By George, he's Gone!

Tony George is out as president at CEO of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

Robin Miller of Speed TV first reported Tony George's ouster last month, and the news became official late Tuesday. The move has drawn mixed reviews from open-wheel racing fans, because in his near 20 years at the Speedway, George has been a polarizing figure.

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Some blame him for the destruction of open-wheel racing when he caused a split in 1996 with the formation of the Indy Racing League. However, others rave about his ability to bring NASCAR to the Brickyard, and his efforts in spear-heading several key safety modifications.

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Personally, I fall somewhere in the middle.

Yes, George did help turn the Indianapolis Motor Speedway from an antique into the finest racing facility on planet earth. George oversaw the addition of the Tower Terrace Suites, pit lane reconstruction (including the addition of a warm-up lane), and the building of a road course for F-1, and a control tower. He also brought NASCAR to the Brickyard in 1994, and the race annually ranks on the short-list of the most coveted Sprint Cup titles along with Daytona and Talladega. George ushered in several safety modifications, including the SAFER barrier (or soft wall) which is now used on almost every mile-plus racing oval in the country.

However, under George, open-wheel racing is a shell of its former self. Though the split in 1996 was resolved with last year's unification, the damage for the sport cannot be undone. His short-sighted 25-8 qualifying format (25 spots for IRL cars, just 8 for CART entries) led to a CART boycott, robbing race of most of the premiere drivers in open-wheel racing and severely hurting the fanbase and sponsorship. Drivers like Andretti, Fittipaldi, Rahal, Sullivan and Unser took their skills elsewhere. The Indianapolis 500 has never quite recovered.

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Empty stands during practice/qualifying and low ratings speak for themselves

If I was asked to give a grade on the Tony George era at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, it would be a C-minus. George did some good things, and anti-George race fans that choose to ignore those aspects aren't telling the whole story. That being said, much of the frustration felt by open-wheel fans in the last two decades has been caused by George.

Tony George wasn't a complete failure, but his era as the top-dog at the Speedway has unceremoniously come to an end.

George did do some good, but the dark cloud from the split, and the lasting effect on the Indianapolis 500 will hang over open-wheel racing long into the foreseeable future.