I actually thought the Cup racing was much better than years past, didn't see the NW race, but from the Sports Center clips looked pretty empty in the stands. I think Indy is a race all drivers want to add to their resumes, but I also feel that unless ratings and attendance improve it might be in danger of going bye bye in the next 5 years. I'd love to see them switch both races back to IRP and add the trucks to that weekend, now that would be cool!
The novelty of nascar has worn off pretty much along with a crappy economy. I used to attend lots of races and I dont care if I ever see another one in person. Too expensive for this poor boy.
Yeah it is. The track got even more narrow since they started racing there. They took the paved aprons out of the insides of the corners and put grass down. They did that to keep the Indy cars from cutting down in the corners. They were loosing it down there and hitting the walls almost head on. It really became a single lane track for the bigger Nascars after that. So not only have the cars changed, but the track has changed for the worse IMO. Leader can hug the bottom in the turns, hardly any way to get under them or around them in the turns anymore if you get a run. The cars are so similar in performance in cup, that passing on any track is hard. Speeds are too fast on most of the big tracks to try it, and any little thing screws up the car's Aero. If you bump anybody, you can screw up your whole race if you get just minor damage. Just like F1 and Indycar.
That's the way it is, the bumping and banging fans don't like it, time will tell if they try to change anything. I don't see it happening in cup, way too much money invested in the way it is, and big money T.V. deals are still rolling in.
yes indy is single groove, what race were you watching in reponse to someone suggesting its not. its very very easy to see why the track is single groove. if a guy stays low in the turns the guy behind him has nearly all the air taken off his nose. in order to pass at indy you have to be quite a bit faster than the guy in front of you to be able to come off the corner and get under the guy going down the straights, and even that is tuff because you jump outside the draft along the straights, get a car behind you helping and you can really dive bomb a guy getting into 1 or 3 sometimes the draft can be so strong in that situation 2 cars can get by. thats how you pass at indy basically circumstances have to come together, once the cars are strung out I personally think you are going to have to be at least 2-4 10ths a lap faster than the guy in front of you to pass them
I don't mean for this to be negative towards ElliotFan at all, but I think this sentiment is a big part of why Indy doesn't sell out these days. I remember that the idea of having a stock car race at Indy was influenced greatly by fans from Indiana and Illinois who were requesting and buying tickets for both Michigan races. That's also why ISC wanted very badly to build a track near Chicago - they knew who was buying/wanting tickets to Michigan and where they lived. Now, the market is probably diluted by races in Michigan, Chicago, and Kentucky, and regular race fans just don't have the disposable income they had when NASCAR's popularity was peaking in the early-mid 90's.
Except the attendance estimates keep getting smaller.
Yeah it is. The track got even more narrow since they started racing there. They took the paved aprons out of the insides of the corners and put grass down. They did that to keep the Indy cars from cutting down in the corners. They were loosing it down there and hitting the walls almost head on. It really became a single lane track for the bigger Nascars after that. So not only have the cars changed, but the track has changed for the worse IMO. Leader can hug the bottom in the turns, hardly any way to get under them or around them in the turns anymore if you get a run. The cars are so similar in performance in cup, that passing on any track is hard. Speeds are too fast on most of the big tracks to try it, and any little thing screws up the car's Aero. If you bump anybody, you can screw up your whole race if you get just minor damage. Just like F1 and Indycar.
The way things are going, in a few years "The Brickyard 400" will be the name given to the 400 fans that attended the race.
