Open-wheeled racing will never return better ratings than NASCAR, and that's fine by me. It is just a representation of American life these days. As a whole, the banging that goes on during a normal NASCAR race attracts the carnal instinct side of us, that we as a nation have celebrated more and more of (i.e. extreme death in movies, the kick a**, ask questions later mentality).

Open-wheeled racing (IRL, CHAMP, and F1) appeals to a more upper-echelon group of fans, not by purpose however. It takes more finesse to drive those machines - one bump and you are potentially airborne. You have to have patience to watch, but the action is not in the crashes, but in watching the drivers maneuver w/o causing a crash. Americans as a whole don’t have that patience anymore.

IRL doesn’t have a huge fanbase in Texas, so when the league comes to Dallas each year, many spectators are NASCAR fans with season tickets to the speedway. It’s hilarious to overhear them (especially after they reach in their cooler for the 8th can of Miller Lite) as they yell at their favorite driver (for the day) to bump the guy next to him or question the masculinity of the IRL fan wearing his teams colors.

Jeff Gordon is a very public face of NASCAR, but just as many people dislike him as like him. Gordon also didn't do himself any favors with the general sports fan public when he botched a first-pitch and the singing of Take Me Out to the Ballgame at Wrigley Field last week. John Kerry must've given Gordon some first-pitch tips.

The 500 was exciting this year, and Patrick's presence was only part of the excitement. Hopefully some fans will come to the sport to see her, and stay because open-wheel racing is a breathtaking combination of speed and skill.

here's an updateon the TV ratings for the 500:

Ratings of the race were up 40 percent from a year ago - a 6.6 rating and 17 share, and an 8.8/21 share in the exciting final 15 minutes of the race.

Open-wheeled racing will never return better ratings than NASCAR, and that's fine by me.

The reverse was said up until the IRL-CART split. A return to open-wheel by Stewart, Gordon, and a few others could change the landscape rather quickly. IRL and CART's biggest problem is that neither of them have the weekly setup NASCAR has that can draw viewers in each week to develop a stable viewing base. A IRL-CART merger would go a long way to making some competition for NASCAR.

Open-wheeled racing (IRL, CHAMP, and F1) appeals to a more upper-echelon group of fans, not by purpose however. It takes more finesse to drive those machines - one bump and you are potentially airborne.

With NASCAR setting up events like the All-Star Challenge to encourage bumper car antics and getting good TV ratings, I find it hard to contend with this point; however, the push is already on from the drivers to make it easier to run cleaner races.

If the IRL or CART suddenly find themselves in a place to offer up better purses or sponsors combined with offering a cheaper per car cost, NASCAR could see themselves in a bit of a fight for drivers.

That being said, everything still favors NASCAR for the near future.