Indy, The End

I must admit after over 55 years of following the Indy 500 my enthusiasm for the race has all but disappeared and I can’t really say why. I know that part of the reason must be the split in OWR that occurred in 1996. But there is more to it than that. The idea of going 220 plus MPH around a track with concrete walls and safer barriers has not been proven to be the safest form of racing. Over the years I have had the misfortune of being present for the death of more than one driver. One of the accidents was right in front of me in the north shoot and I can say it pretty much ruined the rest of the day for me. I know there is a huge risk taken by the drivers when they decide to participate in racing but even knowing that doesn’t change the feeling one gets when you see a driver pay the ultimate price. Yes racing much safer now than in years past but oval racing seems to take too big of a toll.

I’m one of thousands that have lost interest in the Spectacle. Judging from what I could see on TV the stands were not packed as they used to be. Checking on the Indy web sight I found many tickets available right up to Race Day. Fortunately for Indy, this year’s event featured a young female rookie that happened to be very fast and with a team that knows how to go fast. This helped to put some excitement back into the race. I know I watched with great anticipation that a lady could finally win the race. But at the end I still had this feeling of – gee this really doesn’t do it for me anymore.

I wonder how many others have a similar feeling and if it will finally spell the end of the Greatest Spectacle in Racing.

I wouldn’t be surprised.