But there will also be empty seats, and plenty of them. Both tickets and hotel rooms were readily available in the days before the race, something unheard of when the Indy 500 meant something to almost everyone.
It doesn’t anymore, for a variety of reasons that basically begin and end with greed. A bitter split between rival open wheel organizations has lasted more than a decade, and the factional fighting has taken a toll on America’s most venerable race.
On Sunday the race will compete for the attention of race fans with NASCAR’s Coca-Cola 600 later that evening, where names like Dale Earnhardt. Jr., Tony Stewart and Jeff Gordon trump the Indy starting front row of Helio Castroneves, Tony Kanaan, and Dario Franchitti.
If this were the 1970s, it would have been no contest. But it’s not, and even the best spin from drivers and owners can’t change that.Why does greed always ruin the best things in life?
Credit Yahoo IRL for the quote.