Differences Between IRL, Track Officials Lead To Series’s Final MIS Event

By Bruce Martin

BROOKLYN, Mich. — Sarah Fisher can never forget the first IndyCar Series race at Michigan Int’l Speedway when she brought the crowd to its feet after taking the lead with 15 laps to go.
She was part of an eight-car draft and her “slide-job” on race leader Gil de Ferran created an ovation from the fans that could be heard over the roar of the race cars.
It was one of the great moments of drama that made open-wheel races at Michigan something to remember, whether it was USAC, CART, Champ Car or the IndyCar Series.
Fisher would finish eighth that day in a race won by Tomas Scheckter. But in the first MIS race run by competitors from the Indy Racing League, it appeared the two were a perfect match.
 Five years later, both IndyCar and MIS have worn out their welcomes. IndyCar is upset over the track’s inability to market and promote and MIS is upset with the series for shifting its date to two weeks before its August NASCAR Nextel Cup race.
With low attendance, and with a revived street course race at Belle Isle in Detroit on Labor Day Weekend, Sunday’s Firestone Indy 400 was the last IndyCar race at the historic two-mile oval.
“I’m really sad,” Fisher said. “Michigan holds a lot of history here. I’ve got a lot of good memories here. I about gave my mom a heart attack that day. That was five years ago and a lot of things have changed and we have to change for the good.”
Fisher said it doesn’t seem like five years ago when she had that dramatic race, that it seems “like yesterday.”
“I’m surprised we weren’t able to build that into something bigger because we put on one of the best shows of the year at Michigan,” Fisher said. “A lot of people know that. I’m sure it will be re-evaluated someday and maybe we’ll be back.”
Patrick looked around the empty grandstands and said it was obvious there isn’t any point in continuing to race at MIS.
 “I don’t know if I’ll miss this one much,” Patrick said. “I haven’t done very well here. It makes for good racing on TV but on a day like today it seems like a regional race. There is nobody here and that’s kind of boring to be at in person.”
Scott Dixon of New Zealand has competed in both Champ Car and IndyCar and frankly isn’t sad to see his series leave.
“It’s a tough circuit, no doubt about it,” Dixon said. “I’ve never gelled here so there are other places I’d prefer to go than here.”
Scott Sharp has been in this series since the inaugural season in 1996. He remembers when the IRL wanted to be in both Michigan and California. Now, both two-mile ovals are gone and likely won’t be back, replaced by the more popular street events that bring a festive atmosphere but little racing drama as they are mostly high-speed parades.
“I love this track,” Sharp said. “It’s a different race for us. It’s our Talladega. It’s a big drafting game, strategy game, pit stop game, placement game. I hate to see it go. It’s such a legendary track.
“I remember growing up watching this race on the couch. It was always the one race that stood out every summer. It was Michigan.”