How is the Indy 500 related to the IRL series?
The Indy 500 is one of the races on the IRL schedule. It is of course the most prestegious (and best-paying) race on the schedule, but other than the differences in qualifying procedure, it runs under the same rules as every other IRL race, and awards the same points. In the history of Indy car racing, there have been several periods where Indy became so much larger in terms of prestige and public/media attention than the other races that it overwhelmed the importance of the national championship, and this caused a steep dropoff in audience mindshare after the month of May ended. The IRL has made a conscious effort to prevent Indy from becoming too much bigger than the other races on the schedule, so that the IRL championship retains its revelence and the 500’s audience carries over into the rest of the schedule. This has hurt the 500 some in the short run, but in the long run it will lead to a more stable series with better year-around audience mindset.
