OPEN-WHEEL RACING: In Indianapolis, Robin Miller writes
that last Saturday's IRL Vegas Indy 300 at Las Vegas Motor
Speedway "was one more giant billboard telling" IRL Founder
Tony George that his series "isn't catching on with the
general public." Miller adds that fans in the Las Vegas
area said that "promotion started in earnest only two weeks
before the race" (INDIANAPOLIS STAR, 4/27). In Dallas, Tony
Fabrizio writes that Al Unser Jr.'s presence on the IRL
circuit can't "bolster" the league's "sagging attendance and
TV ratings." Fabrizio adds that the IRL "needs more races,
a variety of tracks, and a lot more fans" (DALLAS MORNING
NEWS, 4/27)....In Seattle, Angelo Bruscas wrote that PacWest
Racing Team President & Owner Bruce McCaw "would like to see
better promotion" of CART. McCaw: "NASCAR sometimes gets
far more coverage than its base necessarily dictates, and
open-wheel racing has had far less. Now I hope we see it
starting to balance out more." McCaw feels Seattle "would
be a phenomenal place" for CART to race "and I think there
would be great interest" (SEATTLE P-I, 4/24).
NOTES: In Indianapolis, Conrad Brunner writes that ABA
2000 will announce today plans for a 60-game schedule
starting in November with franchises in ten markets. Teams
will be based in Anaheim, Buffalo, Chicago, Detroit,
Jacksonville, K.C., Las Vegas, Long Island, Pittsburgh and
Tampa Bay (INDIANAPOLIS STAR, 4/27)....USA TODAY's Doug
Smith writes that "in cooperation with" the USTA, the World
TeamTennis (WTT) Final will be held August 28 in N.Y., two
days before the U.S. Open begins. WTT Founder Billie Jean
King, on the Final: "It's going to be held on Grandstand
Court No. 3, right after Arthur Ashe Kids Day ends in the
stadium. Admission will be free, and the kids will love it"
(USA TODAY, 4/27)....NBC's Jay Leno, on the arrest of AFL
Avengers QB Todd Marinovich for alleged sexual misconduct:
"See? The [Arena League] is just like the NFL." Leno, on
the AFL: "That's where the players commit crimes indoors.
It's a little bit different -- smaller crimes, not quite as
big, less money" ("Tonight Show," NBC, 4/26).
