Over the course of its lengthy history, the popularity of open-wheeled automobile racing in the United States has waxed and waned. This is especially evident in recent years. The 1996 “split” between the Indy Racing League (IRL; later, the IndyCar Series) and Championship Auto Racing Teams (CART; later the Champ Car World Series) severely hurt the sport. Following the split there was a well-documented decline in fan interest from which the sport has not recovered. Less understood, however, is that under the Indy Racing League the Indianapolis 500, the premier event in open-wheeled racing in the United States, became more competitive. Ironically, while fan interest decreased in the Indy Racing League era, the quality of racing increased. The increased competition associated with the Indy Racing League is a historically significant development that bodes well for the future of the sport.
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机译：在漫长的历史过程中，开放式车轮赛车在美国的流行日趋减弱。这在近年来尤其明显。 1996年，Indy赛车联盟（IRL；后来的IndyCar系列）和冠军赛车队（CART；后来的Champ Car World系列）之间的“分裂”严重损害了这项运动。分裂之后，有据可查的球迷兴趣下降了，这项运动并未恢复。然而，鲜为人知的是，在印地赛车联盟（Indy Racing League）举办的印第安纳波利斯500锦标赛中，美国敞篷赛车的首要赛事变得更具竞争力。具有讽刺意味的是，尽管在Indy Racing League时代球迷的兴趣有所下降，但赛车的质量却有所提高。与印地赛车联盟相关的竞争不断加剧，是一项具有历史意义的重大发展，对这项运动的未来而言是个好兆头。
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