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The Main Attraction

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The Tampa Tribune

Published: May 19, 2008

Updated: 05/19/2008 12:08 am

The day starts at the Brickyard, at the most historic track in motorsports, with 33 open-wheel drivers looking to dash their way into racing immortality.

The day ends in Charlotte, in the heart of NASCAR country, with 43 stock car drivers eager to emerge as the winner of Sprint Cup's greatest endurance test.

The question has become, does Memorial Day weekend still belong to the greatest spectacle in racing, the Indy 500?

Or, as more and more quality open-wheelers choose NASCAR over the allure of Indy, has it been surpassed by the Coca-Cola 600?

Thanks to open-wheel racing's recent unification and Danica Patrick's first career victory, this Indy 500 certainly has generated heightened interest.

Meanwhile, two former Indy 500 winners - Sam Hornish Jr. (2006) and Juan Pablo Montoya (2000) - are among the drivers racing for one of NASCAR's crown jewels. Another former Indy winner, 2007 champ Dario Franchitti, is expected to miss the Coca-Cola 600 because of a broken foot.

Regardless of preference, this is the sport's biggest weekend, as both races hold a place in the hearts of race fans across the country.

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