Originally Posted by Need For Speed:
EARNING your way to Indy by way of Winchester, Eldora, the Indiana State Fairgrounds, etc, etc, should still be the only way to get there!
Amen!
Now there's talk of them opening up the rules on the cars to an open comp type deal in hope that they'll gain back interest & crowds like the old days. That may peak the interest of a few gearheads but it's not going to put a lot of people in the seats.
I can't believe the IMS management can't figure out that it was the names that brought all the people to Indy. People like Foyt, Andretti, Unsers, Johncock, Sneva & more that people followed from short track sprints & midgets to the Speedway. You know if Kinser, Swindell, Wolfgang, Vogler, Hewitt, Darland, Elliott, Hines, Coons & other like them would have gotten 1st class rides at Indy, they wouldn't have the problem they have now. And by the way, the loss of our short track heros started long before the formation of the IRL, so you can't blame it all on T.G.
The real problem now is people have lost the family tradition of going to the Speedway. Even if you did get our short track heros back I don't think it would make a difference as too many years have past & the family traditions of going to the Speedway has been lost forever.
Another thing that pisses me off about Indycar racing is the wine & cheese car owners saying todays sprint & midget guys can't drive rear engine cars. I didn't see any problems with the sprint & midget guys of the 60's making the change to the rear engine cars, so why would it be any different today. I think its just a bunch of SCCA Club types scared that the real races would kick their a$$. I'm willing to bet Bryan Clauson could run circles around Danica right now without any seat time and with some seat time could be an Indy 500 Champion easily.
Anyway, I don't see any light at the end of the tunnel for "The 500" or Indycar racing. That's a shame.
