NASCAR's Twist On A Classic Course

By Bob Pockrass

It seems so easy.

If the Xfinity Series race this Saturday at Indianapolis Motor Speedway — the first time ever NASCAR will use the road course at the iconic track — is a success, then the NASCAR Cup Series should have its race moved to the road course in future seasons.

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Right? Ever since NASCAR ran its first Brickyard 400 in 1994, there have been questions on the quality of racing that stock cars could have on a narrow rectangular circuit like at Indy.

This would seem to be a solution. But like many things in NASCAR, it's not as clear as it seems.

Change, in this instance, would be simple in reality and functionality, but difficult for many to stomach. It would be admitting defeat at a track that NASCAR drivers had yearned to race at for decades, at a time when the road course didn’t even exist.

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Over the first decade or so, it didn’t matter too much, as fans flocked to see the most popular motorsport series in the United States. And NASCAR drivers could proudly answer questions from non-race fans that they do race at Indy, just not the Indianapolis 500.

But attendance has plummeted, especially since the tire debacle in 2008 where NASCAR had to throw the caution every 10 to 12 laps so teams could change tires without them coming apart.

The races haven’t been the most stellar, with many of the dramatics coming on restarts and drivers crashing when making bold moves in trying to gain that elusive spot on a track notoriously hard for them to pass.

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So the Xfinity Series has attempted a few races with restrictor plates to create a more Daytona and Talladega-style drafting dynamic.

It has had mixed results, and after Roger Penske bought the track earlier this year, he convinced NASCAR to let the Xfinity Series drivers compete on the 14-turn, 2.41-mile road course.

But the possibility of Cup on the road course? There is something about that thought that just doesn’t seem to sit well, especially with veterans who have been very open-minded about other change in the sport.

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Said Dale Earnhardt Jr.: “The Cup Series obviously would love to succeed and be productive on the oval, and I think that’s everybody’s wish. And there’s a lot of things up in the air going forward.

"I don’t think that we’ve had enough of a sample size with the current rules package, and then we have the new car coming down the road, as well. So there’s a couple reasons why I think committing to the oval is a reasonable decision for the Cup Series.

"But I think this is a great opportunity to really see what stock cars on the road course would look like in the Xfinity Series, and I expect it to be pretty entertaining.”

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Earnhardt Jr. elaborated on his podcast this week, saying that while he'd be excited about the idea of a Cup Series race on the road course as a spectator, it's not something he would have wanted to do as a driver.

“I like the idea because the IndyCar oval is — that belongs to IndyCar, that belongs to open-wheel, that belongs to the legends of [A.J.] Foyt and [Mario] Andretti. We are merely just guests — I’ve always said that. That’s what it’s felt like."

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Kevin Harvick added: “I would never vote for that, because I love everything about the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. I am kind of old school, and I think that the Cup cars belong and really started the Brickyard 400.

"That was kind of what it was always meant to be — that iconic, one-off, just the Cup cars event.”

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And Brad Keselowski agreed: “The oval is always going to be a little more special than the road course, and I would hate to get away from that.

"I would prefer to see us find the rules package that allows us put on a show that’s as compelling as the IndyCar race is to where no one really wants to see us go to the road course.”

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But if NASCAR hasn’t been able to get it right at the track over 28 years, what could change? Well, the cars will change in 2022 with the NextGen car.

“I know after over 20 years, it’s hard to say we need more time, but with the new changes coming with the new car, as Jr. said, this aero package at last year’s race was entertaining,” said former Cup driver Jeff Burton, who along with Earnhardt will call the race for NBC.

“I think we still need more time. I think an effort to get the oval to work for NASCAR, I think that’s where — as far as the Cup Series — I think that’s probably where the emphasis should go.”

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Here’s an idea: How about both? The NextGen car will feature composite bodies and theoretically could be used on both ovals and road courses.

At least one driver doesn’t see that as crazy.

“I see those cars ... where they’re able to adapt to any circumstances (like) a street course, road course, or oval,” Kurt Busch said. “The way that I’ve looked at it and they way they’re assembled, things can be changed out pretty quick.

“So you could almost hammer out a road course on a Saturday and an oval on a Sunday with the same cars.”