Networks Slam Brakes On Indycar Turner, Others Don’t Want Indianapolis 500 Rival Race

The war between IndyCar drivers and the Indianapolis 500 has not yet spread to television - and apparently won’t. None of the major networks seems to want it.

Unable to settle differences with speedway officials, top drivers plan to run a rival IndyCar race on May 26 called the U.S. 500. Even Turner Sports, considered the early front-runner to land the new race, says it doesn’t want it.

“We have declined, just like the other networks that were approached,” Turner Sports spokesman Greg Hughes said. “We have taken ourselves out of consideration. We are not interested.”

Hardly anybody else has expressed any interest, either.

Earlier, both NBC and CBS said they turned it down, and Fox and The Nashville Network say they haven’t spoken to anyone from the rival group. ESPN expressed mild interest, but it has some political considerations. It has common ownership with ABC, which televises the Indy 500.

Hughes said Turner decided to back off “because it was the best thing for our company from an overall business standpoint.”

Several industry sources told the Associated Press one reason for reluctance to get involved was a belief the race might never actually be run. CBS, for example, turned down the race, even though organizers offered to pay for the time on the network.

On Tuesday, the Championship Auto Racing Teams, which represent most of the best IndyCar drivers in America, announced plans to run the U.S. 500 at Michigan International Speedway on the same day as the Indy 500.

The split is over qualifying restrictions placed on the Indy 500 by Indianapolis Motor Speedway president Tony George, who also founded the new Indy Racing League. George wants to reserve most of the Indy 500 spots for regulars of his new series.

ABC is on the air with the Indy 500 at 8 a.m. PST and is off by 12:30 p.m.