There seems to be some doubt, though, about how much value the Indy winner carries at another track's box office. Even IRL founder Tony George conceded last week that his poorly attended events in Dover, Del., Las Vegas and Loudon, N.H., couldn't have benefited too much. Depending on whom you speak with, ticket sales for the coming weekend are either up slightly or down slightly from last year. Attendance last June was estimated at 41,500, a slip from previous seasons. What Melvin could use, he said, probably more than the Indy winner, is a sunny sky.
Weather certainly can be a huge factor in attendance at an outdoor event.
What the Mile also would like, although it's not the sort of thing officials go around talking about in the media, is a break from the state. The state's master plan for renovation of the Fair Park is scheduled to be unveiled on Wednesday. Part of that plan will include a new grandstand to replace the decrepit seats that have stood along the track since the facility was used for horse racing. The grandstand project may be the key to the survival of the Mile as a racetrack. The cost to put on races has escalated dramatically, and with it ticket prices.