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I'm a huge NASCAR fan, but I do try to make it to Indianapolis at some point during the Formula 1 weekend. I've also gone to the Indy 500 since I was seven. These are just some of my opinions.
Obviously, the Indianapolis 500 used to be THE place. And years (20+) ago, American open wheel racing beat out NASCAR any day. The split in 1995 has had a huge effect on open wheel. In my opinion, the IRL drivers are more talented (for the most part) than the Champ Car drivers. The racing is generally much closer, with cars going two- and three-wide in every race, most of the times without incident. Champ Car seems to be only single file and when cars do get close, there is generally a wreck. There's no question that having one major open wheel series in the US is the way to go, but I think that it's almost impossible. There's just too much bad blood between IRL leaders and Champ Car owners. And the driving styles are so different that it would be chaotic. Plus, there's the question of road courses or ovals, and how much of a mix do we have?
Formula 1...
I think that most American fans like to be able to attend a few races a year. The European and Asian schedule (aside from two N. American stops) makes this impossible for the average American.
The sheer wealth involved may be off-putting for some. The cars are so expensive. A lot of the sponsors are luxury or upscale brands. I think that US fans want to feel a connection to their favorite driver...hey, Dale Jr.'s sponsor is Budweiser, I drink Bud! or Mark Martin drives a Ford and so do I!..that sort of thing.
The politics of team rules isn't really an idea that most US fans would get behind. The Barrichello-Schumacher incident in 2002 left a bad taste in a lot of people's mouths. Delt, of course teamwork like you mentioned does occur in NASCAR...drafting, pit stop strategy...but fans would be livid if their favorite driver was about to win and was then told to pull over and let their teammate take the checkered because of championship standings.
There's really not a lot of coverage in the US, especially when compared to NASCAR. Fans want to get to know the drivers and Formula 1 drivers seem kind-of untouchable.
All of that being said, I think that most can appreciate the technology and amount of work that's put into a Formula 1 car. There's nothing quite like watching one take off from a standing position and maneuver the corners.
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