Peace and Patrick have Indy 500 fans revved up

INDIANAPOLIS (Reuters) - The presence of Danica Patrick and peace between the two warring open wheel series in North America has raised hopes that the Indy 500 can again become "The Greatest Spectacle in Racing".

Whether she is winning races or running over rival crew members, Patrick is the talk of the famed Brickyard, overshadowing the Indy Racing League (IRL) and Champ Car merger that ended 12 years of bitter feuding.

Between 300,000 to 400,000 racing fans, some back at the track for the first time since the 1996 split, are expected to descend on the Indianapolis Motor Speedway for Sunday's race and it will be Patrick many are coming to see.

Having gone 49 races without a victory, Patrick was in danger of becoming the Anna Kournikova of her sport. An immensely talented athlete like the Russian tennis player, whose pinup good looks outshone her results.

That changed in April in Japan at Twin Ring Motegi when she became the first woman to win an IndyCar race.

"I do recognize that it's history and it's something that I always wanted to do for myself, for the people that have always believed in me," Patrick told reporters on Friday. "I believe that one of the reasons why this has kind of gone beyond a racing story, is that it reaches out.

"It goes out and speaks to women and to people breaking the mould and people that are making history.

"That's why I think it's been a big story, is because it's not just about a win in racing in IndyCar or in sports; it's about a bigger thing that happened."

POPULARITY ORBIT

Already one of North America's most recognizable athletes, an Indy 500 victory would propel Patrick into a marketing and popularity orbit occupied by athletes like Tiger Woods and provide the perfect launch pad for the unified IndyCar series.

Indy Car racing, however, will need more than Patrick if it is to undo the damage from a decade of ugly sniping.

In the 12 years since the split, IndyCar has watched its biggest names retire or jump to NASCAR.

Last year's Indy 500 winner Dario Franchitti will not be back to defend his crown, joining the stock car series along with 2006 winner Sam Hornish.

"We want to keep this as a destination, not a stop-off," said Tony George, the IRL founder and chief executive officer of Indianapolis Motor Speedway. "We have to look forward and not look back and try to do our best to create a series with a great cornerstone like the Indianapolis 500 where drivers want to be."

After Patrick, Indy Car's next most recognizable driver is Helio Castroneves, twice Indy 500 winner who is better known for his victory on the popular television series "Dancing With the Stars".

With 20 of the 33 cars on the starting grid piloted by drivers from outside the United States, Indy Car needs to develop more American drivers like Patrick and 19-year-old Graham Rahal, son of 1986 Indy 500 winner Bobby Rahal, if it hopes to chip away at NASCAR's domination.

Patrick will be the only American on the first two rows of the staring grid, the front row occupied by pole-sitter Scott Dixon of New Zealand, Briton Dan Wheldon and Australian Ryan Briscoe.

(Editing by Ed Osmond)