[TLK]

Gentlemen, Start Your Engines
Written by: Robin Miller
Indianapolis, IN – 3/13/2004



Tony George recently enlightened readers of The Indianapolis Star with the revelation that 33 cars "is only a number" and that if the traditional 11 rows of three isn't reached this May it's no big deal because quality out-ranks quantity anyway.

Oh yeah, he's also been thinking about shortening the field for some time.

In the aftermath of these preposterous pronouncements, three things immediately came to mind:

a) Publicity director Fred Nation, who crafts many of Tony's thoughts and talking points, had fallen into a deep coma while listening to his boss make a lunch-time speech and wasn't able to moniter The Star's interview.

b) Tony had obviously lost the last page of his notes.

c) The grandson of Tony Hulman really and truly just doesn't get it.

The man who sucked the life out of the Indianapolis 500 in 1996 by dividing open-wheel racing clearly has no conception of what made May so special, so intriguing and what making this race meant to a driver, a mechanic or an owner.

His lack of respect for tradition and history is only topped by his incredible ignorance and arrogance.

Think not? Let's review his legacy.

In 1996, he insulted every driver who ever busted his butt or lost his life trying to qualify at Indianapolis by guaranteeing 25 of the 33 starting spots for members of his "league."

In 1997, Nissan wasn't up to speed but instead of letting open competition rule, George desecrated another tradition by adding two cars and starting 35 in order to make sure Infiniti was represented. It took a minimum speed and it wasn't the fastest 33, just the politically correct 35. And that was after sending Scott Harrington on a late afternoon banzai where he crashed going three mph faster than he needed to but IRL officials neglected to let him in one "the deal."

In 1998, George reduced practice and qualifying (one weekend) because there weren't enough professional teams to run all the laps required to fill up two weeks of practice -- and two hours on ESPN every day.

In 2002, Barry Green went through an appeal process and, according to those inside the room, proved that Paul Tracy had passed Helio Castroneves before the yellow light came on and therefore won the Indy 500. A few weeks later George announced there could be no appeal because IRL vice president of operations Brian Barnhart's word was gospel. His explanation was cut short when he couldn't find the last page of his explanation.

Last May, for the first time in modern history, there was no bumping at Indy because as soon as the field reached 33 on Sunday at 4:30 p.m., qualifying was over. Jeff Ward had a car but the unwritten rule in Gasoline Alley called for no more attempts. So it didn't matter how fast you went, four laps was the only criteria. And another Indy tradition went down in flames.

Faced with the fact there may not be 30 cars this May (until last week's calamity in Champ Car) because the IRL has failed to generate enough interest after eight years, George has declared that 33 cars in nothing more than a nebulous number.

You know, kinda like 11 for football, 9 for baseball and 5 for basketball. Why not the Mudville 7? Or The Fab Three? Heck, just doctor up those old recordings and have Sid Collins saying: "The fastest 26 cars in the world come down for the flying start."

When George said he was uncomfortable with some of the quality in past races he showed again how little he appreciates the spirit of what helped make Indy such a national treasure.

If George thinks 33 is just a number with no meaning then maybe he should ask his good buddies Roger Penske and Al Unser Jr. how it felt not to be one of those 33 in 1995. Or Bobby Rahal, who missed the show in 1993. Better yet, ask Phil Krueger, Steve Chassey and Roger Rager how satisfying it was to qualify some ****box they also worked on.

Indy used to be about innovation, finding the right combination and putting everything on the line to make the show. It could be the defining moment in a driver's career. Now, because of George's vision, it's a spec race that only requires four laps at any speed and it can't even draw enough interest anymore to fill the field.

He predicted there was an ocean of car owners when he formed the IRL but it turns out there's not even a small pond. Before George drove a wedge into open wheel, Indy never had to be concerned about selling tickets, drawing crowds, a shortage of cars or a lack of atmosphere.

When Tony was handed the keys to the Speedway in 1989, longtime racing writer George Moore wondered aloud: "Now we'll see if this place (IMS) is bulletproof."

We all laughed. You can't screw up the Indy 500.

Well those of us who revered Indy aren't laughing anymore.

It's sad to see the continuing demise of this great event under George's misguided leadership and it's just as painful to know how little he appreciates Indy's history.

Gentlemen, start your engines. So what? It's only four words.

I'm loving it.....