xenophobia?
I got started by listening to the Indy 500 every year on the radio back in the 1950's, and when it was possible to go watch a "Closed Circuit Telecast", I watched it that way. When I moved to Indiana in the mid 1980's I attended every year until a health problem made attending too difficult.
To me, the Indy 500 is an awesome event that is a part of who I am. I am not an expert on the subject, or a historical buff. I just like it.
I fondly remember going to the local Memorial Day parade, followed by the family picnics, sitting with my Dad and my Uncles listening to the race on the radio, and hearing their stories about the times they went to the "500" and times they got to see the "Big Cars" and some famous drivers at some local tracks.
Sure, it's not the same race I grew up with, but life goes on, and things evolve. Good, bad, or indifferent, everything changes. I choose to roll with it.