Indy & the Brickyard 400

MRM

MRM

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I've followed NASCAR for over 40 years. I've seen a little bit of everything during that time. When NASCAR conducted a tire test at Indy in hopes of getting a Cup race there, I was excited. Then they finally got a date and it was a cool thing for first 10 years or so. Now, not so much. Most others feel the same as I do considering how much attendance has dropped off in recent years.

IMS has always been one of those revered tracks. IMS welcoming in NASCAR in the 90's was big for them as they were an Indy 500 only track.

Here we are in 2018 and they are resorting to building a dirt track inside of turn 3 to gin up interested for this year's Brickyard 400. I never thought I'd see Indy not draw a crowd and I never thought they would ever consider anything to do with dirt racing, let a lone build an actual dirt track in the infield. It just shows when people are desperate, they'll do almost anything and Indy is no exception.
 
The Speedway has a very long relationship with USAC which held onto dirt racing probably too long for championship cars, and used to own the 16th Street dirt oval (converted baseball stadium) not far from the speedway.

Dirt short track racing in Indiana has been doing pretty well business-wise past couple years, so there's a good reason for it.
 
I guess they were desperate in 2016 when they did it :confused:
“This track is really about Tony Stewart and celebrating Tony and sort of getting ready for the Brickyard,” Boles said, “but we’ve had this underlying conversation over time about could you do one or two high-profile, standalone, really awesome midget or sprint car invitationals that were hosted at the speedway to reconnect the short-track racing … to the speedway?

Could dirt track at IMS become a permanent fixture?


https://www.indystar.com/story/spor...-track-ims-become-permanent-fixture/86566872/
 
The Brickyard 400 has been going downhill for close to 10 years. They've seen it coming. My point is the sacred grounds of IMS is now going to be the home of an infield dirt track. No one would have imagined that just a few years ago. Many IMS supporters snubbed their noses at NASCAR for them bringing a Cup race there. They were kind of snobbish that way.
 
That's your opinion, sounds ridiculous to me. Like the privateer said Indianapolis has had a long relationship with USAC if you know what that is
 
Privateer said:
The Speedway has a very long relationship with USAC which held onto dirt racing probably too long for championship cars, and used to own the 16th Street dirt oval (converted baseball stadium) not far from the speedway.

Dirt short track racing in Indiana has been doing pretty well business-wise past couple years, so there's a good reason for it.
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StandOnIt said:
That's your opinion, sounds ridiculous to me. Like the privateer said Indianapolis has had a long relationship with USAC if you know what that is
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Indeed. Indiana is the home of USAC and traditional sprint car racing, and the route that everyone from Mario Andretti to A.J. Foyt to Tony Stewart followed through USAC racing to the Speedway used to be the path. Obviously things changed, but anything they want to do to rekindle these ties to short track racing will be applauded by me.
 
StandOnIt said:
That's your opinion, sounds ridiculous to me. Like the privateer said Indianapolis has had a long relationship with USAC if you know what that is
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I am familiar with USAC. USAC sanctioned the Indy 500 before CART was formed. USAC even had their won stock car series, some NASCAR drivers used to race in it a few times a year when they condensed the schedule to 30 races or so.
 
kkfan91 said:
The "sacred ground" of IMS has a golf course...
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And a road course, and is used for an air race course, vintage car races and car shows (Bloomington Gold to name one). The history, the tradition, and the giants of auto racing are what make it sacred ground. I'm not sure a dirt track ADDS anything to the facility, but it doesn't take anything away from it either. The modern reality is that no matter what kind of race facility you have, you better find as many ways as possible to put it to use and sell tickets.
 
There WOULD be plenty of room for a drag strip in the infield, even WITH the golf course, but Indy doesn't need another drag strip.
 
StandOnIt said:
I guess they were desperate in 2016 when they did it :confused:
“This track is really about Tony Stewart and celebrating Tony and sort of getting ready for the Brickyard,” Boles said, “but we’ve had this underlying conversation over time about could you do one or two high-profile, standalone, really awesome midget or sprint car invitationals that were hosted at the speedway to reconnect the short-track racing … to the speedway?

Could dirt track at IMS become a permanent fixture?


https://www.indystar.com/story/spor...-track-ims-become-permanent-fixture/86566872/[/

Scratching my head on this one, they had two tracks close to IMS before on 16th street. I can't see how it would pan out with one or two races a year, especially the way drivers have to jump thru hoops to get permission to run. Used to go to the one that was old Bush Stadium. https://www.indystar.com/story/news/2016/06/10/other-racetrack-16th-street/85644806/
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How about a triple header weekend? 100 laps on the dirt on Friday night, 300 laps at Raceway Park on Saturday night, and the 400 on Sunday? They used to have a thing called the Kroger Festival of Speed with USAC on Wednesday night , the Trucks on Thursday night, and the Busch Series on Friday night all at IRP with the Brickyard on Saturday. This would be even better in my opinion. :D
 
They used to squeeze IROC on Friday at IMS into the weekend too. My father and I caught all of them one year. We still have family in Indy so we had a place to stay.
 
I am seriously glad that the Brickyard 400... an intriguing skill-based race with a high degree of difficulty... will not be glossed up by aero horse collars for the leader to keep 'em bunched up in the pursuit of gratuitous passing. Adding a midget race to the undercard seems entirely positive to me.
 
There is always next year..better hope for a better turnout and not another yawner. The dirt track will probably out draw the cup race. Tough so far it isn't being televised. Note: plateapobes can still heckle the Xfinity race so all is not lost.
 
I have a fear that the only thing that would even slightly keep Indy on the 2020 schedule is the fact that it is Indy. It's possible NASCAR will be pressured to make a huge schedule change especially since their TV deal runs out about the same time, correct? If not then close to it. I feel BIG changes are coming in some way come 2020 from Sponsor to TV to Schedule to Tracks. I would hate for Indy to go mainly because of it's importance to Auto Racing but at the same time, I would understand why.
 
Indy gets good TV ratings in comparison to the other tracks, it isn't going anywhere from that standpoint. The track is designed for open wheelers and it is almost their only source of big money income, it's lousy for Nascar's, the track needs to change..it won't, or the cars do. they are working on it.
 
Indy has continually balked at any changes suggested. It works good for open wheeled sucker cars. I can't blame them any changes could queer their open wheel audience, but it doesn't do the Nascars any good.
 
IMS is the closest track to where I live so we have gone 3 times with the kids to watch the race. They literally give tickets away and no one shows up. We take our 6 kids and get in for about $120 total. They have a package where you get 4 kids in free with an adult purchase so me and the wife buy our tix and the rest get in free. I would be stunned if there were 20K there last year...I have no clue what the announced attendance was but you never even had to wait in a beer line...walk up and buy your beer and go back to your seat. I've seen more people at Ohio High School football games.
 
Corey Mason said:
I have a fear that the only thing that would even slightly keep Indy on the 2020 schedule is the fact that it is Indy. It's possible NASCAR will be pressured to make a huge schedule change especially since their TV deal runs out about the same time, correct? If not then close to it. I feel BIG changes are coming in some way come 2020 from Sponsor to TV to Schedule to Tracks. I would hate for Indy to go mainly because of it's importance to Auto Racing but at the same time, I would understand why.
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The TV deal runs through 2024.
 
yeah hardly any side by sides going on unless it is a restart, very little passing after they get strung out. They can't do what the Indycars do there.
 
MRM said:
I am familiar with USAC. USAC sanctioned the Indy 500 before CART was formed. USAC even had their won stock car series, some NASCAR drivers used to race in it a few times a year when they condensed the schedule to 30 races or so.
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CART never sanctioned the Indy 500. Although the result always counted in the CART standings save a couple years in the '80s, the Indy 500 was a USAC event until the IRL removed USAC as its sanctioning body in 1997.

As far as changes. They pretty much have to keep the distinct 4 corners to keep speeds down for the Indycars. Lights gets mentioned from time to time and I always roll my eyes at that - it doesn't get dark until 9:30 to 10 at night in the summer, so they'd be hardly used. They did move the race out of the sweltering summer, so that's a positive.

The one thing I'll say is it's the event on the schedule where the NASCAR race is the #2 event on the schedule. In the late '90s, that was not the case. It's on NASCAR to have the best-possible product

Charlie Spencer said:
NASCAR and all tracks stopped releasing attendance numbers several years ago.
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Indy has never released attendance numbers. Even in the '80s when 500 attendance was booming.
 
StandOnIt said:
yeah hardly any side by sides going on unless it is a restart, very little passing after they get strung out. They can't do what the Indycars do there.
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That’s because Indycars get a slipstream at that track. That’s why the brake ducts and extended spoiler are needed, so you can get somewhat of a draft
 
Privateer said:
Indy has never released attendance numbers. Even in the '80s when 500 attendance was booming.
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Yeah, but it was easier to do a guesstimate when the seating capacity was known and all the seats were full. It's tough these days to figure out what percentage of the seats are occupied, but IMS obviously doesn't bother trying to sell tickets for all grandstands.
 
Charlie Spencer said:
Yeah, but it was easier to do a guesstimate when the seating capacity was known and all the seats were full. It's tough these days to figure out what percentage of the seats are occupied, but IMS obviously doesn't bother trying to sell tickets for all grandstands.
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They didn't release "official: attendance figures but the crowd was often unofficially announced by TV as close to 500,000 in the late 80's, early 90's.
 
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