Bumstead, you're right, I listen to Indy beginning to end and follow the series the rest of the year but to say I'm a fan as invested as you would be a lie.
NASCAR is more popular now, though again the ratings have been pretty disappointing as I understand, and it's gone off one network and may be working its way off another.
NBC couldn't wait to get away from it.
I also understand the IRL has a long way to go, and getting marketable drivers has to be the number one goal of the series.
I think the real problem with IRL drivers leaving for NASCAR is when they go to underfunded teams and fail to perform it leaves the (incorrect in my view) opinion that they are inferior drivers. If a IRL driver like Helio went to one of the top NASCAR teams and dominated, it would actually be a boost for the circuit. As it is, people see Dario Franchitti win the 500, go to NASCAR and fail, than figure that Indy Cars are nothing more than Go-Karts.
The other problem though, and the one I was getting at was the idea thats said by so many Indy followers that the drivers winning are just "fortunate to be with the good teams" when "enter driver name here" is actually a better driver, he/she is just being elbowed out." While there may be some truth to it, the statements denigrate the winners and make it impossible to market the series when even the die hards don't think Helio/Wheldon/Danica are that good.
That's why the Sarah Fisher statements bother me so much. Not so much from you, because you acknowledge that Danica's a good driver, but rather from the petulant yokels who think these guys all suck and they're favorite driver is being discriminated against.