With the continued increase in the number of CART drivers tackling Indy, the question arises: Does it matter whether or not a CART driver or an IRL driver wins the Indianapolis 500? The answer is a resounding yes!

Since the Indy Racing League was formed in 1996, IRL regulars have taken the 1996, '97, '98 and '99 races. In 2000, Chip Ganassi brought Juan Montoya to the Brickyard and took the top prize while Roger Penske swept the two top spots last season with Helio Castroneves and CART champion Gil de Ferran.

The box score seems to favor the IRL, but in reality, CART teams boycotted the first few 500s sanctioned by the IRL, going so far as to run a competing event on the same day or weekend. Then, last season, CART decided to open its schedule so that interested teams could tackle Indy. It resulted in a sweep of the top five finishing spots followed by NASCAR star Tony Stewart's sixth-place finish in a Chip Ganassi-owned mount.

IRL critics carped that the balance scales were out of whack. They said the CART teams were just too superior to their IRL brethren and the finish was their evidence. One thing about box scores. They often don't tell the whole story.

Penske and Ganassi had plenty of competition last year. Unpredictable race day weather prompted some teams to race in the Indy 250 while others saw their hopes ride on fuel consumption. Robbie Buhl came tantalizingly close to winning the race, only to suffer a late-race miscue.

Sam Hornish Jr. -- another IRL regular -- stumbled early in the race and spun, losing a handful of laps. To this day, the 2001 IRL champion insists that his cockpit error gave the 500 away.

A faulty shifting fork in Mark Dismore's gear box did likewise for him. After replacing the failed part, the Greenfield, Ind., native set some of the fastest laps of the day but finished 16th -- five laps off the pace.

This year, more CART teams have elected to enter Indy. All of the top names, with the exception of the Newman-Haas tandem, have entered the race and just qualifying will be an accomplishment. If the current entry list is to be believed, more cars will go home than will make the race. This means Indy will have more cars trying to break into the elite field of 33 than do for the Daytona 500 and the Grand Prix of Monaco combined!

Pride is on the line. IRL pride and, yes, CART pride. Despite what has been said over the past couple of seasons about a purported dilution of Indy's importance, it was, is and will remain the ultimate prize for an Indy Car-style driver. I would dare to suppose every one of the CART guys left home due to team owners decisions not to run at Indy are disappointed, especially after seeing the success their counterparts have recently enjoyed.

IRL regulars don't like outsiders coming into their house and beating them any more than any other home team likes it. In any sport, on any level, road wins are the true measurement of a team's strength.

What we have here is a Rivalry with a capital R. The agendas that were born with he formation of the IRL are nothing more than fantasies best left in the trash can. The split has evolved into a NBA East vs. West or an National League vs. American League tussle.

Its nice to see Indy in this position. The real winner is the fan.