"I'm so excited, I'm so excited, I'm so...scared" were the words uttered by Saved By the Bell's Jessie Spano after Zach discovered her addiction to caffeine pills. The words that for millions of fans have been uttered over and over again, have never meant so much to me as when I think about the unficiation of Champ Car and the IndyCar Series. Open Wheel has been fragmented since 1978 with the real nail in the coffin coming with Tony George's creation of the IRL in 1996. After years of infighting and name calling the two series have decided to bury the hatch and combining Series, or as they’ve said fold Champ Car into the IndyCar Series. It's a brilliant plan. Sorry, Nascar, but the IRL has the best racing on an oval and Champ Cars road courses have offered their share of exciting moments as well. To combine that level of talent on both sides and keep the Indianapolis 500 as its centerpiece may change the fortunes of North American Motorsports for years to come.
However my giddiness is lessened when I think about how this whole thing is going to turn out. In 1978, a plane crash tragically killed many of the governing body of the United States Auto Club. The incident set the wheels in motion for the 1996 debut of the IndyCar Series. What’s to say a turning point will not arise that will once again lead to warring factions that terrorize the sport? Or even just the simple growing pains that will come from folding one series into another series that has been used to different equipment and different surfaces of racing?
I view this unification as incredibly exciting. I see stars like Scott Dixon, Dan Wheldon, Helio Costroneves, Tony Kanaan, Marco Andretti, Danica Patrick and Paul Tracy as drivers who can only benefit from increased competition. I also see the Indianapolis 500 as an aging icon in some serious need of improvement. With an infusion of fields filled with better and more competitive equipment, the prestige can come back and a rush of exhilaration can return to the Sunday of Memorial Day weekend. All of the tireless testing and qualifying can be justified because of the race’s renaissance.
I take this open wheel unification with a grain of salt. After years of bickering, can one phone call and a month of negotiations ease the tensions of almost 30 years? I’m not too sure, but I’m hopeful for the future that millions of people can rediscover some of the best racing North America has to offer.
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It's been fun blogging with you,
Kate
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