| | INDIANAPOLIS -- As the 20th century closes, the fastest
growing sport in the United States is NASCAR Winston Cup racing.
A deal struck last month with NBC, Fox and Turner will net
NASCAR nearly $3 billion over eight years beginning in 2001,
placing the once-regional sport in the national stratosphere of
TV money. NASCAR'S yearly gross is better than baseball's and
trails only the TV packages of the NFL and NBA.
|  | | If he was anything in 1999, Dale Jarrett was consistent. But he also turned into a worthy champion. |
While that circuit enjoys a dramatic period of growth, the more
traditional forms of auto racing -- open-wheel, open-cockpit --
are struggling. CART and the rival IRL have divided the
interest in that form of racing, which has led many fans to turn
away in dismay and disinterest.
There also is another aspect that hasn't changed involving auto
racing -- danger.
Although all forms of racing have made dramatic improvements in
safety to allow competitors to enjoy long careers, auto racing
remains inherently dangerous. If the sport was easy, then
anybody could do it, which is why drivers enjoy hero status from
their fans.
While the drivers accept the dangers involved, fans do not. That
was never more evident than on the night of May 1 when three
spectators were killed at Lowe's Motor Speedway in Charlotte
during the IRL VisionAire 500.
Driver Stan Wattles crashed into the fourth-turn wall, which
snapped the right rear wheel off the car. As it came across the
track, a car driven by John Paul Jr. hit the wheel and launched
it into the grandstands.
The race was halted and later cancelled due to the tragedy. It
was the second straight year that spectators had been killed at
a big-time, open-wheel race. In July 1998, three spectators were
killed the CART U.S. 500 race when Adrian Fernandez crashed in
the fourth turn, sending his wheel into the crowd.
Because of the spectator tragedies, CART and the IRL immediately
installed tethering devices that would keep the wheel connected
to the cars in a crash. CART's first race with the tethers was
in the Motorola 300 at Madison, Ill. on May 29 and the IRL
had tethers on cars for the Indianapolis 500 on May 30.
While steps have been taken to increase the safety for the fans,
CART driver Greg Moore was killed in a horrific crash in the
Marlboro 500 at California Speedway on Oct. 31. It came on
the 10th lap of the race and the first on a restart. Moore was
battling with four other cars deep in the pack and attempted to
pass the group with an outside move entering the first turn.
According to CART officials, Moore's car brushed the first turn
wall at speeds of over 220 miles per hour. By the time Moore
entered the second turn, the car was suddenly out of control. It
hurtled across a grass strip that separates the backstretch from
the infield. The car's wheels dug into the grass, sending it
topside first into a concrete retaining wall. The car that flew
apart after several wild flips, killing the talented and popular
driver from Maple Ridge, B.C.
Moore died of a severe head injury, which likely was caused by
the initial impact with the first turn wall.
"Greg was one of the new young tigers of Champ Car racing," CART
president and CEO Andrew Craig said. "Clearly, and
unequivocally, a champion of tomorrow. He was everything that is
good about this sport -- talented, committed, courageous, fit.
Everything that symbolizes what Champ Car racing stands for was
embodied in Greg Moore."
Moore was the second CART driver to die in 1999. Rookie Gonzalo
Rodriguez was killed at Laguna Seca Raceway in Monterey,
Calif., during a morning practice session one day before the
Shell 300. The young driver from Uruguay was attempting to
compete in his second CART event and was driving for Marlboro
Team Penske. Ironically, Moore was set to drive for Team Penske
beginning in 2000.
While the season was marked with tragedy, it also included
outstanding triumphs.
On top of the list was Dale Jarrett, who finally won his first
Winston Cup title in dominant fashion. Jarrett took over the
points lead after the Coca-Cola 600 on May 30 and ultimately
wrapped up the championship in the season's penultimate race at
Homestead-Miami Speedway. He finished with a 201-point lead
over his nearest pursuer, Bobby Labonte.
"Right now, I feel like I could race forever," Jarrett said.
"You've got this adrenaline and great things going on, but
honestly, I feel like I can go another seven or eight years. I
think I can drive these cars until I'm 50 or 51 years old. I
don't want to set a time limit because something may change my
mind that I'm either not as competitive or if I'm holding the
team back or if that desire within me to compete and to win
somewhat goes away. I don't think that will ever happen."
While Jarrett was the champion, rookie Tony Stewart enjoyed a
record-breaking season. The former Indy car driver from
Rushville, Ind., had the greatest rookie season in NASCAR
Winston Cup history, winning three races and finishing fourth in
the points standings driving for owner Joe Gibbs.
Stewart, who pulled the rare double of racing in both the Indy
500 and Coca-Cola 600 on the same day in May, likely will
contend for the Winston Cup championship in 2000.
"It's a great honor," Stewart said. "It's such a great honor to
be a part of the series and be associated with Joe Gibbs Racing.
Bobby Labonte really helped me get into that second car."
In 1979, Dale Earnhardt won one race and the Rookie of the Year
title. The next season, he won the Winston Cup title. Could
Stewart do be the next to follow up with a championship?
"I'm not going to say it's impossible, but I didn't think we'd
be in the top 10 in points this year," Stewart said. "We'll see
what happens. In all honesty, I would like to see Bobby win a
championship before I would like to win one myself. Bobby's been
running a long time and I feel like I've got a lot of years
myself in order to get mine."
Three-time NASCAR Winston Cup champion Jeff Gordon opened the
season by winning the Daytona 500 in dramatic fashion. It was
his second Daytona 500 win and once again he appeared to be a
force to win a record-tying third straight season title.
But Gordon faltered somewhat throughout the season and crew
chief Ray Evernham left Hendrick Motorsports to spearhead
Dodge's Winston Cup program, which begins in 2001.
Brian Whitesell was named Gordon's crew chief and the new
combination won its first two races. But at the end of the
season, Gordon dropped back in the field. Once the season was
over, Whitesell was named team manager and Robbie Loomis was
hired away from Petty Enterprises to become Gordon's crew chief
in 2000.
In CART, Juan Montoya from Colombia enjoyed the best rookie
season in circuit history and won the series title with seven
wins. Montoya had a large lead in the series but began to
falter badly toward the end of the year. He actually entered the
season finale trailing Dario Franchitti of Scotland by nine
points.
Franchitti's car suffered a mechanical problem in the Marlboro
500 and Montoya gained enough points to finish tied with
Franchitti with 212 points. Montoya won on a tiebreaker by
winning more races than Franchitti.
Greg Ray won the IRL title in his first season for Team Menard.
Ray took over the car that had been driven by Stewart the first
three years of the fledgling circuit. Ray clinched the title in
the season finale over Kenny Brack, the 1998 IRL champion and
winner of the 1999 Indy 500.
Ray finished the year with three wins, four poles and the IRL
title.
"The championship, of course, is more important than winning one
race," Ray said. "We thought we could win the race and the
championship in Texas. We would have liked to have won here in
Texas almost as much as I would have liked to have won the
Indianapolis 500.
"But of course, the championship is the focus." | |
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