Indy 500 Tag

According to USA Today, Lindsay Czarniak will be the first on-air television host for the Indianapolis 500.  This is big news for the racing world but also for our culture in this country.  We are far from where we need to be in the battle for gender equality but it is great to see barriers and walls being busted down everyday.  Unfortunately Danica Patrick will not be running in this year's Indy 500, otherwise we could have seen the first woman winner of the 500 on the same day that the first woman hosted the event.  However, Danica's presence in NASCAR and the sport of racing continues to bolster popularity of the sports among the female demographic.

In just over a month the IZOD IndyCar series will kick off their 2012 season at Barber Motorsports Park in Atlanta, GA.  This will mark the second season that IndyCar will race under that trade name.

As the cart based racing league continues to mold and adapt to better fit their niche in the sports/racing market, there is one constant when it comes to IRL, IndyCar, CART, Champ Car, or whatever you want to call it....  Ladies and gentleman I'm talking about the Indianapolis 500.

In NASCAR there really is no such thing as a home track.  But for many drivers, Charlotte Motor Speedway is a home of sorts for the simple fact that most of the teams in NASCAR have their main shop located in North Carolina.

If you look at the week of the All-Star race as a break similar to that of baseball or basketball, then it makes total sense to have the All-Star race hosted by the track closest to the largest concentration of team shops.  Since the Coca-Cola 600 and the Sprint All-Star race are on back-to-back weekends, the drivers and teams can use the 2 week span to truly take a break from the road and use that time to prepare for the rest of the season.

What an ending to the 100th running to the Indianapolis 500! After leading the last 7 laps, rookie JR Hildebrand crashed on the final turn, which gave Dan Wheldon the win at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Here's your opportunity to experience the thrill of the Indy 500.

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Here's a list of 5 great sporting events that your father will be talking about forever:

• Baseball All Star Game
• Football Regular Season & Super Bowl
• Bristol Sharpie 500
• Masters Golf Tournament
• Indianapolis 500

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