The Indy Car Wars: The 30-Year Fight for Control of American Open-Wheel Racing

The Indy Car Wars: The 30-Year Fight for Control of American Open-Wheel Racing
ISBN-10
0786498323
ISBN-13
9780786498321
Category
Sports & Recreation
Pages
232
Language
English
Published
2015-10-08
Publisher
McFarland
Author
Sigur E. Whitaker

Description

The world of Champ Car auto racing was changing in the 1970s. As cars became more sophisticated, the cost of supporting a team had skyrocketed, making things difficult for team owners. In an effort to increase purses paid by racing promoters and win lucrative television contracts, a group of owners formed Championship Auto Racing Teams (CART) in 1978. Soon after, CART split from its sanctioning body, the United States Auto Club (USAC). Though Champ Cars ran on numerous tracks, the Indianapolis 500 was the payday that supported most teams through the season. From the beginning, CART had most of the successful teams and popular drivers, and they focused on driving a wedge between the track owners and the USAC. Over the next 30 years, the tension between CART and USAC ebbed and flowed until all parties realized that reunification was needed for the sake of the sport. This book details the fight over control of Champ Car racing before reunification in 2008.

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