Good Seats Still Available

View Original

EPISODE 216: Auto Racing's "Indy Split" - With John Oreovicz

See this content in the original post

The starting grid is set for the 105th running of the Indianapolis 500 this Sunday, and what better way to get ready than with a look back at the divisive battle between two competing sanctioning bodies that almost decimated the sport of open-wheel IndyCar racing - and even "The Greatest Spectacle in Racing" itself.

Veteran motorsports reporter John Oreovicz ("Indy Split: The Big-Money Battle That Nearly Destroyed Indy Racing") joins the podcast to help us better understand the political infighting that has plagued the sport since the late 1970s - most notably the schismatic 12-year "split" from 1996-2007 between CART (Championship Auto Racing Teams) and the Indy Racing League - the lingering effects of which still threaten to undermine the sport's future.

At the heart of all of it has been the iconic Indianapolis Motor Speedway - open-wheel's undisputed center of gravity for more than a century - and now, along with a recombined IndyCar Series, boasts new ownership (racing industry legend Roger Penske) that aims to again harmonize the sport into a viable and vibrant future.

See this content in the original post

Indy Split: The Big Money Battle That Nearly Destroyed Indy Racing - buy book here