importantly, showcase their drivers.

You tell me who was the more recognizable: Jeff Gordon, Dale Jarrett and Matt Kenseth; or Kenny Brack, Greg Ray and Scott Dixon; champions of NASCAR and IRL in 1998, 1999 and 2003.

NASCAR, under the guidance of the France family, made the sport fan friendly. Larger purses also caught the attention of the drivers who began to turn their thoughts towards the stocks.

RISE AND FALL

The history of open-wheel racing can be dated back to 1909 when the American Automobile Association (AAA) became its first sanctioning body. The United States Auto Club (USAC) took over in 1956 and in 1979, a group of drivers headed by Dan Gurney formed the Championship Auto Racing Teams (CART) in an effort to increase visibility and escalate purses.

Open-wheel officials should have had the foresight at the time to see that the erosion process was already in its infant stages. During the early nineties, there was an influx of foreign drivers competing and winning in CART. That and other issues compelled Tony George to form a brand new racing league -- one in which he promised to curtail costs, level the playing field with standard engines and chassis, and introduce more American drivers.

Enter the IRL.

The changes immediate result made the field for the first IRL Indianapolis 500 more of a "Who's That?" rather than a "Who's Who."

Although, it's worth noting that the field did include one Tony Stewart, then a rookie driver for Team Menard.

It's been better than a decade since the Daytona 500 surpassed the Indianapolis 500 in terms of popularity and ratings.

When NASCAR's junior division, the Nationwide Series (Busch) became more popular than open-wheel, trouble was at a boiling point.

A host of open-wheel drivers-Stewart, Jeff Gordon, Ryan Newman and Kasey Kahne included-had already chosen NASCAR over CART and IRL. Juan Pablo Montoya, the 2000 Indianapolis 500 winner, bolted to NASCAR in 2006. They came in droves. Next was three-time IRL champion Sam Hornish, Jr.. Then last year's IRL champ, Dario Franchitti. Then Patrick Carpentier, Jacques Villanueve and rising CART star A.J. Allmendinger. All chose to drive in NASCAR and leave their rides in open-wheel.

CART lost its title sponsor and two major engine suppliers in consecutive years. Bankruptcy followed.

"Years ago, I can remember when open wheel used to be larger than NASCAR," said former driver and car owner Chip Ganassi. "It may not be as popular as NASCAR, but it's popular within the sport. It drives technology and innovation and there's still a place for it."

STAYING ALIVE

Signs of unification began back in 2000 when Ganassi brought his team to compete at the Indianapolis 500. Ironically, his driver--Montoya--won, but it was the consent of IRL boss Tony George to allow the crossover to happen that paved the way for others. Soon after, Team Penske, Andretti/Green, and Rahal/Letterman joined the field.

The future of open wheel racing may hinge on what took place Feb. 27, 2008. That is when IRL and CART announced that they were merging into one entity. In theory, the merger should create more races, a steady flow of drivers, and the ability of fans and sponsors to lay their hats on one series, rather than two competing ones. Ideally, television contracts follow.

Legendary open-wheel racers A.J. Foyt and Bobby Rahal, now both car owners, were on board. Said Foyt, "It'll eliminate the confusion for the race fans and the sponsors because there'll be just one type of car and one type of motor and everyone will be running together." Rahal went a step further.

"I truly believe that this is the first step towards restoring open-wheel racing and the Indianapolis 500 to not only where it once was, but beyond,"

Everybody is under one roof, including the darling of open-wheel racing, Danica Patrick. Patrick, who recently became the first female driver to win an open-wheel event (Japan 500), is the marketing future of open-wheel. The series needs to not only continue to recognize that fact, but exploit it. Patrick's victory was tantamount for both her and the series.

A victory by Graham Rahal, son of former champion Bobby, at St. Petersburg in early April was a watershed moment as well. At 19, Rahal became the youngest driver to win a major open-wheel event.

With the trio of Danica Patrick, Graham Rahal and Marco Andretti, the IRL has three young, talented, and very marketable drivers that can "Do More Good" (first initials of the three) for the series than everything else combined.

Can the new merged series take advantage of this marketing tool? Will open-wheel realize that it's no longer just about racing, but about entertainment as well?

If not, then the move is all for naught.

But a shot at redemption is finally back within reach.