Can the Indy 500 Matter Again?

So when's the last time you read a blog about open-wheel racing? Let's try that again... who remembers what open-wheel racing is? If you live outside Indianapolis, there's probably a pretty decent chance you haven't seen an open-wheel race in a long, long time. You know, waaay before blogs.

Now I don't really care about racing. NASCAR is too Hollywood anymore, and it's the only racing anyone cares about. However, I remember back in the day when the Indianapolis 500 was a huge day in Indianapolis. We didn't get the race on TV, because it was always blacked out, but we'd gather around the radio and listen to the whole thing. I'm sure my mom had no idea who any of the drivers were, but she was there for every lap. After the race, we'd turn on the TV and watch the whole thing on tape delay. A few years later, the people who had satellite dishes (the big giant ones, not the little tiny ones that people have now) would invite everyone over to watch it live on a west-coast ABC feed.

For those of you still reading, there's good news. It looks like the Indy 500 might start to matter again. Speedway owner Tony George and his Indy Racing League have managed to broker a merger with the Champ Car World Series. Many of the details have not come out, but it definitely looks like there will be a full field at this year's race. That's not to say that Indy is going to be bigger than NASCAR right away, but at least it's giving itself a chance.

Maybe the Indy 500 will rise again... someday.