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Indy Still Attracts Attention

© Gary Presley

Racers accept danger, but no one involved in auto racing wants fans to be put in harm's way. There have been tragedies through the years, including some like the one at LeMans nearly a half-century ago, that led to auto racing being banned in some countries. There was another tragedy last Saturday night tragedy, although the accident was not directly related to racing. Luckily, no fan has died from injury suffered at the bridge collapse at Lowe's Motor Speedway.

In a happier vein, CART returns to Nazareth this week. Nevertheless, as news, views and interviews swirled back and forth across the print media, the television and radio networks and the Internet, the open wheel talk centered around qualifying for the Indy 500.

It was a rare CART aficionado, either fanatic or casual, who didn't have an eye on the Brickyard. Some were happy. Some were smug. Some were patronizing. Some were bemused. Some were hateful. Some gloated.

The spectrum of emotions sparkled last week as jet-lagged Jimmy Vasser and Juan Montoya deplaned after a flight from Twin Ring Motegi and saddled up the Team Ganassi G-Force Olds Auroras. IRL drivers doubtless muttered among themselves about 'buying the race' when the two promptly turned in some of the fastest pre-qualifying practice times at the Brickyard.

Team Ganassi's sponsors reportedly shelled out an extra $2.5 million to support the team's effort to grab the Borg-Warner Trophy out of the hands of IRL regulars.

Other CART team-owners - Bobby Rahal, for one - wanted to make the effort but were unable to convince their sponsors the exposure was worth the money.

You can't say Ganassi and company aren't on top of their game. For an extended period on Saturday, Juan Pablo Montoya sat on the provisional pole, and his teammate Jimmy Vasser earned a secure starting spot. IRL favorite Greg Ray, in fact, called off his first attempt after not being able to get his Dallara Olds up to an acceptable speed.

Montoya came across as extraordinarily blasé about his success as a Brickyard rookie, noting he could have gotten another 15 or 20mph out of a set of turbocharged CART wheels. Well and good, muy amigo, but fans want to see close racing - that means on track duels and passing -- rather than experiments in aerodymanics - which means excess turbulence and no passing.

One of the most interesting stories of the weekend came to a close when

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