Michigan 500

[Jay]

As the Cart circus pulls out of the glamourous Molson Indy Toronto, it heads off to the near pathetic Michigan 500.

While this race has provided some of the most exciting racing we have ever seen, it is also one of the worst attended Cart races. Namely the 1997 race that saw over 60 lead changes and was eventually won by the late great Greg Moore on the final lap.

Attendance has dropped dramatically over the past few years at this facility in the middle of nowhere, and it begs the question should Cart continue to race at a track like Michigan when the grandstands are as empty as they have been in the last 2 years?

Having said that, the Cart championship is tighter than it has been since they all started at zero this year. Any guesses what will happen at this race? This is also the first 500 miler since the tragedy of the last one. Will that play on anyones mind?

[Heeltoe6]

Actually, it was 98 where there were 68 lead changes because of the Hanford device, but the race was marred by the death of several spectators. As for being in the middle of nowhere, so is Road America and several other venues, but that doesn't seem to hinder them. And as far as empty grandstands go, CART can never again complain about this because they are going to TMS, where there are about twice as many seats as MIS, and no way they will fill more than 1/4 of them. Attendance at MIS isn't that bad when you look at it, it's just there are too many seats(Nascar). In any case, getting rid of Detriot after 2001 should help things.

[KC]

The Michigan 500 has definitely passed its prime. I don't know if its the fans in Michigan just not caring, poor marketting to the area, or just a shifting in the fan base. I don't expect Michigan to last on the schedule much more than 2 years. Don Panoz wants a road race at Road Altanta, Donald Trump wants to have a CART and WC race in the New York metro area, and Ralph Sanchez is still seeking a race for his Caribbean track. It would make sense for CART to go to Road Atlanta because they will not have a race in the southeast of America next year and the New York market speaks for itself.

As far as the racing goes, its a toss up. Montoya will be fast again but his car may not survive him. Tracy and Andretti will be their usual quick selves if they can stay away from trouble. deFerran is always quick but somehow always seems to find Fittipaldi somewhere ont he track. My money would be on Montoya this week. He is depserate to get some points and will be looking to prove hiomself after Franchitti's drive in the Jaguar-Cosworth.

[wallbanger]

Some points of clarification from someone who has been to Brooklyn, Michigan "a few" times:

-The place easily seats 110,000 humanoids. There were nearly that many there for the 1996 "Inaugural" US500. You couldn't move...it was packed tight. The other side of that coin is that when there are "a mere" 60,000 in attendance(that's the figure I heard for the 1998 62-lead change race) the place looks positively empty.
-It IS out in the boonies, but it's less than 2 hours from some major US and Canadian population centers - Detroit/Windsor(Canada) being the largest market. The facility is immaculate, there's more than enough parking/ camping areas and post-race get-away is "acceptable".
-Because of the proximity to Detroit and the fact that the Belle Isle Raceway event there has been run as close together as 2weeks apart from the superspeedway event, that market has become fractionalized. The promotability of BOTH races has suffered as a result.
-Crossover fans of other series (name ANY American oval series brcause they all have their turn or two there)have to decide which of their faves is most appropriate to spend $ to see on the high-banked oval. Obviously, NASTYCAR has already won that war.

Please draw your own future conclusions keeping this info in mind!

[Jay]

"The facility is immaculate" - Where is the nearest good hotel?

I remember hearing that the attendance for the 1999 race at Michigan had fallen to around 40 000 spectators, which would certainly make the place look awfully empty. That after the 1997 race was one of the most exciting ones in Cart history.

However 3 spectators were killed. Could this have caused the big drop? I don't think so, I think racing fans accept the dangers involved.

Does anyone know how tickets are selling this year?

As for this years race, let's just hope it is more exciting than last years.

[Liz]

Personally I like road courses much better than ovals, and if given a choice I'd always go to a road course (particularly Road America, if I can get up there one day! It reminds me of Spa.) Having seen my only live oval race at Fontana last year, I am disinclined to attend another one - the cars go too fast to see in person, and there's not enough variety in the support events.

I agree that Montoya will be lookign to distinguish himself - I also expect Moreno to be back on song after a bad race in Toronto, and would not be surprised to see Tracy win the thing, Helio do very well, and Gil about fourth or fifth.

[Nuvolari]

I wouldn't count Adrian out of it . . . or (forgive me) Mikey.

[Liz]

Oh, forgot Adrian. Yes, he will do well, he usually does on speedways. (I wonder if anyone every clued him as to why evryone was shouting ADRIANNNNNN! at him this past weekend?)

Further deponent saith naught.