I hated road courses the first 20 years I watched Nascar. I suddenly realized as boring as the mile and halfers were, I had my eye on the tube all the way thru the Sonoma and the Glen . I got to really enjoying the action.
I've never been a cell phone (IPhone) guy that has games and a facebook going all the time, so I actually watched the race with no interruptions for years. I have found that the last 10 years or so, I now have a laptop open during a lot of sports and tv shows. I am becoming like the young generation that has to have instant gratification. That may be why a 4 hour race on tv has lost so much of the audience. We have been conditioned to expect instant results. Before I quit watching most all the way, I did the dvr thing and would scan a race in about 45 minutes or so. I think maybe the world is conditioning us to be that way!
I echo your sentiments about the 500. Kind of my favorite day of racing. Nothing as beautiful as Monaco for the GP, even if the racing isn't so hot. The 500 is so historical and tradition is still so much a part, that I do watch it. The 600 I don't watch anymore.
I do enjoy the recordings of the old 500's, USAC races, and Nascar races from the 50's and 60's. Most cars were modified production cars and open wheelers were actually some variation of a home built roadster. There is a connection between those early cars and gearheads like me and that connection has been lost with what is raced today.
good discussion