CART passing on Gordon the greatest error in racing (cont'd)

Gordon was never offered so much as a test run. So it was off to the Buck Baker Driving School in Rockingham, N.C., to learn how to pilot stock cars, and one of NASCAR's most prolific careers was born. That Gordon emerged as the preeminent NASCAR road racer of his era, winning a combined nine times at Infineon Raceway and Watkins Glen, should gnaw at every Champ Car owner who allowed short-sightedness to obscure sheer talent.

They're still paying for it today. Gordon's success in NASCAR prompted stock-car team owners to scour the Midwest for similar talent, a search that unearthed the likes of Tony Stewart, Ryan Newman and Kasey Kahne. Open-wheel drivers like J.J. Yeley, Casey Mears and A.J. Allmendinger saw the big money and solid sponsorship in NASCAR, and traded their nose cones and side pods for front grilles and fenders. The domestic proving grounds of Champ Car and the IRL dried up, producing Indy 500s like Sunday's, where international drivers comprise nearly half the field.

Had there been an IRL, an open-wheel series with an emphasis on oval tracks, Gordon might never have gotten away. But he did, because owners in CART adhered to such a strict ladder system that they ignored the most obvious talent in their own backyard. Those who played key roles in Gordon's development believe he would have been successful regardless of the discipline he eventually chose, a theory backed up by his prowess on different types of tracks. For so long, open-wheel racing has needed an American face who can win races, sell tickets, and galvanize a fan base. They had him. And they missed him.

So another Memorial Day weekend arrives, and over in Indianapolis they'll unleash balloons and try to relive the glory days and likely watch a Brazilian guzzle a jug of milk. And the best active racecar driver to come out of the state of Indiana will compete hundreds of miles away in North Carolina, all because a few team owners in NASCAR were willing to take a risk.