Top Row Seat - Charlotte
Dateline: 05/27/97The Great American Race
For years Memorial Day Weekend has meant racing to millions of people around the world. People who only watch one race each year would be glued to their televisions on Sunday to watch the race. This held true again this year. But the race people were watching this year was not held in the midwest using "pointy" cars. This year the Coca-Cola 600 became the premier Memorial Day Weekend motorsports event.
Race fans and casual observers used to get together and watch the Indianapolis 500. Then, if they would happen to catch a little bit of the NASCAR race that was fine. This year, according to my informal poll, more people were searching out the Charlotte race and would settle for clips of the Indy 500 on the news.
The CART-IRL feud has opened the door for NASCAR to take center stage in American motorsports. Indianapolis stores and hotels reported significantly lower turnouts this year. There were empty rooms available just blocks from the track. According to a story on the AP wire there were big gaps of green where cars used to fill the infield in Indianapolis. By contrast, Charlotte Motor Speedway reported another record crowd.
I'm a NASCAR fan first, but I love all types of motorsports. I truly hope that the two pointy car leagues can get together, overcome the egos involved, and reinstate the Indianapolis 500 to it's former glory. Then race fans around the world can have the two greatest races in the world back-to-back on Memorial Day Weekend. Sadly, this year there was one premier motorsports event while "The Greatest Spectacle In Racing" struggled to retain some of it's original sparkle.
Go Fast, Turn Left, Stay Safe!
Send your tips, rumors and comments to me at nascar.guide@miningco.com.
