Reports of Open Wheel's Death Have Been Greatly Exaggerated

I will be the first one to admit that, for a while, I did not think I would see the Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach come off this weekend. After the disastrous "media day" that saw two long time Champ Car supporters bolt to the IRL, it seemed that the circling vultures were finally going to get to pick the CART carcass clean. But guess what? People stepped up throughout the Champ Car community and, come this weekend, Paul Tracy will kick off the defense of his 2003 title against a full field of Ford-powered Champ Cars. If you believe Speed's Robin Miller (and who wouldn't), the competition should be better this year than last new. Can defending Toyota Atlantic Champion A.J. Allmendinger join Jimmy Vasser and Ryan Hunter-Reay as American winners in the series? Will former F3000 champ and F1 driver Justin Bell make big waves, or will be be overshadowed by fellow F3000 ace "Tokin" Tomas Enge? Will the crowd at Long Beach dwarf any IRL gathering this year not held in Indiana?

You can bet your ass the answer to that last question, at least, is a resounding "yes"!