ATHENS, NY—As top-echelon open-wheel American racing wallows in its own vomit, foreign invasion forces from the healthy, successful European counterpart are once again poised to invade the perceived bastion of motor racing—Indianapolis Motor Speedway—for the 2003 edition of the US Grand Prix.

Since the inaugural Indy USGP a few years ago, it has been my custom during race week to decry the two-facedness of some Champ Car fans; people who claim they would never, under any circumstances, support the inheritor of the IMS by attending his signature 500-mile event.

Meanwhile, those same hypocrites somehow manage to rationalize that Formula One attendance at the very same venue can’t be equated with aiding and abetting the enemy’s cause. And similarly, other so-called Champ Car fans have argued that supporting and/or attending the Indianapolis 500 is acceptable.

Why? Because so many of the Indy 500 participants are their former CΛRT faves “who are in no way responsible for the split” and, therefore, deserve continued adoration. And in the case of ForMoola One, because it is populated by three former CΛRT champions plus a cadre of innocent bystanders; super-talent from the far corners of the globe.

Even the outgoing [certainly not a reference to his extroverted-ness] savior of Champ Car racing was the perpetrator of a hypocritical IMS shill game a few months ago. Chris Pook made the following statement around the time that he thought his old pal Bernard the F-1 Boss was hooked and ready to be thrown into the boat:

“Without interfering with his [Bernie Ecclestone’s] relationships in the United States, we've got to see what we can do to help build Formula One in the United States because it's just too good a product not to be at the top of the ladder when it comes to the USA. From my perspective as CEO of CΛRT, when Formula One comes to the United States, our entire family should be focused on making Formula One successful. That's in our best interests.”

How much needless additional damage to CΛRT was done by Grandpa Chris’ USGP ticket-buying endorsement—especially considering that our own Miami event will run simultaneously this weekend?

A conglomerate multiplicity of double-crossers has provided the heir of the Speedway fortune with plenty of extra ammo for his nail gun; hammering that could never have been accomplished without the assistance—unwitting or otherwise—of our fair-weather friends.

Now, my fellow Champ Car World Series devotees, the chickens have come home to roost.

There can no longer be any denying the fact that those who have been “on the fence” or “open-minded” [their own descriptions]—fans and insiders alike—have injured CΛRT with their apathy at least as much as those who actively campaigned to see our beloved speed sport reduced to the condition in which it finds itself at this extremely sad juncture.

Even if Champ Car racing can be saved, it will never again be as it was on the day that you and I decided to make it such an important part of our lives. Unfortunately, saying “I told you so” doesn’t make this renegade scribe feel any better.

Copyright © 2003 by Ed Donath and Deep Throttle. All Rights Reserved.