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By KEVIN KELLY
© St. Petersburg Times, published August 5, 2000
Times auto racing writer Kevin Kelly rates the top sites in the United States:
1. Indianapolis
WHY: A great sports town in general. The Indianapolis Motor Speedway hosts the two most attended sporting events in the world -- the Indianapolis 500 and Brickyard 400 -- along with IROC and Formula One this year. Nearby Indianapolis Raceway Park offers NHRA, Busch Grand National and Craftsman Truck events.
WHY NOT: Open wheel battle between Indy Racing and CART has kept the latter out of town.
2. Daytona Beach
WHY: The birthplace of NASCAR with the Atlantic Ocean thrown in. Daytona International Speedway plays host to a number of races headlined by NASCAR's Super Bowl -- the Daytona 500. The Pepsi 400, Busch Grand National, Craftsman Trucks, Grand American Road Racing and ARCA are all strong supporting draws.
WHY NOT: Open wheel racing anyone?
3. Charlotte/Concord, N.C.
WHY: Home to most NASCAR teams. Lowe's Motor Speedway presents the Coca-Cola 600 plus The Winston all-star race and a second Winston Cup event in October. The Busch Grand National series visits twice and the World of Outlaws, ARCA, SCCA Trans-Am all stop by.
WHY NOT: Again, if you're interested beyond stock cars, there's not much here.
4. Dallas/FortWorth
WHY: Has forcefully emerged as a racing powerhouse with the addition of the Texas Motor Speedway. Winston Cup, Indy Racing, CART (next year), Busch Grand National, Craftsman Trucks lead the charge with the NHRA, American LeMans, World of Outlaws and Trans-Am adding.
WHY NOT: A saturated sports market and a limited auto racing history.
5. Chicago
WHY: Much like the former in terms of its quick rise to prominence with two new speedways and a new drag-racing track. With Chicagoland Speedway opening next year, town will boast Winston Cup, Indy Racing, CART and NHRA, and possibly BGN and Craftsman Trucks.
WHY NOT: Indianapolis is just a short drive away.