Since the split between Championship Auto Racing Teams and the IRL—which Tony George hoped would evolve into a predominantly American, all-oval-track series—George has been condemned for single-handedly bringing second-class status to open-wheel racing while diminishing the status of the month of May and the Indy 500.
No one can deny that the CART-IRL split did irreparable damage to open-wheel racing, especially as it coincided with NASCAR’s rise to prominence.
NASCAR also became the (almost) all-American series, (almost) all-oval track series, appealing to a fiercely loyal audience that in turn was fiercely loyal to the sponsors’ products.
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At the same time, George set out to bring a more wholesome atmosphere to his crown jewel, the Indianapolis 500. First, bleachers, and then the road course, replaced the infamous Snakepit and lessened the anything goes drunkfest. He built family viewing mounds along the backstretch and came up with more family-oriented activities.
He made the sport less dangerous throughout America by spearheading the creation and installation of the SAFER barriers.
It deserves to be noted that, with no infusion of public funds, Tony George created an economic engine that roared more loudly than 33 Indy cars, 42 stock cars or 20-some F-1 cars. It resonated to the sound of $700-million-plus being infused into central Indiana, the equivalent of threeplus Super Bowls.
Besides, Tony George’s legacy is still being written. Yes, there are real concerns about the future of motorsports, open wheel in particular. The IRL certainly needs the Indy 500 more than vice versa, but the health of both is essential.
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