Michael Andretti's decision to purchase Team KOOL Green and consider moving all or part of the operation over to the Indy Racing League is yet another victory for the IRL. Whether it is a large one remains to be seen.

"It is going to come down to the sponsors," Andretti said, "but I would like to do Indianapolis. That is a race I really want."

Therein lies the real victory for the IRL. Sponsors.

At Nashville Superspeedway last week, Marlboro continued a signage onslaught that has remarkably transformed many IRL venues into seas of red and white Marlboro logos. In less than a year, it has taken over the leading marketer spot in the IRL and both the IRL and its track partners must be happy.

Toyota and Honda arrive in 2003. Sure, their engines will be a welcome addition to the league. But it is their marketing war chests that will turn the tide. Advertisers and marketers don't care how seats to an event get sold. What they do care about is having a cost efficient platform from which they can sell their products and services.

The economic downturn destroyed much of the freewheeling spending that once characterized CART. The league's position of superiority was on the backs of its technology partners who, in turn for a voice in CART's future direction, supported their CART participation with what seemed to be bottomless bank accounts.

But then, CART tinkered too much. Or, did it take its partners for granted? I don't know -- nor do I care. What I do know is Honda and Toyota packed up their tents and changed sides.

A race in Japan (and who knows what else) was the IRL dowry to Honda. It remains to be seen what exactly it cost the IRL to land Toyota, but you can be sure that there was a price attached.

While CART reverses field and starts changing its marketing campaign from "We're really, really fast," to next year's "We're really, really cheap", the IRL gets a much needed injection of marketing support.

The debate between die hard CART and IRL fans will continue down its rhetorical road with little regard for reality. Both sides suspend logic when they argue and little is accomplished. When 2003 dawns, however, the IRL will have the added bats of Honda, Toyota and now Andretti when it comes to the plate.

The anticipated arrival of one of Adrian Fernandez's cars will further bolster the IRL's dance card.

The IRL's marketing support is getting stronger.

The on-track product is the best of any of the U.S. motorsports series. That's not an IRL apologist's carping. That comes from media that regularly cover NASCAR's Winston Cup, Busch and Craftsman Truck Series.

While CART chases Newman-Haas Racing's Cristiano da Matta, who has all but locked up the FedEx Cup, the IRL's title looks like it will go right down to the wire.

Face it. The IRL has arrived. The side-pods of their cars are filling with corporate logos, and crowds are sampling and liking the product. NASCAR may have a long head start, but at least, the IRL can see NASCAR's dust.