FanHouse Paul Tracy

INDIANAPOLIS - The Indianapolis Motor Speedway has kicked off its 100th birthday celebration with the closest Indy 500 starting field in history, the largest crowd in recent memory and a vibe reminiscent of the race's heyday.

Even NASCAR's "King" Richard Petty will be trackside today as Jim Nabors sings "Back Home Again in Indiana" -- to wrap up a traditional pre-race show unlike anything in sports.

Sure, the Penske and Ganassi and Andretti Green teams are odds-on favorites to win today's Indianapolis 500. But with the reunification of the two open-wheel series last year, the grid boasts a legitimate 13-14 contenders and has finally put to rest the notion that Indy has lost its competitive edge.

Former Champ Car champion Paul Tracy, 38, sustained a compression fracture to his first lumbar vertebrae when he crashed during practice for the Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach Saturday:

"I went head on into the wall and then the car jumped up in the air and then slammed back on the ground. I could tell something was wrong right away."

When I think broken back, I think career-ending injury. Apparently not.

Tracy, who ran a part-time Busch Series schedule last season, returned to the track--albeit doped up--and gave interviews after his emergency trip to the hospital! After doling out the standard "I'm disappointed for the team" BS, Tracy said he'll begin planning for his return next week:

"Now I'm just going to go home and rest for a couple of days and then, early next week, we'll start figuring out the best recovery options so I can get back in the car as soon as possible. I feel OK right now after all the medication that the doctors gave me, but I'm just sore and stiff and I just need some rest."

Ya think? How does one repair a broken back anyhow?

Tough break. He's currently third in the standings.

So somewhere in between the waking up, the egg hunts, possible early spring yardwork, a Sunday dinner, and church -- if that's your thing -- you're gonna be wondering what to do without 500 miles of NASCAR action tomorrow.

Well, screw the lawn mower and forget about cleaning the bathroom. Here's some ways to get the racing fix on the boob tube today. All times Eastern, because I'm too lazy and ignorant to find out the rest. They just confuse me.

7:30am - Back in the Day, SPEED Channel
- Total apologies if you're up this early, but hey, it's retro NASCAR and a decent show, despite its VH1 "Pop-up Video" styling.

11:00am - AMA Supercross, SPEED Channel
- If you get your kicks on two wheels, then a three-hour marathon should suffice you. Races from Orlando, Indianapolis, and Irving are covered.

12:00pm - NHRA Lucas Oil Sportsman Series, ESPN
- It's not the Nitro guys, but who's picky on a day like today? And it's in HD.