When it comes to the Indianapolis 500, it’s no secret that I’m an old school enthusiast, who believes the sacred traditions of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway should be upheld regardless of circumstance. Admittedly, it took me awhile to warm up to Nascar invading 16th Street and Georgetown Road in 1994, and while I still consider Formula One to be the pinnacle of motor sports, I wasn’t sure their arrival at IMS was a good thing in 2000 as well. Regardless of how the aforementioned fared, I was always convinced the 500 would remain in its original pure form, free from the problems that plague other disciplines of racing. However, after witnessing what unfolded this past weekend I’m convinced the glory days at the track are sadly a foregone conclusion.
For instance, let’s take a look at the qualification format that currently is being utilized by the Indy Car Series. Historically the qualification process for the Indianapolis 500 has been held on the final two weekends prior to the race itself, with pole qualifying conducted on day one and the balance of the field determined on the following three days. The format was designed for an era of competition in which the entry list for the race was far greater than the number of spots available in the starting field. This created great drama as the process of determining the fastest thirty-three cars generally allowed the cream of the crop to rise and separated the pretenders from the contenders.
Each car received one attempt to qualify and it was really a thing of beauty to watch the scrambling that went on in the final minutes of day four as teams did everything they could to make the greatest race in the world.
As things changed over the years and open-wheel racing fell from grace due to some horrible operational decisions, the Indy Car Series searched for ways to manufacture drama and with this year’s entry list containing a mere two more entries than the starting field allows for, you’ve got what appeared to be a return to the days of greater competition for qualifying. Granted, the decision to reduce the number of days spent qualifying in half, while tossing tradition aside was a good move, lessening the process in a cost-effective way for the teams, and saving IMS the embarrassment from the woeful attendance they were experiencing on days three and four.
Yes, the excitement returned this past weekend (well, sort of) when James Hinchcliffe, one of the series most identifiable drivers, failed to muster enough speed to make the field, and barring a buyout of another qualified car, will miss the 102nd running of the storied event. Indy Car got the drama they wanted on day two in the final minutes and the format was validated.
The biggest problem here are the elements contained within the format itself, which is confusing to most fans in the way entries are forced to qualify yet again on the second day, and ultimately how the pole award is basically a competition between the fastest nine drivers as opposed to the entire field. Sure, the fastest speeds prevail, but with numerous attempts allowed, coupled with an unnecessary second day of competition, the current format leaves quite a bit to be desired with the purists who faithfully follow the sport.
How does Indy Car balance tradition with the modern era of racing? That’s a debate that rages on, and will undoubtedly continue to be an issue for a series that struggles mightily with attendance and television ratings with the majority of all their races each season, before and after the Indianapolis 500.
Note: Chevrolet dominated the Indy 500 qualifications with Ed Carpenter capturing his third career pole position. He’ll be joined on the front row by Team Penske entrants Simon Pagenaud and Will Power, as all three drivers seek their first win at the Brickyard. Danica Patrick who has determined that this year’s 500 will be the last race of her career, qualified seventh. Matheus Leist, driving for A.J. Foyt, was the fastest rookie qualifier.
The 102nd running of the Indy 500 is set for this Sunday and you can still get tickets at the IMS box office. ABC will broadcast the race for their 54th straight year before NBC begins televising it in 2019. You can also listen to the radio broadcast on 1070 AM and 107.5 FM locally beginning at noon.
Danny Bridges, who’ll be attending his 51st consecutive Indy 500 and predicts Simon Pagenaud will take the checkered flag, can be reached at (317) 370-8447 or at Bridgeshd@aol.com.
