The late news—very late—that U.S. open-wheel racing’s long uncivil war has finally staggered to its hemorrhagic conclusion, fell with less than seismic impact in the motor sports world at large. As someone emailed in to SpeedTV’s “Wind Tunnel,” the only reason for many fans to bother talking about IRL’s muffled victory over Champ Car in February was their boredom with the rain delay in that weekend’s NASCAR event.
I think it was host Dave Despain who opined that two-time Indy 500 champion Helio Castroneves is better known to the public for his ballroom dancing than his Speedway driving.
