Totally Overblown

As a fan of both Nascar and open wheel racing, I am really happy Indy Car and Cart finally reunified.   However, sometimes writers make this out to be akin to ending the Cold War.  It is a bunch of guys racing cars, for crisssakes!!  This does not signify a new chapter in international relations.   It's all about fun and I suggest we keep it in perspective.   Mellow out with any war-like analogies.  That would be an insult to anyone who actually fought in a real war.

Good assessment Lars1459.  It feels like the "hot" war is over and the "cold" war is just beginning.  But like you, I'm both a NASCAR and open wheel fan, and I happy for the unification.  It seems like this deal was rushed and done sloppy.  I don't think Tony George and Kevin Kalkhoven are happy with the deal.  They act like they still want to stab each other in the back.  I don't see either smiling.  It's a mess; next year maybe it will be ironed out more.

On a side note:  I wonder if Danica Patrick will keep here ride.  It seems she was given it because she was a hot chick and not so much for here driving ability.  IRL used here to generate interest.  I'm sure former CART drivers are going to question her driving ability.

Okay I agree that IRL and CART needed to re-unifiy.  But let's not forget that one of the main reason they split was because they kept getting more and more road courses in the schedule and fewer ovals.  If CCRS is to survive, they will have to find a balance.  As a racing fan in general...all types except NHRA, I think this is great for american racing.  I remember being stationed in Heidelberg in Germany, going to the F1 races at Hockenheim, talking to the German folks who were in love with NASCAR but greatly saddened to see the demise of CART   Personally CART lost me as a fan when they dropped cleveland for a few years...I loved the cleveland grand prix.  IRL really never grabed my passion for racing either....to many ovals.  F1 was a flop at Indy a few years back.

If you ask most so called "racing" fans in the US I doubt they could name more than four road courses in the US.  That is a shame.  On the other hand when I was in Germany I don't recall seeing one oval in the entire country.  The Germans love NASCAR and I think if they built an oval over there...they would be paying NASCAR an insane amount of money to get a race there.

NASCAR needs to take note to and add a few more road courses to their schedule as well.  Any true racing fan knows that it takes a far more talented driver to win on the road than it does on the oval.  A road course in the chase would be a good start and would, in my humble opinion, shake the Chase up quite a bit.  I don't know if JJ would have won his two Sprint Cups if he had to race a road course during the Chase.

Nice to know you have an appreciation for F1 and for the skill and beauty of road course racing.  I'm jellous you got to see a race at Hockenheim.  But please get your facts right on the F1 race in Indy. 

I attended all eight F1 races held there from 2000 - 2007.  Each year the USGP was the highest attended race on the F1 schedule.  The race in 2000 is still the highest attended  F1 race in history.  The race didn't come back this year because the inflated egos of both Tony George and F1 boss Bernie Ecclestone couldn't agree on a contract.  There are already rumors that they are hopeful that the race will return in '09.  Most of the teams and automakers were angered that the race is off the schedule this year because the US is such a huge market for them and their sponcers.  Many of the fans I spoke to there that had been to other F1 tracks said that Indy was one of the best F1 venues for fan access and viewing (and also the least expensive).

I agree with you that NASCAR needs to add some more road courses and put one in the chase.  Along with the 2+ mile ovals, the road races are the only ones I can stand to watch.