PR gimmicks are ruining Indy Racing League

One of the biggest attractions at the Indianapolis 500 this year is a driver who combines the rocket-scientist smarts of female racing pioneer Janet Guthrie with the drop-dead gorgeous looks of a telenovela hottie.

Alas, Milka Duno, one of a record three women in the field, has the driving ability of Jack Miller the racing dentist, whose white-knuckle driving was to auto racing as Sir Lawrence Olivier’s character in the movie "Marathon Man" was to tooth extraction.

That the 35-year-old Venezuelan engineer-turned-driver is getting so much attention speaks to the sad state of affairs for Open-wheel racing has been reeling since the 1995 rift between CART (now called Champ Car) and the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, which split the sport into two series just as NASCAR was rising to national prominence. To become more than a niche draw, open-wheel racing needs a real star — someone who can attract fans to a sport that, in terms of quality of racing, is far more exciting than those racin’ taxicabs.

Instead, year after year, the attention to Indy-car racing focuses on gimmicks like Duno.

The IndyCar publicity machine's anemic horsepower is the equivalent of go-kart racing. Witness hiring Kiss’ Gene Simmons to handle the league’s image — based on his formula for success, is he supposed to have drivers wear codpieces, spit flames, and expose their hairy man-boobs? This year, the circuit is promoting four drivers: Dan Wheldon, Sam Hornish Jr., Marco Andretti and Danica Patrick. These selections tell you how Duno can become such a big story. More at MSNBC.com