Post by The Stig on Feb 22, 2008 17:16:38 GMT -5
sports.espn.go.com/rpm/news/story?seriesId=1&id=3259364
After 12 years the division in American open-wheel racing between Champ Car and the Indy Racing League known as "The Split" has finally ended.
"The Split" will go down in sports history as an impeccable example of how to ruin a sport. In 1995 Indycar was the premier form of racing in the US. The Indy 500 was a massive global event, and Indycar was a legitimate competitor to F1. NASCAR was still little more than a regional sport.
But in 1996 it all fell apart. That year Indycar split into the Indy Racing League and CART. Both series focused on fighting each other, while NASCAR quietly stole away the hordes of disgruntled race fans and the confused general public. TV numbers plummeted, engine manufacturers and sponsors pulled out, car counts dwindled, and all the top drivers followed the money to NASCAR or F1.
Now with unification everybody can finally race together again, but it might be too late.
After 12 years the division in American open-wheel racing between Champ Car and the Indy Racing League known as "The Split" has finally ended.
"The Split" will go down in sports history as an impeccable example of how to ruin a sport. In 1995 Indycar was the premier form of racing in the US. The Indy 500 was a massive global event, and Indycar was a legitimate competitor to F1. NASCAR was still little more than a regional sport.
But in 1996 it all fell apart. That year Indycar split into the Indy Racing League and CART. Both series focused on fighting each other, while NASCAR quietly stole away the hordes of disgruntled race fans and the confused general public. TV numbers plummeted, engine manufacturers and sponsors pulled out, car counts dwindled, and all the top drivers followed the money to NASCAR or F1.
Now with unification everybody can finally race together again, but it might be too late.