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Brickyard flat-out rules roost at IMS
By Robin Miller
Special to ESPN.com
INDIANAPOLIS -- In the 10 years since NASCAR descended on Indianapolis Motor Speedway a lot of things have changed.
Open wheel racing crashed and burned into an ugly, stupid civil war that's crippled attendance and television ratings.
The split between Tony George's Indy Racing League and Championship Auto Racing Teams created confusion, anger and apathy as the Indianapolis 500 and once-proud month of May disintegrated into a one-day event.
Formula One was added to the IMS menu in 2000, but has steadily declined in attendance and interest following its debut.
And Winston Cup? Well, it not only rules motorsports in this country, but the Brickyard 400 is now larger than the Indy 500 in almost every way.
Other than ticket sales, which are comparable, stock cars have put Indy cars on the trailer. Think not? Then consider:
This used to be the greatest sight at Indianapolis. Now, the stock cars are taking over.
Attendance for Friday's Brickyard practice session is better than any Indy pole day since 1996.
Although IMS never announces attendance, there haven't been 20,000 for any Indy pole day since the split and there are three times that for Cup's one round of qualifying on Saturday.
There are more people gathered at a Tony Stewart personal appearance than any practice day during May.
Two streets had to be blocked off a couple years ago when an estimated 6,000 people swarmed Stewart for autographs at JD Byrider's.
Despite being a bad track for NASCAR and usually a boring show, Brickyard TV ratings regularly eclipse Indy's.
Indy was a 4.6 in 2002 and the Brickyard a 5.6.
Driving down West 16th Street in May and August really illustrates the shift in power. Once jammed with souvenir trailers for Fittipaldi, Mears, Foyt, Sullivan, Unsers, Andrettis it's now a ghost town during Indy because nobody knows the drivers and most of them don't waste their time trying to sell merchandise. Other than Sarah Fisher, there are trailers for A.J. Foyt and Mario Andretti (both out of competition for more than a decade) and a couple for drag racers.
But next month, that prime ground across from the Speedway is wall-to-wall with NASCAR paraphenalia and customers. Jeff Gordon brings four trailers to town, while there are no less than three trailers hawking hats, shirts and bumper stickers for the late Dale Earnhardt.
Just about every memorabilia store in Indy is saturated with NASCAR die casts, posters, pictures, shirts, hats and books. The IRL has a store downtown in the Circle Center Mall and at the airport but there's little demand for Felipe Giaffone, Vitor Meira, Robbie Buhl or Scott Sharp merchandise.
Even though NASCAR only spends three days at Indy, it's a week long buzz that features autograph sessions all over town, non-stop advertising and support races at nearby Indianapolis Raceway Park.
The Craftsman Trucks run at IRP on Friday night, followed by the Busch series on Saturday evening. Extra bleachers are brought in to the five-eigths mile oval and an estimated 50,000 spectators take in those two preliminary shows.
The famed Indianapolis Motor Speedway provides a great backdrop for NASCAR's stars.
"We don't announce attendance but it's a very good week for us," said Scott Smith, IRP communications manager. "The Busch race is usually the best race of the entire weekend and you can see all around the track from almost any seat."
Speaking of seats, the Brickyard was a tough ticket to get just a couple years ago but neither Indy or the Brickyard will be sellouts in 2003. IMS officials admitted last week that 10,000 tickets remained for Winston Cup and there were noticeable gaps in the grandstands last May.
"It's (Brickyard) not as hot as it used to be and because it's not a true sellout it doesn't have that air," said Renny Harrison of Circle City Tickets. "A lot of companies aren't spending the money they used to and bad seats are almost unsellable.
"Last year was great for NASCAR but the demand is about the same for Indy and the Brickyard this year."
Still, even though general admissions aren't sold for the Brickyard like they are for Indy, most of the estimated 285,000 seats will be filled by Sunday's green flag. Throw in the 25,000 or so from Friday and the 60,000-70,000 on Saturday and it's dandy little moneymaker for George & Company.
Naturally, the irony of this is that while the Brickyard 400 has assumed the point in Indy's three major races, the revenue it generates has helped keep George's IRL afloat for the past eight years.
"The success of the Brickyard has been good for the company and for the Indy Racing League," IMS spokesman Fred Nation told the Indianapolis Business Journal recently. "But the IRL probably would have survived without the Brickyard 400."
Tony Hulman, the man who ressurected the Speedway after World War II, was always against hosting another race and supposedly turned down NASCAR several times. It was a smart business decision by his grandson to bring in Winston Cup but the late owner would never believe that stock cars are bigger than Indy cars in the capitol of auto racing.
Maybe it's just as well he doesn't know.
By Robin Miller
Special to ESPN.com
INDIANAPOLIS -- In the 10 years since NASCAR descended on Indianapolis Motor Speedway a lot of things have changed.
Open wheel racing crashed and burned into an ugly, stupid civil war that's crippled attendance and television ratings.
The split between Tony George's Indy Racing League and Championship Auto Racing Teams created confusion, anger and apathy as the Indianapolis 500 and once-proud month of May disintegrated into a one-day event.
Formula One was added to the IMS menu in 2000, but has steadily declined in attendance and interest following its debut.
And Winston Cup? Well, it not only rules motorsports in this country, but the Brickyard 400 is now larger than the Indy 500 in almost every way.
Other than ticket sales, which are comparable, stock cars have put Indy cars on the trailer. Think not? Then consider:
This used to be the greatest sight at Indianapolis. Now, the stock cars are taking over.
Attendance for Friday's Brickyard practice session is better than any Indy pole day since 1996.
Although IMS never announces attendance, there haven't been 20,000 for any Indy pole day since the split and there are three times that for Cup's one round of qualifying on Saturday.
There are more people gathered at a Tony Stewart personal appearance than any practice day during May.
Two streets had to be blocked off a couple years ago when an estimated 6,000 people swarmed Stewart for autographs at JD Byrider's.
Despite being a bad track for NASCAR and usually a boring show, Brickyard TV ratings regularly eclipse Indy's.
Indy was a 4.6 in 2002 and the Brickyard a 5.6.
Driving down West 16th Street in May and August really illustrates the shift in power. Once jammed with souvenir trailers for Fittipaldi, Mears, Foyt, Sullivan, Unsers, Andrettis it's now a ghost town during Indy because nobody knows the drivers and most of them don't waste their time trying to sell merchandise. Other than Sarah Fisher, there are trailers for A.J. Foyt and Mario Andretti (both out of competition for more than a decade) and a couple for drag racers.
But next month, that prime ground across from the Speedway is wall-to-wall with NASCAR paraphenalia and customers. Jeff Gordon brings four trailers to town, while there are no less than three trailers hawking hats, shirts and bumper stickers for the late Dale Earnhardt.
Just about every memorabilia store in Indy is saturated with NASCAR die casts, posters, pictures, shirts, hats and books. The IRL has a store downtown in the Circle Center Mall and at the airport but there's little demand for Felipe Giaffone, Vitor Meira, Robbie Buhl or Scott Sharp merchandise.
Even though NASCAR only spends three days at Indy, it's a week long buzz that features autograph sessions all over town, non-stop advertising and support races at nearby Indianapolis Raceway Park.
The Craftsman Trucks run at IRP on Friday night, followed by the Busch series on Saturday evening. Extra bleachers are brought in to the five-eigths mile oval and an estimated 50,000 spectators take in those two preliminary shows.
The famed Indianapolis Motor Speedway provides a great backdrop for NASCAR's stars.
"We don't announce attendance but it's a very good week for us," said Scott Smith, IRP communications manager. "The Busch race is usually the best race of the entire weekend and you can see all around the track from almost any seat."
Speaking of seats, the Brickyard was a tough ticket to get just a couple years ago but neither Indy or the Brickyard will be sellouts in 2003. IMS officials admitted last week that 10,000 tickets remained for Winston Cup and there were noticeable gaps in the grandstands last May.
"It's (Brickyard) not as hot as it used to be and because it's not a true sellout it doesn't have that air," said Renny Harrison of Circle City Tickets. "A lot of companies aren't spending the money they used to and bad seats are almost unsellable.
"Last year was great for NASCAR but the demand is about the same for Indy and the Brickyard this year."
Still, even though general admissions aren't sold for the Brickyard like they are for Indy, most of the estimated 285,000 seats will be filled by Sunday's green flag. Throw in the 25,000 or so from Friday and the 60,000-70,000 on Saturday and it's dandy little moneymaker for George & Company.
Naturally, the irony of this is that while the Brickyard 400 has assumed the point in Indy's three major races, the revenue it generates has helped keep George's IRL afloat for the past eight years.
"The success of the Brickyard has been good for the company and for the Indy Racing League," IMS spokesman Fred Nation told the Indianapolis Business Journal recently. "But the IRL probably would have survived without the Brickyard 400."
Tony Hulman, the man who ressurected the Speedway after World War II, was always against hosting another race and supposedly turned down NASCAR several times. It was a smart business decision by his grandson to bring in Winston Cup but the late owner would never believe that stock cars are bigger than Indy cars in the capitol of auto racing.
Maybe it's just as well he doesn't know.