WisPolitics Budget Blog

Watch-out NASCAR. Open wheel racing (hope open leather bodices soon follow) is back with the emergence of Danica Patrick.

For the first time in probably 10+ years, I was anxious to see the start of the Indy 500. Which, according to TV ratings, coincided with the rest of America. ABC reported its highest ratings for Indy in nearly a decade.

Among the 33 drivers, only 14 were American. Some say the increasingly Latin American and European drivers have pushed U.S. race fans from open wheel to NASCAR and their American-made Chevys, Dodges and Fords.

Maybe. But the CART v. IRL feud did more harm to the sport than guys named Andretti or Fittapaldi, or Honda engines.

As for Danica what can you say. She makes two major mistakes during the course of the race, survives a wheel bump and almost wins the race after falling back to 16th after the stall. Just amazing (and her photo session in FHM ain't bad either).



The other nice thing about Indy race fans is that there aren't many liberals in the crowd of 300,000-plus. It is a very patriotic event with a meaningful remembrance of those who have paid the ultimate price in defense of the liberties all too many Americans take for granted.