2017 Indy - Brantley Gilbert Big Machine Brickyard 400 - Pre Race Thread

dpkimmel2001

dpkimmel2001

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EVENT SCHEDULE
Event Schedule times are local to the track

Friday, July 21
4:30 - 8:00 PM NASCAR Hauler Parade - Main Street, Speedway, IN
4:30 - 8:00 PM MENCS FAN FEST
9:00 PM MENCS HAULERS ENTER
9:30 PM MENCS UNLOAD HAULERS (EQUIPMENT UNLOAD)

Saturday, July 22
6:30 AM - 10:30 PM MENCS GARAGE OPEN
8:00 AM MENCS ROOKIE MEETING, SPOTTER MEETING, & RANDOM DRAWING
9:00 - 9:55 AM MENCS 1ST PRACTICE
11:00 - 11:55 AM MENCS FINAL PRACTICE
6:15 PM MENCS QUALIFYING

Sunday, June 23
9:00 AM MENCS GARAGE OPENS
11:30 AM - 1:00 PM TRACK WALK
12:30 PM MENCS DRIVER / CREW CHIEF MEETING
12:45 PM VINTAGE CAR LAP
1:50 PM MENCS DRIVER INTRODUCTIONS
2:30 PM MENCS RACE

MENCS = Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series
SCHEDULE SUBJECT TO CHANGE
 
The most depressing race of the year :(

From what was to what is. I honestly can't watch the Brickyard anymore. I know the action isn't great but this race was always about the spectacle anyway.

I get my Indy fix in May. The 500 has once again become an event. The crowds have returned to an "impressive" level the last 4-5 years. Maybe there's hope for the 400. Or, maybe not...
 
KodiakRusty89 said:
The most depressing race of the year :(

From what was to what is. I honestly can't watch the Brickyard anymore. I know the action isn't great but this race was always about the spectacle anyway.

I get my Indy fix in May. The 500 has once again become an event. The crowds have returned to an "impressive" level the last 4-5 years. Maybe there's hope for the 400. Or, maybe not...
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IDK where they come up with the names for these races. "Brantley Gilbert Big Machine" sounds like a farm implement or construction equipment dealer but I am betting it isn't lol.
 
You mean you don't want to watch the latest Indy fix , Xfinity cars with restrictor plates AND air ducts? This is going to be even bigger the stickum, can't wait for Jabberton to splain to us dummys what a restrictor plate is and an air duct.
 
StandOnIt said:
You mean you don't want to watch the latest Indy fix , Xfinity cars with restrictor plates AND air ducts? This is going to be even bigger the stickum, can't wait for Jabberton to splain to us dummys what a restrictor plate is and an air duct.
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I rather them try to explain why they're running at Indy in front of 10k people instead of IRP in front of 20-25k! Talk about an ugly sight..
 
I know this race gets crapped on now, but the Brickyard 400 is one of my top 3 favorite races on the calendar. It's stock cars at Indy! That novelty will never wear off for me. However the prestige in the eyes of fans has fallen off and it bothers me when I hear people say to take it off the calendar but I understand the reasoning behind it. The attendance and racing have been a black eye for NASCAR. Here's hoping to this weekend's race is a good one. (Won't acknowledge Xfinity racing there, they should still be at IRP)
 
Snappy D said:
I know this race gets crapped on now, but the Brickyard 400 is one of my top 3 favorite races on the calendar. It's stock cars at Indy! That novelty will never wear off for me. However the prestige in the eyes of fans has fallen off and it bothers me when I hear people say to take it off the calendar but I understand the reasoning behind it. The attendance and racing have been a black eye for NASCAR. Here's hoping to this weekend's race is a good one. (Won't acknowledge Xfinity racing there, they should still be at IRP)
Click to expand...

When the Brickyard was announced it was a different version of Hoosier Hysteria and represented a time when Nascar was at it's zenith. Unfortunately the race has become a shell of what it used to be and now is the perfect illustration of Nascar's precipitous fall. IMO the best thing to so would be to leave the track ASAP and move on to a place where it is better received. Things are so bad that people (myself included) routinely decline free tickets to the race as it is not worth the time and effort.
 
Skoalbandit33 said:
When the Brickyard was announced it was a different version of Hoosier Hysteria and represented a time when Nascar was at it's zenith. Unfortunately the race has become a shell of what it used to be and now is the perfect illustration of Nascar's precipitous fall. IMO the best thing to so would be to leave the track ASAP and move on to a place where it is better received. Things are so bad that people (myself included) routinely decline free tickets to the race as it is not worth the time and effort.
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I was just about to respond that this race sums up where NASCAR used to be and where it is now, no better illustration IMO. Second, I'd love to go but July in the Midwest is too damn hot to watch racing and cook in the sun. At least for me it is, maybe I'll try to go in a September if the race survives the next coming years
 
Snappy D said:
I know this race gets crapped on now, but the Brickyard 400 is one of my top 3 favorite races on the calendar. It's stock cars at Indy! That novelty will never wear off for me. However the prestige in the eyes of fans has fallen off and it bothers me when I hear people say to take it off the calendar but I understand the reasoning behind it. The attendance and racing have been a black eye for NASCAR. Here's hoping to this weekend's race is a good one. (Won't acknowledge Xfinity racing there, they should still be at IRP)
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I figured you were from around the Indy area, that's pretty much the only group of Nascar fans that want to see them race there anymore.:D Who knows, their latest aero experiment with the plate/duct Xfinity Indy car might work.
 
StandOnIt said:
I figured you were from around the Indy area, that's pretty much the only group of Nascar fans that want to see them race there anymore.:D Who knows, their latest aero experiment with the plate/duct Xfinity Indy car might work.
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Very few people in the Metro Indy area give a fig about the race and I can't imagine what you led you to the conclusion that they do.
 
Skoalbandit33 said:
When the Brickyard was announced it was a different version of Hoosier Hysteria and represented a time when Nascar was at it's zenith. Unfortunately the race has become a shell of what it used to be and now is the perfect illustration of Nascar's precipitous fall. IMO the best thing to so would be to leave the track ASAP and move on to a place where it is better received. Things are so bad that people (myself included) routinely decline free tickets to the race as it is not worth the time and effort.
Click to expand...

The Brickyard took this sport to another level. The seating boom, track building etc really didn't being until after 1994. My guess is the average seating capacity for NASCAR tracks in 1994 was somewhere in the 60-70k range. I don't think there's a single event (including the '79 Daytona 500) that raised national/worldwide relevancy of NASCAR than the first Brickyard and Jeff Gordon winning it. The test in 1993 and the buildup to the August race was insane! That's why it's so shocking to see what this race has become. At least Daytona 500 still feels "big" and plays well on TV.
 
HELL YES! IT'S BRICKYARD WEEK!!!!!! Bitch all you want. I am excited to see if the Fords really have the horsepower down the straights v. MY TRD powered Toyotas. Excited to see if Chevy brings something different in terms of horsepower. Of course, you have to get off of 2 and 4 as well. Not sure the Fords turn as well as MY Toyotas, but Chevy might...but are they down on horsepower? So many questions. AND......wait for it......Indy is typically when the manufacturers roll out their CHASE SPEC stuff! HELL YES!!!! BITCH AWAY PEOPLE! I......DON'T......CARE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! WAAAAAAAAHOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!
 
Charlie Spencer said:
He's a country singer, 'Big Machine' is a record label. Apparently race sponsorships are getting cheaper too.
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Thanks for the info and to me there have been some very odd names for race sponsorships and they must not have a huge expense tied to them. IDK how it works for others but there are so many sponsors associated with teams and other aspects of Nascar they all blend together for me. Years ago they would show a shot of the cars coming down a straightaway and I could tell just by the little bit of color on the roofs as to who was driving and who the sponsor was.
 
KodiakRusty89 said:
The Brickyard took this sport to another level. The seating boom, track building etc really didn't being until after 1994. My guess is the average seating capacity for NASCAR tracks in 1994 was somewhere in the 60-70k range. I don't think there's a single event (including the '79 Daytona 500) that raised national/worldwide relevancy of NASCAR than the first Brickyard and Jeff Gordon winning it. The test in 1993 and the buildup to the August race was insane! That's why it's so shocking to see what this race has become. At least Daytona 500 still feels "big" and plays well on TV.
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There may be 2-3 races that top the 100K mark anymore and some of the tracks looked to have settled into what appears to be the 30,000's with overall attendance still shrinking. I can understand tracks not wanting to go to the expense of removing more seats every few years but I think it would look better if they just covered them up. The Brickyard will look like a real sad sack this weekend as who knows if they will even get 40K? Demand was so high for the Brickyard in the initial days that a lottery had to be held in order to qualify for tickets. Oh how the mighty have fallen.
 
StandOnIt said:
I figured you were from around the Indy area, that's pretty much the only group of Nascar fans that want to see them race there anymore.:D Who knows, their latest aero experiment with the plate/duct Xfinity Indy car might work.
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I am in the Chicago area, Indy is about a 3hr drive from me. Never been to the speedway but the city plenty, nice area. and yes I am one of the few that still want NASCAR to race there, hope the race survives.
 
Yawn. This race typically isn't that great of a race. The podium race thread will be amazing for this one. If you aren't apart of the podium you better ask now as the race threads are great.
 
Snappy D said:
I am in the Chicago area, Indy is about a 3hr drive from me. Never been to the speedway but the city plenty, nice area. and yes I am one of the few that still want NASCAR to race there, hope the race survives.
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I get to Chicagoland and Indy on a regular basis and like both places for different reasons. I am doing some urban exploration in Gary IN right now and will be making several more trips to document the urban decay.
 
Blaze88 said:
Yawn. This race typically isn't that great of a race. The podium race thread will be amazing for this one. If you aren't apart of the podium you better ask now as the race threads are great.
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Does anyone talk politics during the race?.....:D
 
FLRacingFan said:
Predictions:

Kyle Busch returns to Victory Lane in the Cup race
Saturday's Cup scrimmage/aero experiment earns positive reviews
The 400 earns at least 5.5M viewers
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I will go with Matt Kenseth for the win

Saturday's Cup scrimmage/aero experiment earns positive reviews because it is what the fans and drivers have asked for.

The 400 has 4.8 million viewers.
 
Snappy D said:
I know this race gets crapped on now, but the Brickyard 400 is one of my top 3 favorite races on the calendar. It's stock cars at Indy!
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And I say who cares ? I know there are people that like NASCAR at IMS, but for me, I dont like open wheel racing, so Indy means nothing to me( I respect the track for its history) but the racing there is bloody boring.
 
FLRacingFan said:
Predictions:

Kyle Busch returns to Victory Lane in the Cup race
Saturday's Cup scrimmage/aero experiment earns positive reviews
The 400 earns at least 5.5M viewers
Click to expand...
Yes, I think this is the race Kyle remembers how to get to VL
 
Blaze88 said:
Yawn. This race typically isn't that great of a race. The podium race thread will be amazing for this one. If you aren't apart of the podium you better ask now as the race threads are great.
Click to expand...
Only reason why I am looking forward to race.
 
Skoalbandit33 said:
I get to Chicagoland and Indy on a regular basis and like both places for different reasons. I am doing some urban exploration in Gary IN right now and will be making several more trips to document the urban decay.
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Been to Chicagoland for 12 out of the 16 Cup race there. It's a half hour drive from me, wish I had the time and $$$ to explore more tracks though. Chicagoland is a good place nonetheless
 
Skoalbandit33 said:
There may be 2-3 races that top the 100K mark anymore and some of the tracks looked to have settled into what appears to be the 30,000's with overall attendance still shrinking. I can understand tracks not wanting to go to the expense of removing more seats every few years but I think it would look better if they just covered them up. The Brickyard will look like a real sad sack this weekend as who knows if they will even get 40K? Demand was so high for the Brickyard in the initial days that a lottery had to be held in order to qualify for tickets. Oh how the mighty have fallen.
Click to expand...

I think the average attendance is still quite a bit higher than 30k. The two races I've attended, Pocono and Kentucky, had good crowds by todays standards; safely over 50% capacity. Factor in the infield and you're still looking at crowds in the 60-80k range. I think average attendance for the year is still safely north of 50k. But attendance still seems to be trending down at most tracks so time will tell. No track has lost more fans than Indy though. When you factor in GA the Brickyard was probably drawing 275-300k from 1994 until 2006 or so. They'll be lucky to draw 40k on Sunday. That's about a 80% decrease.
 
Snappy D said:
I know this race gets crapped on now, but the Brickyard 400 is one of my top 3 favorite races on the calendar. It's stock cars at Indy! That novelty will never wear off for me.
Click to expand...
I'm with Snappy. The Brickyard 400 always is intriguing and I am really looking forward to it. And this year looking forward to the Xfinity race too. We have dual predictions that it will be a success, from FL and Skoal, so I hope they are right but my confidence is muted. We'll see.

One question for those obsessed with TV numbers... If the range of viewership predicted is 4.8 to 5.5 million, and that is about double what some other summer races get, why do you conclude that no one likes or cares about Nascar at Indy?
 
This is one hell of a hype thread. Who the **** is Brantley Gilbert?
 
TIRE CODES

Tire: Goodyear Eagle Speedway Radials

Set limits:
Cup: 5 sets for practice, 1 set for qualifying and 8 sets for the race
Xfinity: 6 sets for the event

Tire Codes:
Left-side -- D-4744 Right-side -- D-4710

Tire Circumference:
Left-side -- 87.68 in. (2,227 mm) Right-side -- 88.23 in. (2,241 mm)

Minimum Recommended Inflation:
Left Front -- 18 psi Left Rear - 18 psi
Right Front -- 42 psi Right Rear -- 38 psi

Storyline - New Year, New Rules, New Tire Set-up for The Brickyard: Indianapolis Motor Speedway always provides one of the biggest challenges to tires on the NASCAR circuit. The combination of high speeds, long straightaways, minimal banking and the diamond-grooved surface all wreak havoc with tires on these 3,400-lb stock cars with their lateral loads. Visiting Indianapolis in April has become a regular stop on the Goodyear testing schedule, and that held true for this year. Although the track hasn't change from last year's visit to The Brickyard, the car has. Staying on top of those changes and how they affect racing at Indianapolis remains a high priority for Goodyear.

"As NASCAR has moved to its lower downforce setup over the past several years, we have been adding some grip through the tires," said Greg Stucker, Goodyear's director of racing. "We actually tested this 2017 tire set-up at our Indianapolis test leading into the 2016 Brickyard race, but the consensus from the veteran drivers we had there was that this left-side was a big step and that our existing Indy left-side was the better fit for last year's rules package. Since NASCAR reduced downforce again with the 2017 package, we brought that same left-side to this year's test and it proved to be a good fit. As everyone knows, Indy is tough on tires. This combination will rubber-in the race track and provide plenty of grip to help cars get ahold of the track."

Notes: Teams in both the NASCAR Cup and Xfinity Series will run the same tire codes at Indianapolis Motor Speedway this week . . . teams will run the same right-side tire code (D-4710) they ran at Indianapolis last season, but with a new left-side code (D-4744) . . . compared to what was run at this track last year, this left-side tire features a construction change, and a compound change to give the cars more grip . . . this tire set-up came out of a Goodyear test at IMS on April 25-26 . . . drivers participating in that test were Denny Hamlin, Jimmie Johnson, Brad Keselowski and David Ragan . . . as on all NASCAR ovals greater than one mile in length, teams will run inner liners in all four tire positions at Indianapolis . . . air pressure in those inner liners should be 12-25 psi greater than that of the outer tire.

Upcoming Tire Test: Goodyear will hold a tire test at Dover International Speedway next Tuesday (July 25). Teams scheduled to participate in that test are the #20 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota (Matt Kenseth), #22 Penske Racing Ford (Joey Logano), #34 Front Row Motorsports Ford (Landon Cassill) and #88 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet (Dale Earnhardt Jr.).
 
KodiakRusty89 said:
I think the average attendance is still quite a bit higher than 30k. The two races I've attended, Pocono and Kentucky, had good crowds by todays standards; safely over 50% capacity. Factor in the infield and you're still looking at crowds in the 60-80k range. I think average attendance for the year is still safely north of 50k. But attendance still seems to be trending down at most tracks so time will tell. No track has lost more fans than Indy though. When you factor in GA the Brickyard was probably drawing 275-300k from 1994 until 2006 or so. They'll be lucky to draw 40k on Sunday. That's about a 80% decrease.
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I agree that the average attendance is over 30K

LewTheShoe said:
I'm with Snappy. The Brickyard 400 always is intriguing and I am really looking forward to it. And this year looking forward to the Xfinity race too. We have dual predictions that it will be a success, from FL and Skoal, so I hope they are right but my confidence is muted. We'll see.

One question for those obsessed with TV numbers... If the range of viewership predicted is 4.8 to 5.5 million, and that is about double what some other summer races get, why do you conclude that no one likes or cares about Nascar at Indy?
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I don't think 4.8 to 5.5 million viewers would be bad for the Brickyard at all. The plate races can take a beating on this forum but the truth is they are some of the better attended and viewed races Nascar produces while darlings like Martinsville and Richmond don't so as well in attendance or viewership.

Regarding why 4.8 to 5.5 million viewers could be seen as problematic is that in 2001 according to Jayski.com the Brickyard 400 had 20 million viewers. As some like to point out the all sports have lost viewers but how many have lost the same amount as Nascar?

UPDATE: NBC’s coverage of Sunday’s Brickyard 400 delivered the largest audience in the history of the event – 20 million viewers. The NASCAR Winston Cup race from the famed Indianapolis Motor Speedway earned a 6.2 national rating and 16 share, up 68 percent from last year’s 3.7/12 on ABC, Saturday of the same weekend, according to figures released today by Nielsen Media Research. The 6.2 rating is the largest in the eight-year history of the event, the previous best was a 5.7 for the inaugural Brickyard on ABC in 1994. Through five races NASCAR on NBC and TNT is up 30 percent over the same time period last year. NBC/TNT is averaging a 5.2/14 (5 tc’s), compared to the 4.0/12 (4 tc’s - CBS, TNN, TBS, ABC) during the same time period last year. The 6.2 national rating is the largest NASCAR rating on NBC to date, even exceeding the 6.1 national rating in primetime for the Pepsi 400 from the Daytona International Speedway on July 7. The Brickyard 400 audience built every half-hour throughout the race and peaked with a 7.3 rating and 18 share during the final half-hour from 5:30-6 p.m. ET as Winston Cup points leader Jeff Gordon took the Brickyard 400 checkered flag for the third time in his career. For the third time in three telecasts NASCAR on NBC has attracted at least 20 million viewers, the Tropicana 400 from Chicagoland Speedway on July 15 was watched by 21 million and the Pepsi 400 attracted a primetime record 25 million viewers.(NBC PR)(8-7-2001)

DUN24 said:
This is one hell of a hype thread. Who the **** is Brantley Gilbert?
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IDK either.

DanicaFreak said:
A top 5 by DP10 bank on it!
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Wire me some money and I will place a bet and I will give you back your initial wager plus 75% of what we make......:D

It would be great to see her get inside the top 15 again and a top 10 would be outstanding.
 
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