Fourteen of this year’s 17 races are contested in the U.S., with two in Canada and one in Japan.
“Open-wheel racing has been more of an international series in the U.S. as compared to say NASCAR,” said Scott Dixon, reigning IndyCar champion and native of Auckland, New Zealand.“Just look at the entry list for Richmond, and you can take out a map and see where all the different drivers come from. It’s pretty cool. It’s great to have American drivers, as this is an American-based series, but the diversity in drivers, types of tracks and so on is what gives this series its identity, I think.”
“That’s an interesting question. When I was in Indy [this year’s Indianapolis 500, they introduced me, and it was the biggest ovation I ever received,” said Helio Castroneves. “I’m a Brazilian, and to me that shows people care about the person, the driver, no matter what.”
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Florida native Ryan Hunter-Reay, recently transferred from Vision Racing to A.J. Foyt Racing for the rest of the season, said the Stars and Stripes matter.
“It’s an American-based series,” he said. “It just comes natural they would want American drivers in the hunt for the win. It’s just like baseball. If you had all South Americans in there and no Americans, it might not appeal to the average American fan. You need a mix.”
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