Brickyard 400: 2nd biggest race of the year?

ToyYoda

ToyYoda

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When the Brickyard 400 was first run back in 1994, it was widely believed that it was instantly the 2nd biggest race on the schedule behind the Daytona 500, some in the media back then even suggested that it had trumped the 500 as NASCAR's biggest race.

But in 2013, do you still feel that way? After a couple decades of less than thrilling races year in and year out, is the Brickyard still that big a deal? I'm sure winning at Indy would be a thrill for any driver, but I'd be willing to bet that winning a Southern 500 or Coke 600 would mean almost or just as much, if not more.

Just wondering what everyone's opinion is.
 
Prize money, it pays a distant second, but it is the second biggest payday after the Daytona 500. The facilities are first rate along with the history. Any racer worth his salt wants to win at Indy.
 
Without a doubt I think.

The prestige alone makes it unique.
 
There should be one race a year at IMS, and it shouldn't be in Cup cars.

Coca-Cola 600 is probably the second biggest race of the year for NASCAR after Daytona. Bristol and Talladega would be big events if they didn't race there twice.
 
From a business perspective I understand that it is huge. As a fan that justs wants to see good racing it is not in the top ten.
 
No matter where you are seated at the brickyard, you can only see about 1/3 of the track. It might be a stellar track for the drivers but not so much for this fan.
 
IMO I consider the Brickyard one of the worst races of the year. Yes, the speedway has some awesome history, for open wheel cars, not stock cars. I'd pay good money though to see them at the little track down the road:cool: You don't see Indy invading Daytona, we should've let them keep Indy.
 
Smoke14 said:
No matter where you are seated at the brickyard, you can only see about 1/3 of the track. It might be a stellar track for the drivers but not so much for this fan.
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This. I think for the drivers, just to say you won at Indy is up there with saying you won at Daytona. As a fan, not so much.
 
Great track, great open-wheel product, incredibly underwhelming stock car product. Don't even get me started on moving the Nationwide Series from IRP.

The pursue and track prestige probably make it a huge deal for the drivers, though. I was watching parts of the '03 race on YouTube and during the pre-race the commentators and a few drivers mentioned it was one of those races where you throw points out the window and just go for the win. That was pre-Chase, but I still think some drivers have that mentality.
 
[quoteabout indy to is the bodine ban="Thegroundpounder99, post: 643244, member: 6052"]IMO I consider the Brickyard one of the worst races of the year. Yes, the speedway has some awesome history, for open wheel cars, not stock cars. I'd pay good money though to see them at the little track down the road:cool: You don't see Indy invading Daytona, we should've let them keep Indy.[/quote]you are correct. nothing special about Indy to me. the best thing at Indy was the bodine bandits wrecking each other.
 
AndyMarquisLive said:
The 2008 sham farce of a mockery ruined this race.

I think The Night Race at Bristol has become the third crowned jewel behind the Daytona 500 and the World 600.
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I'd agree with that. I have a bunch of friends that are "sort of" NASCAR fans and they'll get excited for Daytona and Bristol. Indy not so much, but as its been stated, the drivers probably have Indy #2.
 
jmo: the one lane racing at indy is the most boring race on the schedule. and that was my opinion before the tire fiasco.
 
Imo I think that no one gives a crap about Indy anymore. Its just like winning another race, say Michigan, or Texas.
 
Nascar racing at Indy never lives up to the hype by the media and the drivers. They all talk about how prestigious a win at Indy is but I wonder how they feel about a loss? I mean, how much fun can it actually be to drive - as opposed to race -around that place all day and come up short?
 
A real challange for heavy stock cars on a fairly flat track with that much speed.
As far as the location being Indy, no big deal.
I'm surprised Nascar didn't pull the plug on this place after the tire fiasco a few years back, I thought it was saftey first and not their bank account. Saftey first........................................unless it costs money.
 
It's an amazing venue with lots of prestige to go with it.

The racing product has not been good though, I distinctly remember last years race as being super boring with very little passing. Nobody could touch JJ last year and given his performance at Pocono earlier this year, I would expect more of the same.

I suspect it's more important to the drivers and owners to win there, the fans just want to see great racing. So I'll take the Southern 500, night race at Bristol, or Aaron's 499 at Talladega over the Brickyard 400 any day.
 
I personally feel that IMS should have never been opened up to NASCAR. It's hallowed ground, and the month of May is special because of the Indy 500. August? Not so much. It's really just another race. The drivers and owners may try and claim a piece of the glory that is Indianapolis Motor Speedway, but the August trophy will never, ever match the glory of the real Indy prize.
 
VaDirt said:
I personally feel that IMS should have never been opened up to NASCAR. It's hallowed ground, and the month of May is special because of the Indy 500. August? Not so much. It's really just another race. The drivers and owners may try and claim a piece of the glory that is Indianapolis Motor Speedway, but the August trophy will never, ever match the glory of the real Indy prize.
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Well ooooooooooooooooooooobviously... lol
 
Its the oldest, the biggest, and the most historical track in.. well, maybe the world. Not that the racing is as exciting (less the snoozefest that has been Daytona 2013) as Daytona, but the prestige of winning a trophy in any series at the brickyard and being able to kiss those bricks is what makes it the 2nd biggest race of the year. I don't care if its the Indy 500 or the Nationwide race.. a win at Indy is huge just like a win at Daytona. I think the big difference when it comes to NASCAR at Indy is that the track was made famous by other series'. Hell it was around for 50 years before NASCAR. Daytona was made famous by NASCAR, so of course Daytona is a bigger deal in NASCAR but as far as motorsports as a whole I think the Brickyard is more prestigious.
 
The stature of the the Indianapolis Motor Speedway as a shrine to American racing history will always overshadow any event held there. It's just as true in May as it is in July or any other time.

Yes my opinion is biased because going to Indy in May is what made me a true racing fan. I remember how odd it seemed to my buddies and me when we first heard about the possibility of stock cars at IMS, like they wouldn't fit or something. Now I'm surprised so that so many NASCAR fans have such a negative view; after all, it's pretty much the same as Pocono with 4 turns.

Don't take my word for it, just see and hear what everyone connected with the race says this week about what it means just to participate in, much less win, the Brickyard 400.
 
racer8 said:
A real challange for heavy stock cars on a fairly flat track with that much speed.
As far as the location being Indy, no big deal.
I'm surprised Nascar didn't pull the plug on this place after the tire fiasco a few years back, I thought it was saftey first and not their bank account. Saftey first........................................unless it costs money.
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Really easy way to fix Indy . High bank the corners and make it a plate race . Guaranteed loads of side by side racing. :D
 
ted@economy said:
Really easy way to fix Indy . High bank the corners and make it a plate race . Guaranteed loads of side by side racing. :D
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Hmmm, yeah, cool! Then we can build a baseball field at Augusta National, a basketball court at Wimbledon, a drag strip at Churchill Downs and a hockey rink at Daytona! The fans will love it!
 
Does anyone remember the horrible 2008 or 09 race at Indy where Goodyear brought a tire that only lasted 8-10 laps.. I'm surprised NASCAR was allowed back after that mess
 
This race is portrayed to be big because of the venue but let's be honest, when you mention IMS the first thing that comes to mind is the Indy 500, not NASCAR. I wasn't a NASCAR fan in the 90's when they started racing there but I'm guessing it was a novelty for a while but as others have mentioned this track doesn't lend itself well to stock car racing.

I see the 600, Darlington, and the Bristol night race as bigger races.
 
In my mind, the Brickyard 400 is definitely the second biggest race of the year. No doubt about it.

Some of you seem to be equating your opinion of the quality of the racing at a given event with the prestige of said event. I would argue that those are two entirely different things. I generally can't stand restrictor plate racing, but regardless of mine or anyone else's opinion of it, positive or negative, there's no denying that the Daytona 500 is the biggest, most prestigious race of the year.

It's all about the prize money and the event/track history. As others here have pointed out, the Brickyard 400 pays the second biggest amount of prize money of the year and the track has a long and storied history. Ask the drivers what a win at Indy means to them (or would mean if they haven't won it yet). To me, that's what makes it the second biggest race of the year, despite the fact that I completely agree with Thegroundpounder's assertion that a race at IRP/ORP would be much more enjoyable to watch.
 
KevinWI said:
Hmmm, yeah, cool! Then we can build a baseball field at Augusta National, a basketball court at Wimbledon, a drag strip at Churchill Downs and a hockey rink at Daytona! The fans will love it!
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I was poking fun at the anti plate track folks . I do love the diversity and the challange that flat tracks make for the drivers. They really do challange the skills .
 
Indy is awful. yes having a trophy from Indy is a big thing for the drivers, not so much for the fans.
 
BOWTIE GUY said:
Indy is awful. yes having a trophy from Indy is a big thing for the drivers, not so much for the fans.
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I'm guessing you've never been to a race at Indy. The access to the pits and garages is as good as any track in NASCAR without needing a special pass; the food, drink, souvenirs, and amenities are second to none; and with the many years of experience, getting traffic in and out is painless. Sure it's a big track and there are only a few seats where most of the track can be seen, but there are lots of jumbotrons so there's no excuse to miss anything.

Forty-three cup cars running full-throttle down the front stretch in that canyon of racefans on the first few laps is the loudest body rattling rumble I've ever experienced.
 
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