FIA President Max Mosley told his teams,  “If you want to draw up your own rules, then you can organise your own championship. ”

So that’s what they apparently did.

If you haven’t heard, the majority of Formula 1’s top teams are going to take their cars and go home, or at least, take their cars and start their own series.

It’s a move that could shake racing’s foundation, and have far-reaching implications here in the U.S.

Mosley wanted to introduce a $60 million budget cap on teams. The teams that refused to agree to that rule, would have extra technical restrictions put on them.

The teams, who are used to throwing as much money as they want at the championship, naturally balked.

So as of now, McLaren, Renault, Toyota, BMW Sauber, Red Bull Racing and Scuderia Toro Rosso are heading off to their own series, leaving Williams, Force India and several newcomers to contest the “F1 World Championship”.

If you’re a racing fan, especially an IndyCar fan, you know how splits work.

This apparent F1 split is much more similar to the 1978-79 USAC-CART split, than the 1994-1995 CART-IRL split.

It could have MAJOR implications on Indianapolis and IndyCar racing.

For example, you’d have to think that the breakaway FOTA series would be very interested in North American venues, such as the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

Could Ferraris and McLarens be back at IMS as early as next year?

In addition, just as the CART-IRL split opened up additional jobs, this F1-FOTA split would of course do the same, perhaps doubling the number of  seats.

Would one of the new “F1″ teams be interested in a current IndyCar driver? It’s certainly possible, especially one with F1 experience, such as Robert Doornbos.

This story, which has dominated the F1 season so far, is just getting started.

I was entertained by today’s race at Milwaukee, another win for the IceMan, Scott Dixon.

Dixon may not have had the dominant car, (Ryan Briscoe did), but he played the traffic game just right, and showed once again why he is one of the best in the business.

It was a good day for drivers born in Australia, as they finished 1-2, and could have been 1-2-3, had Will Power been allowed to compete. I really hope Verizon Wireless takes some of the money they get from my cell phone bill, and give Power some additional races. A top 5 finish at the 500 showed just what a quality shoe Power is.

Graham Rahal has been knocking on the door for a big result on an oval, and he got one with a 4th place finish. Graham has been preaching patience to himself, and he delivered in a big way. Rahal 2.0 is a definite title contender, mark it down.

Danica Patrick has had a solid season, other than an accident at St. Pete (that wasn’t her fault), DP has been near the top of the scoring pylon each week. She’s a title contender as well, as long as she doesn’t hit another mid-summer cold streak.

I saw most of the Dover race in picture-in-picture. Sam Hornish Junior had another nice day, and I thought Tony Stewart was going to get his first points-paying win as an owner, until Jimmie Johnson stole it at the end.

I would be remiss if I didn’t mention that today is the 44th anniversary of my hero Jim Clark winning the Indianapolis 500. Even though he won the race before I was born,  I can imagine how that beautiful Lotus looked when it crossed the finish line first. Happy anniversary to Jim Clark.

By the way, for all the people who sent me a kind note after my pneumonia bout of this week, thanks! I appreciate it.

If you’re a racing fan, today had everything.

If you’re not a racing fan, I can’t help you.

Today’s drama at the Brickyard was simply top-notch.

33 cars will start next week’s Indianapolis 500. ALL of them earned their way in the show.

None of them got provisionals, or past champions passes, and 75 percent of the field wasn’t guaranteed a spot, as you might see in other major races.

Instead, brave men and women put their foot to the floor, sometimes over and over, to get in the greatest race in the world.

You have to feel happy for John Andretti. When I spoke to him when his deal with Richard Petty was announced, he didn’t have a care in the world.

Today, he looked like a two-ton boulder was lifted off his shoulders. Andretti looks like he’s aged a year this month, from a practice crash, to a search for speed that appeared in vain, to his father’s illness.

If you’re a regular reader of this blog,  you know that I think Ryan Hunter-Reay is one of the most talented drivers in racing. But RHR has never gotten it going this month, and it appeared he was actually going to miss the show, until his amazing last-second run.

Unfortunately, that run knocked out Alex Tagliani, a genuinely good guy, who drives for the very classy Eric Bachelart and Conquest Racing. Hopefully missing the show with their primary car will not set this quality group behind for the rest of the season. Chin up Tag, you did a great job in your first month at the Brickyard.

Speaking of great job, Nelson Philippe deserves a shout-out. I wasn’t sure what I’d see from the Indy rookie today, but not only did he stick it in the show, he was smooth.

If you don’t consider Bruno Junqueira a top shoe, there’s probably not much more he can do to convince you.

The Return Of Bruno (a rarely-seen Bruce Willis reference there for you), saw Junqueira put a Conquest Racing entry in the race, after literally not having been on the track until Bump Day.

I wasn’t sure how much I’d like the 11/11/11/Bump format, but having seen it in action, I really enjoyed it from a “fan” perspective. But as a driver, I’m not sure how much I’d like having to go out over and over again.

Either way, the action at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway has not disappointed this month.

If you’re a racing fan, today had everything.

If you’re not a racing fan, I can’t help you.

Today’s drama at the Brickyard was simply top-notch.

33 cars will start next week’s Indianapolis 500. ALL of them earned their way in the show.

None of them got provisionals, or past champions passes, and 75 percent of the field wasn’t guaranteed a spot, as you might see in other major races.

Instead, brave men and women put their foot to the floor, sometimes over and over, to get in the greatest race in the world.

You have to feel happy for John Andretti. When I spoke to him when his deal with Richard Petty was announced, he didn’t have a care in the world.

Today, he looked like a two-ton boulder was lifted off his shoulders. Andretti looks like he’s aged a year this month, from a practice crash, to a search for speed that appeared in vain, to his father’s illness.

If you’re a regular reader of this blog,  you know that I think Ryan Hunter-Reay is one of the most talented drivers in racing. But RHR has never gotten it going this month, and it appeared he was actually going to miss the show, until his amazing last-second run.

Unfortunately, that run knocked out Alex Tagliani, a genuinely good guy, who drives for the very classy Eric Bachelart and Conquest Racing. Hopefully missing the show with their primary car will not set this quality group behind for the rest of the season. Chin up Tag, you did a great job in your first month at the Brickyard.

Speaking of great job, Nelson Philippe deserves a shout-out. I wasn’t sure what I’d see from the Indy rookie today, but not only did he stick it in the show, he was smooth.

If you don’t consider Bruno Junqueira a top shoe, there’s probably not much more he can do to convince you.

The Return Of Bruno (a rarely-seen Bruce Willis reference there for you), saw Junqueira put a Conquest Racing entry in the race, after literally not having been on the track until Bump Day.

I wasn’t sure how much I’d like the 11/11/11/Bump format, but having seen it in action, I really enjoyed it from a “fan” perspective. But as a driver, I’m not sure how much I’d like having to go out over and over again.

Either way, the action at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway has not disappointed this month.

Expect an official announcement from Conquest Racing tomorrow morning that they WILL field the #36 car.

And it’s a former Indy 500 pole winner you can expect to see in the ride. Bruno Junqueira, who earlier today, seemed pretty down about his prospects for a ride, has been tabbed for the seat, according to sources close to the team.

The #36 car will make 36 car and driver combinations.

Conquest is run by former Indy 500 driver, Eric Bachelart, one of the classiest men in motorsports.

That I first went to the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, my favorite place in the world.

When my dad was growing up, he went to the track with my uncles and grandfather, and it became a yearly tradition to go for the first weekend of qualifying.

My uncles were who really got my hooked on the 500, when I was about 5 years old, my uncle Ron told me that I could go to Speedway “when I was old enough”.

Year after year I studied the maps, and learned about the track, hoping it would be the year.

Finally, 1982 was the year. We packed up the cars (my cousins Tom and Eric joined us as well) for the drive from Toledo to Indianapolis. We drove all night (which was weird being up past midnight as a kid), and both Tom and Eric got popped for speeding (in separate cars, minutes apart, that takes direction).

We finally got to the track in the morning and caught practice and qualifying.

I saw it all that day, great speed, records (Kevin Cogan and Rick Mears were flying in the Penske PC10’s).

And then it happened. A guy that my cousin Tom always seemed to get in our race day pool was Gordon Smiley.

He got killed a few yards away from us, and I had to ask my dad, “does this happen a lot?”

Despite the tragedy, and the long delay for the Smiley accident, (in which I scared my dad by wandering off for a couple of hours. Just for the record Dad, I knew where I was the whole time, even if you and the Indiana State Police didn’t.)

I never forgot that incredible day and I couldn’t wait to go back.

I have loved the Indianapolis Motor Speedway for as long as I can remember.

Today I got to stand on pit lane for my job, and I heard the roar of the engines just like I did for the first time in person, on May 15th, 1982.

Thanks Uncle Ron.

Thanks Uncle Bill.

Thanks Dad.

As I first reported here yesterday afternoon (despite what 16th and Georgetown, and MyNameisIRL might say

Dale Coyne’s #19 car is being rolled through Gasoline Alley right now.

On the side of the car is the name of, Tomas Scheckter, as we told you yesterday here, and at 5:00 PM and 6:00 PM.

One other interesting note this morning, riding around in a Sarah Fisher racing golf cart was Jaques Lazier.