How Important is Indy to NASCAR?
Dale Jr & Girlfriend Amy Reinman | Photo
How Important is Indy to NASCAR?
Some people claim The Brickyard 400 at Indy is one of the biggest races in NASCAR – 2nd to the Daytona 500. The track carries a lot of prestige – but it’s not a more important race than the 600 at Charlotte or the Southern 500 at Darlington.
The Bristol night race and the July race at Daytona also rank ahead of the Indy race.
Talladega is also more important than Indy.
It’s not that Indy is unimportant to NASCAR – it’s a big deal that NASCAR is racing there. There are just a lot more important races than Indy.
Dale Jr on Indy
As Dale Earnhardt Jr and Kyle Busch prepare for the Allstate 400 at the Brickyard the drivers summed up what they thought about the Indianapolis Motor Speedway – and what it would mean to get a win there.
“Flat tracks are always the toughest for me,†said Dale Earnhardt Jr. “At the flat tracks, the middle is the toughest part. The corners at Indy are like 90-degree corners. We don’t run on any other track that’s like this, so it’s a real challenge knowing what you need your car to be doing to go fast. It’s fun. It’s a great racetrack. I like it. I enjoy it. But it can be frustrating. It’s really, really hard to pass.”
Earnhardt recalled his first trip to the Brickyard. “Going there the first time and running up front. I started the race in the top 10 and was running with the leaders for a little bit. My dad had this old crazy setup from years ago in his car. I drove it some, and I was like, ‘Man, this thing drives totally different than anything I ever drove before.’ But I was going to stick with what I was driving because it was the talk of the garage — the style, the setup we were running. About 100 laps into the race, we’re running good, and Daddy’s running like 10th. Then with 50 to go, he drove right past me as we got real tight. His old race car — with the tiny sway bar and all these old-school springs — was still turning and rolling through the corner. I thought that was pretty neat.”
Brickyard Tire Issues
Tires are the biggest issues on everyone’s mind as the race approaches. Last year’s race at Indy was a fiasco with NASCAR throwing cautions every 10 laps to allow teams to replace tires that were worn to the cords. “I think Goodyear has gone to test there like six times or more since last season,†said Dale Earnhardt Jr crew chief Lance McGrew. “I believe Jeff was pretty happy. They were able to run 30 green-flag laps without issue, even with a smaller car count where they only take four or five cars to the track. So, hopefully all that tire stuff’s over. It looks really good so far. Jeff doesn’t seem to think there’s going to be any kind of problem. So the more cars that are there, the better that will get.”
Kyle Busch says Indy is Tough
“It’s a very difficult track to master, said Busch. “I’m not even sure that I’ve done it. Just racing the races that I’ve run there, I’ve finished well a couple of times. I think I’ve had a seventh and a 10th, and a fourth. To me, it has been one of those racetracks that is very unforgiving. It’s narrow, tight, not a lot of passing goes on there. It’s tough to get your car set up perfectly there, so you have to do what you can to make it the best you can. All four corners being so different, remembering exactly how to drive all four of them, and just trying to be able to be able to qualify up front and to race up front is so important there.â€
So where do you think Indy ranks in NASCAR?
Comments
9 Comments on How Important is Indy to NASCAR?
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marcel on
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marcel on
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Goldie on
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mamadew88 on
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harry kimmey on
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NASCAR FAN? on
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harry kimmey on
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Marc Barry on
Everything is tough for JR. He is becoming a fast looser overall. Quite racing and buy a time if you want to be remembered. You are done racing to win.
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I forgot to mention Indy. It’s a good race because it is so different from other tracks, plus I think it draws a good crowd to the track and on TV.
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as far as Indy’s racetrack is concerned, I could care less if NASCAR races there or not. It was not built for stock cars. It’s flat and really doesn’t excite me even when the little bumblebee cars are buzzing around. Now, Marcel, don’t give up on Jr. quite yet. He can still bring himself out of this slump. just give him time to prove it. How many other drivers have gone a long time without winning and then surprised all of us?
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I never did too excited about Indy and never will. I can take it or leave it !!!!
Marcel….Junior is NOT a quitter and we all have our ups and downs in life. My advise to you is “GET A LIFE” and let others live theirs !!!
Keep to the subject at hand…INDY !!!!
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i’ve never got excited about indy, and if all would shut up about jr. he would do better if not so be it. lets talk about how much j.m. will get from nascar screw up. also leave kyle alone he lives to hear the fans run him down, the boy and m/m loves the fans to raise hell, i still eat m/m and drive a cat. good old gm.
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CAN’T WAIT FOR THE 2010 SEASON TO START. WE ARE GOING TO SEE A LOT OF SURPRISES AND CHANGES. “IF YOU CAN DO BETTER THEN GOOD IS NOT ENOUGH” AMEN
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I TOLD ALL WHAT GOES ARROUND COMES ARROUND, I SAID THIS ABOUT KYLE. I DON’T THINK HIS BAD LUCK IS OVER YET AT ALL. HE WILL EITHER CHANGE OR HE HIMSELF WILL DESTROY HIMSELF. ONE CAN ONLY HOPE HE BECOMES A BETTER PERSON. HE CAN DRIVE A RACE CAR,OR ABOUT ANYTHING ON WHEELS,IT TAKES MORE THAN THAT IN NASCAR TO MAKE IT TODAY. I’M STILL ON MAYFIELD SIDE, AND I KNOW BIG MONEY TALKS.
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I agree with one of the other comments; I am not a fan of Indy.
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I think Indy is important to NASCAR, because it marks the beginning of NASCAR’s take over of the major league racing market from Indy cars. The NASCAR purists will always prefer the more traditional venues, but the Indy race symbolizes NASCAR as the leader in professional motor sports.
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