| | INDIANAPOLIS -- I was raised in Indianapolis. Like most Indiana natives, I grew up going to the Indianapolis Motor Speedway each May. Like any good Hoosier, the Indianapolis 500 remains the one race I never miss.
In 1994, when NASCAR came to town, the Speedway and its fans didn't know what to make of stock cars at Indy. But in the seven years since the first Brickyard 400, I think it's safe to say two races are better than one each year.
|  | | David Coulthard may not be a household name in the U.S., but he and F1 have made Indy their home this week. |
Now it's time for something completely different -- the U.S. Grand Prix. And like the city and Speedway, the past few days have been my first encounter with the boys from Europe and a little series called Formula One.
The jury may still be out, but I think it's going to be great for Indianapolis. It just may take a little getting used to.
No matter how the fans treat this weekend's racing, the really remarkable aspect about having the U.S. Grand Prix at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway is this hallowed speedway can now be called the home of three premier events. The Speedway has always been the facility for auto racing in the world. Hosting a Formula One event lifts the track to a level no other facility can touch. Aside from the Daytona 500, it's safe to say the Speedway now has the three marquee events of U.S. auto racing -- the Indianapolis 500, Brickyard 400 and U.S. Grand Prix.
I'd have to say, however, the city and state's racing enthusiasts haven't been quick to embrace F1. It's been more of a "wait-and-see" attitude around these parts. But, in the past couple of days, I've had some calls from people asking if I could get them tickets to the sold-out race. So, I think the buzz around Indianapolis is building with area race fans wanting to be a part of this "event."
Still, the F1 remains a tough sell in America, simply because fans aren't familiar with Europe's premier racing series. They may know a few names like Michael Schumacher, Mika Hakkinen and Jacques Villeneuve, who won the 1995 Indy 500. But it's not like when Winston Cup brought to Indy names fans had heard about for years.
Formula One just isn't a series American fans talk about every day. Like myself, this is the first F1 encounter for most American racing fans. And I'm not sure they'll know what to make of Sunday's race. At least when Jeff Gordon & Co. arrived at the Brickyard, loyal open-wheel Indy fans may not have know exactly what Winston Cup was about, but the racing was at least similar to what they'd watched at the Speedway for so many years.
F1 is a whole new ball game. If you don't believe me, just look at the Speedway. There is a road course running through the Indianapolis Motor Speedway! And that's just the most basic change that FIA demanded before it brought F1 to Indy. The Speedway has spent so much money sprucing up the place, which is ironic when you think about a facility that already was hosting two marquee events -- the Indy 500 and Brickyard 400.
I have to say, the Speedway has never looked better. But that may be exactly what surprises longtime Indy fans who come to Saturday's qualifying and Sunday's race -- just how different Indianapolis Motor Speedway looks. And as nice as it looks, I don't know if Indy traditionalist are going to like the remodeling.
But, at this point, the U.S. Grand Prix is more of an "event" than a "race" for the city of Indianapolis. And if Formula One is ever going to succeed in America, it has to do so at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. If F1 doesn't make it at the Speedway, it's just not meant to be in America.
Having the U.S. Grand Prix at Indy is the final chance for F1 to make it in this country. | |
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