Memorial Day Weekend will always a great day to reflect on our fallen soldiers, spend time with family, and celebrate their fight for our Freedom won and maintained throughout America's history. For the Motorsports enthusiast, it doesn't get much better than Memorial day because the day begins and ends with racing amongst all the other celebrations.

Beginning at 9 am, just after breakfast, is the start to the Indianapolis 500. A few hours after the 500 is over, and you're done cooking the hot dogs and burgers, NASCAR begins it's longest race of the season, the 50th running of the Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte.
 
What we have sadly seen over the last few is a switch in allegiance and priority from the Indy 500 to NASCAR's event at night. The ratings are still there, and part of the reason the IRL still have a contract with ABC, but they have fallen considerably from where they were just 10 years ago.

Currently, most of the IRL races other the Indy 500, can be found on "VS", you know, the Hunting Channel that shows some hockey in some markets. The IRL now has also a shortened 17 week that began with no fanfare or marketing making it hard for many casual race fans to follow because they don't know when or where an event is going to be, let alone be able to find it on TV.

Between the beer companies alone with their little schedule hand outs at all the convenience stores, NASCAR has done a better job at keeping the public informed and aware of where and when one of their events is going to be run.

The IRL has done little to showcase their drivers other than their attractive female driver, Danica Patrick, but it's seen more by fans as unsubstantiated hype because she doesn't win races.

NASCAR really doesn't have to promote their drivers much because somehow, we seem to know quite a bit about some of them just from watching a little of their race each week. In this major change in popularity between the two racing leagues, this is likely where NASCAR has done so much better than the IRL. In a weird twist that NASCAR now seems to be getting away from with severe fines and penalties, the personalities of the driver is what has allowed NASCAR to topple and surpass the INDY CAR Series, along with Tony George.

What's Cool about Indy Cars?
Of the positives I've seen with the IRL, I would have to begin with them getting back more road courses and street circuits and modeling themselves a bit more closer to what the CART used to run. Of their 17 races run this season, seven will be on the roads and streets. I always thought the major appeal and attraction I had with the open wheel cars compared to the bulkier heavier stock cars, was their unbelievable ability to weave so fast through the turns. The Open wheel car race could be watched with Mozart on in the background as one of the skilled drivers whizzed in and out of cork screw turns like in Monterey holding firmly, while NASCAR appears to be more dueling banjos with Fred Sanford's truck banging anything in site without fear. Each has their own niche and greatness to it, it's just dissapointing that the sport has taken such a rapid decline. 
  
NASCAR can thanks Tony George
Once again stealing the thunder from what used to be the featured race on Memorial day weekend will be NASCAR's Coca-Cola 600. This weeks race will be the 50th running of the Coca-Cola 600 and at right about the 38th running, NASCAR took advantage of Indy Speedway's Tony George's greed and lapped the now fledgling Indy Racing League.

What's even more comical about how George sunk open wheel racing was how he opened his track up to NASCAR and allowed them to race on the fabled grounds that those in the past would have never allowed such dreadful cars on the bricks. How it all ties into this weeks race at Charlotte is that Jeff Gordon won his first career race in 1994 in the Coca-Cola 600 and then followed it up a few weeks later by winning the inaugural Brickyard 400. Soon after Madison avenue and the nation were getting to know the California kid racing stock cars by way of commercials and eating cereal with his face on the box.

Nice Job Mr. George, but thank you. You have helped make NASCAR what it is today.    

Sam Hornish and other Indy drivers in NASCAR
Sam Hornish Jr usually doesn't get a lot of mention here, but has earned it based on the way he has run lately, as well as being the 2006 Indy 500 winner who will miss another Indy 500 because of his dedication to NASCAR. He really has taken the stock cars seriously and has learned something each time out.

Sam Hornish Jr won't be the only former winner of the Indy 500 not participating in this years because of his desire to learn and achieve more in NASCAR. Juan Pablo Montoya dominated the field in 2000.

Other than 1997 IRL Champ Tony Stewart, who came in and ran well right away, it's proof that most can't just jump into a stock car and be good right away. The car, as always, has much to do with the drivers early success, but it appears in most of the cases, other than Stewart, that lack of patience and willingness to learn after having so much success in their series has slowed their progression. Please note to Danica Patrick who is currently using her possible jump to NASCAR as leverage to get her deal signed for 2010.

I'm going with Ryan Briscoe
Ryan Briscoe runs a Penske car with Helio CastroNeves, and with Scott Dixon, the three have continually been the fastest in most practice sessions. Just behind them is former Indy 500 Champion Dario Franchitti, a Ganassi teammate with Dixon. These are just about the only drivers that have a legitimate chance to win as all the others are way down on the tech chart. 

Briscoe, the Sydney, Australia native, has really come into his own as one of the best drivers on the circuit with one of the top teams. His background is strictly road courses with a heavy early Kart influence being the base. All 3 of his career wins have come on the roads, including this years season opener on the streets of St. Petersburg, however the combination of his top notch team and his learning curve on the ovals have made him a well rounded driver suited for the series. In his last two oval races dating back to the end of 2008, he's finished 3rd and 4th respectfully. His greatest edge this week may be that Indianapolis is so unique that it actually acts somewhat more like a road course than a traditional oval because the turns coming in and out are so sharp and flat. The combination of his inspired youth, goals of grander, a great car, outstanding crew, and his ability to run a perfect line like a road course around the turns make him a nice choice to win this week.