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What a great ride!

I don't want it to end, but this could be my last auto racing column.

When I started this 11 years ago, Al Unser Jr. was driving for Team Penske, Michael Schumacher was starting his first year with Ferrari and Dale Earnhardt was still a force in NASCAR.

Now, Unser is a fringe figure who's battled a variety of personal problems, Schumacher is retired and Earnhardt is racing with the gods.

This column has brought me closer to a sport I love. Interviewing drivers has given me an inside perspective into auto racing.

But some things haven't changed: I still hate NASCAR.

OK, maybe hate is too strong a word. But dislike seems too tame.

I'm an open-wheel fan. Have been my whole life. And NASCAR is stealing all the open-wheel greats.

Juan Pablo Montoya, Dario Franchitti, Sam Hornish Jr. and Buddy Lazier could all be racing in NASCAR next year. All are Indy 500 champions.

Soon, the Indy winner will announce in victory lane that he's going to NASCAR - immediately.

I'm a big Formula One fan. I watch all the practices, qualifying and races on Speed Channel. To me, the best drivers in the best cars in the world compete in F1. Everything else is secondary.

But Indy cars and Champ cars are right below F1.

And NASCAR is way down. I'll watch the Daytona 500 and maybe a few other races during the season. But let's face it: NASCAR appeals only to a certain kind of fan.

Right now, NASCAR is the 800-pound gorilla. It's swallowing everything in its path.

I hope some sanity comes back to racing, and NASCAR is put in it's place.

If not, American open-wheel fans should be ready for some tough times.