Finally, after 14 years of cannibalizing each others successes, IRL and the Champ Car World Series realized what everyone else knew in 1994: that North America can't support two top-tier open wheel racing series, and that everyone would be better off if the two sides would reach an agreement.
For the 2008 series, for the first time since 1994, there will be only one unified open wheel series in America. To answer the two major questions: yes, they will run at Indy, and yes, they will run on road courses.
The new IRL is not going to challenge NASCAR any time soon (if ever), but it now seems to be lined up to make some inroads. It has a great TV deal with ESPN and ABC, finally has some recognizable stars in Danica Patrick (famous for being an attractive woman) and Helio Castroneves (famous for being on dancing with the stars).
In theory, I should be an IRL fan. I like NASCAR, and I watch just about every Formula 1 race every year. For some reason, though, I've never really gotten into American open-wheel racing. Maybe it's time to give the IRL another shot.
February 23, 2008
It's About Time
Summer is here and there's never been a better time to try your hand at online sports betting. Place your bets on your favorite horse with horse racing or even try your luck with your favorite football team. Enjoying sport is just a click away!
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
4 Responses:
Good post. I hope you do give the IndyCar Series a shot. The racing is fantastic, there are lots of great driver personalities (beyond just Danica and Helio) and it's got a very passionate fan base. I think it will only get more exciting in the future!
The first race is at Homestead Miami Speedway on March 29 and it can be seen at 8pm EST on ESPN2. Check it out!
And most importantly, as Paul Woods shows us, the fans that have stuck with American open wheel racing are really into it. That's a good base to start from.
To answer the two major questions: yes, they will run at Indy, and yes, they will run on road courses.
The major question for me was: "Wait, there were two open wheel racing series?"
I'm going to post this link on the mediazone racing facebook fan page - I asked about this topic on our discussion boards last week or so. I'm surprised I'm not hearing more about it in the news right now; I think most people agree with your position. The re-unification is going to do great things for the sport in the near future, I'm betting.
I'm also wondering why nobody's mentioned the in-car cameras available this season?
Post a Comment