The IRL was developed because Indianapolis Motor Speedway president Tony George felt the CART circuit had become too stale. Drivers were mostly foreign and victories seemed limited to a select few. George also liked the idea of racing on ovals. It took a couple of years for the IRL to catch on, but fans now buy into its brand of racing and the people who make the IRL so different. And having the Indianapolis 500 as the cornerstone of the season doesn't hurt.
Fans also seem attracted to the youth movement.
They are brash and unafraid. They seem more concerned with racing to win than racing for points. That's developing young drivers, and we've got some of the best there are. And we've got a lot of them, a lot of great young drivers. Hornish doesn't seem phased by his new-found success and popularity.