U.S. open-wheel racing: a house divided - automobile racing series - Brief Article

In the years following World War II, Anton "Tony" Hulman of Torte Haute, Ind., was a Hoosier hero for salvaging the dilapidated Indianapolis Motor Speedway and reviving its famous 500-Mile Race.

Nearly 50 years later Hulman's grandson, Anton Hulman "Tony" George, found himself at the center of controversy because of his decision to build an oval-track racing series around the 500.

In 1994 George announced formation of the Indy Racing League. He cited concerns about the direction of open-wheel racing under Championship Auto Racing Teams, specifically about how U.S. grassroots drivers were looking toward NASCAR, not the Indy 500, as a career destination. He feared the .skyrocketing costs of high-tech CART racing would continue to drive American oval-track racers and race fans to NASCAR. He worded about the future of the race his grandfather had saved.

Formation of the IRL was followed by an acrimonious fracture in U.S. open-wheel racing. Many of the top teams--Penske Racing, Newman-Haas Racing--and better-known drivers--Al Unser Jr., Michael Andretti, Bobby Rahal--stayed away from Indianapolis after 1995.

CART staged its own race, the U.S. 500, at Michigan International Speedway on the day of the 1996 Indy 500. Six years later enmity remains, but the two organizations have progressed from open warfare to detente to mostly peaceful coexistence.

Now in its sixth season, the IRL is establishing itself as a major American racing series. The Indy 500 has taken its lumps but survived. CART's stars have begun to trickle back to Indy--Unser, Juan Montoya and Jimmy Vasser last year, Andretti and the Penske team this year.

Meanwhile, CART continues to pursue its business plan as an international open-wheel league, with events on oval tracks, road courses and temporary street circuits (every IRL race is on an oval track)--and mostly foreign-born drivers.

Attempts to reunite the two series collapsed last year. The IRL and CART have substantial, perhaps irreconcilable, differences. The only common ground they have seems to be Tony George's piece of real estate at 16th and Georgetown in northwest Indianapolis and the race that is run there every Memorial Day weekend.

Perhaps that's all that is necessary.

COPYRIGHT 2001 Sporting News Publishing Co.
COPYRIGHT 2001 Gale Group