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Tiago has it half right. His POV is similar to that North of the border. And things really do look different up there.
But I think you Canadians are finally beginning to understand that the thinking is different to the south.
In 1997 I remember watching CNN one weekend - actually my wife was watching the finacial news as she does all our stocks - and a Sports Entertainment Analyst came on to talk about racing. He made me laugh when he said that CART was in longterm trouble (it had almost $400M in sponosrship deals that yaer, ut NASCAR had finally caught up). The he went on about how the IRL was not getting much traction, and that in 10 years NASCAR would make both insignificant.
I'm not laughing now. NASCAR is really kicking butt.
Now that I look back it makes sense what he said. In the US OW has circulated around Indianapolis and the short track racing as feeders. But the feeder system is broken, and has not really found a replacement that works. In CART that Indianapolis tradition, which really is an American tradition, has been broken.
In Canada, OW has revolved around F1. CART is seen as something of an extension to that. It has found a niche. The split only made that niche fit better in Canada, removing the US Indy connection.
In the US a very pragmatic business view dominates. CART is widely viewed as very poorly managed, without focus, without tradition, and by some even anti-American. But overwhelmingly it is seen as on a suicidal course to oblivion. Worse for CART, many now see it as in the way of allowing OW to compete against NASCAR.
This perspective shows up in the posts here and elsewhere. Almost every post critical of CART's management is from an American. Almost every post on the subject from Canadians support the management.
Ultimately I think it comes done to what CART delivers. For the American audience clearly isn't; TV numbers, falling attendance - be it Laguna Seca 1/3 of 2000, Portland 2/3 of it or Road America 1/2 - and sponsors all point to a major problem in the US. In Canada the opposite is true: the press is not so critical of the leadership, the attendance shows continued growth, while Canadian drivers and sponosr enjoy unprecedented success. Brock Yates even suggested - tongue in cheek - that CART be renamed "Canadian Auto Racing Teams."
Sort of Dickensonian
It is the best of times (Canada), it is the worst of times (US).
When it comes to the harsh reality the Americans are right.
Unfortunately CART listened to the "Canadian" POV (not just Cannucks held this POV). Now it is down to praying for a Billionaire buyout and laying down an obscene amount of money to keep the doors open.
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