The Problem With NASCAR at Indy

Indianapolis Motor Speedway is one of the crown jewels of motorsports. When the speedway finally decided to let stock cars rumble around the 2.5-mile track, it was received with shouts of joy. NASCAR was the hottest form of motorsports on the planet and people came in bunches to see the action. That’s not the case anymore. Saturday’s Nationwide Series race showed stands that looked nearly empty. Sunday’s Sprint Cup crowd was much better, but still there were a lot of empty stands. To be fair, the fact that there are so many stands there makes any venue look empty, but there has to be a reason why people just don’t attending NASCAR races at the track.

The Brickyard has a published capacity of 257,000 seats. Not all those seats were full for the Indianapolis 500, but the attendance was good. Since the track, like most race tracks around the country, doesn’t release attendance figures, only track management knows for sure how many were there. One thing is certain, though. Television ratings dropped about 8% in 2013. That’s a huge drop for what everyone calls the “greatest spectacle in motorsports.” `

When the stock cars come to town the attendance drop has been dramatic. The first Sprint Cup race at the Brickyard in 1994 had an estimated attendance of 270,000. Experts say that the attendance in 2012 was less than or close to 100,000. Television ratings have dropped significantly, too. Like many NASCAR tracks, attendance is a problem. Daytona International Speedway is removing stands. Bristol Motor Speedway is almost begging fans to attend the night race – a race that was once known as the toughest ticket in racing. Why?

The common excuse for the decline is the economy. Certainly, that is one factor, but the problem goes deeper. Many cite the 2008 race where tire problems caused competitors to pit for tires every few laps. Yet others complained about the sweltering summer heat at the track. All these are factors, but there one more factor.

Watching Sunday’s 2014 Brickyard 400, I saw domination. Jimmie Johnson and Ryan Newman had no peers. That often is the case at IMS. Drivers tell me you either hit the setup or miss it. Apparently, many missed it. Those of us who love racing and have for decades, tend to look at what is going on behind the leaders. We saw some good racing back there including four-wide passes, but the casual fan, especially those who only root for a specific driver, didn’t have much to watch. Johnson and Newman had the field covered. The problem is the state of competition. The Indy 500 was a robust race with lead changes and a favorite winning the 500. NASCAR offers domination from one manufacturer and one organization. Even the talking heads at ESPN predicted who would dominate. They missed the winner, but got the organization right. Of course, that has been the case throughout 2013. You can blame the sanctioning body all you want, but the real blame belongs on the racing teams themselves.

That has nothing to do with this historic track. Maybe it was never meant for stock cars to run at the Brickyard. In 1994, many shuddered at the thought that IMS would allow anything but open wheel cars to run there. It was against history. But the stock cars came anyway. The unfortunate part is that nobody seems to care anymore. It’s a sad situation, but it is real. Despite the runaway nature of Sunday’s race, it was special like any event at Indianapolis. It seems this problem has the same problem as all NASCAR tracks do. It costs too much, it’s cooler in the family room with the big screen television, and the same guys win every week. Tackling that list of problems might take a while.