There is a different vibe around the Indianapolis Motor Speedway this weekend. NASCAR has returned to the hallowed grounds but with a significant twist for the weekend. After 27 years of running on the 2.5-mile oval, the drivers and teams in the Cup Series will be presented with a new challenge.
The 2.439-mile road course was used by the Xfinity Series last year for the first time, and the hope is for the same this weekend with both series. The Brickyard 400 has been perceived as a race with not much passing or action in general. The crowds have reflected that but that isn’t expected to change this weekend. The racing, on the other hand, should.
Labeling the move to the road course as a “fix” would be premature. Simply providing more on-track action is not a cure-all by any means. At some point, prestige and tradition must factor into the equation. The drivers tend to agree with that sentiment.
Kevin Harvick is a three-time Brickyard 400 winner and has quietly been one of the most dominant NASCAR drivers to cross the yard of bricks. Among active drivers, Harvick has the most wins, top-fives, top-tens, poles, laps led, and laps completed. The Stewart-Haas driver ranks inside the top three in virtually every statistical category in the history of the event. His opinion on this subject holds high value and is echoed by his fellow veteran drivers.
Kyle Busch won the Brickyard 400 in back-to-back years and also has two runner-up finishes at the Speedway. On the all-time laps led list, his 324 laps led around the famed oval trail only Jeff Gordon and Harvick. Kyle’s feelings on the subject were direct and crystal clear. “Indy is the oval,” he said. “That’s what makes the allure of Indy, and that’s the prestige of the place and being around since 1900. I don’t view this as Indy.”
Several of the veteran drivers referenced watching the Indianapolis 500 growing up, and how that made it such a special place for them to race. Austin Dillon admitted that he was feeling disappointed that they won’t be racing on the oval. Aric Almirola said that he was sad about it. Denny Hamlin summed it up nicely, saying that NASCAR has lost a crown jewel. These are drivers that have never won the Brickyard 400, and fear they may never have that opportunity again.
Drivers that have kissed the bricks, like Harvick, Busch, and Brad Keselowski, all feel the same way about the change. Another guy that has tasted victory at IMS is Ryan Newman. Being a Hoosier, his love and passion for the Speedway go even further. The driver from South Bend was asked about his thoughts on the transition.
“I would much rather be on the oval,” Newman said with a grin. “I’m a traditionalist, I love the history of the bricks and the brickyard. Deep down, if I had a vote and raised my hand, I would raise my hand for the oval and not the road course. But it is what it is. Traditions do come to an end and it’s a new situation and new scenario. Another opportunity to put your name in the record books, albeit crossing the yard of bricks in the opposite direction.”
Newman said his 2013 Brickyard 400 win was bittersweet, as he had just received the notice that he would not be returning to Stewart Haas Racing the next year. Fueled with motivation, he went out and qualified on pole and led 45 laps on his way to victory.
It has been a full calendar year since the decision was made. Roger Penske has not wavered in his belief that this is what needs to be done. The Captain is fully invested in NASCAR and IMS, and like Midas, what he touches generally tends to turn to gold. The trust and respect for Roger are ever-present, but the buzz surrounding the Verizon 200 at the Brickyard simply hasn’t been. That could easily change once the cars hit the track on Sunday.
“Change is important today,” Penske stated. “I think if we are doing the same thing we’ve always done you’re going to lose, and to me, this is an opportunity. This doesn’t mean we can’t pivot and go back to the oval at some point.”
Doing away with a crown jewel race is never good, but sometimes taking a chance on a new idea can create something unique. If this pandemic has taught us anything, it is that we should be open to exploring new ideas and new opportunities. NASCAR has certainly been willing to do that over these past two years, which has been a breath of fresh air. No one knows how this race will play out, which is part of the excitement.
Embracing change can be a challenge, but should not be something to fear. Penske has reiterated that the Brickyard 400 is not dead. They want to see how the event goes and are open to switching back to the oval at some point if they feel that is the right direction to go. It may not be the race that everyone fell in love with during the ‘90s but it is still worth trying.
A handful of drivers have raised the question if both races could be run during the season, instead of choosing one over the other. This is a similar situation to what INDYCAR has done. Obviously, the Indianapolis 500 will never be replaced, but the series did finally add a road course race to their calendar in 2014. Fans, teams, and drivers all had mixed feelings about running another race at the Speedway, but ultimately there were no issues. The 500 was not diminished and it served its purpose on the schedule. It can be done, but the NASCAR schedule is already busting at the seams.
People change, ideas change, and so do our feelings about certain things. There were plenty of race fans that were outraged when NASCAR first tested at IMS in 1993. They were even more disgruntled when the announcement was made that they would be racing here. When Jeff Gordon took the checkered flag in 1994, most of those same people had a change of heart. As the years went by, the race grew on them and it became a monumental hit.
Drivers likely won’t change their tune after Sunday’s race, but they will all still be motivated to accomplish the same goal – celebrating in victory lane at Indianapolis. “A win at Indy is a win at Indy,” said AJ Allmendinger. “And when you go win there, you still get to kiss the bricks.”
The history books will still add another name. There will still be a paycheck and points awarded. There will still be bricks that need to be kissed. They just might taste a little different this time.
