Returning Champ Car fans make pole day biggest in 12 years

Fans watch qualifying

Dana Garrett/IRL

A big crowd turned out for the first pole day since the unification of the IndyCar and Champ Car series.

John Griffin, vice president of public relations for the series, said the crowd was the largest for a pole day since the two series split 12 years ago. Since that time the majority of Champ Car fans had boycotted the Indy 500 and all other IndyCar races, but with the merger they are beginning to take another look at the IRL and its IndyCar Series.