Home » Sports » Indy Racing League » Indy Winners Comment on U.S. Grand Prix

Indy Winners Comment on U.S. Grand Prix

© Thomas M. Sampson

By Seth Ronald Eichhorn

The Indy Northern Light Racing Series was quiet this weekend, but Indy Racing League President Tony George and his Indianapolis Motor Speedway were busy, as the speedway hosted the first United States Grand Prix since 1991. While Formula One cars look very much like the Indy cars that people are used to seeing at the speedway, once the engines rev, the difference is apparent. Nothing sounds like the high pitched scream of a Formula One car. Another diffference to American fans is that there are no American teams or drivers in Formula One this year. A final difference was noticed by Indy 500 pace car driver and former winner Johnny Rutherford when he commented that it was the first time he'd seen cars go clockwise around the speedway.

Even though there were no American drivers on the track for the Grand Prix, there were plenty of them in the stands to watch the return of Formula One to the United States. Among them were several former Indy 500 winners and several of the IRL drivers as well. One of them, Mark Dismore, even stopped by Indianapolis Raceway Park last night to drive an ASA stock car race. Of those in attendance several of those past champions had comments to make about Formula One and their experiences with it.

Al Unser, Sr., four time "500" winner and father of current IRL driver Al Unser, Jr., commented that he had thoughts early in his career of driving in Grand Prix's and at one point even tested a F-1 car. He didn't follow through, however and returned to driving Indy cars. Another former winner, Parnelli Jones recalled that he had been invited to join Colin Chapman's team however turned down the invitation because Formula One did not carry the prestige of racing Indy cars. One former winner, Jacques Villeneuve of Canada (1995), did not comment on his view of the race, since he was too busy finishing 4th in his first U.S. Grand Prix.

The last American driver to drive on the Formula One circuit is current IRL driver Eddie Cheever, Jr. He returned to the United States after failing to win on the European circuit. Currently Cheever is in the third place for the Indy Northern Light Racing Series season crown. He follows leader Buddy Lazier, who was also at the Grand Prix, and Scott Goodyear in the points battle as the IRL season goes down to the final race of the year, the Excite.com 500 on October 15 at Texas Motor Speedway.