Backseat Blonde - Indy on My Mind- NASCAR

August 6, 2004

Indy on My Mind
By Allison Wagda

Indianapolis Motor Speedway is a place of legends.
Since 1909, the track affectionately known as the
Brickyard has hosted some of the most engaging races
in racing history. This weekend, Indy features the 11th
annual Brickyard 400 NASCAR Nextel Cup race.

Exactly a decade ago today on August 6, 1994, NASCAR
invaded Indianapolis for the first time. Suddenly, the Cup series had another race on
the schedule that meant far more to drivers than a simple trophy. Next to the Daytona
500, the Brickyard 400 is the most coveted race on the Cup circuit. A kiss of the
bricks awaits the victor, and how sweet a kiss it is.

Jeff Gordon won the inaugural race, and is the current record holder with three
victories. Dale Jarrett is the only other Cup competitor in history with multiple wins
(two) at Indy. Kevin Harvick is the reigning Brickyard 400 champ heading into the
weekend.

Tuesday, several top NASCAR drivers expressed their awe at Indy and their
excitement at returning to the venerable track. Jarrett hopes to re-energize his
season and tie Jeff Gordon for the record. He’s currently on the cusp of qualifying for
the new Chase for the Championship playoffs, now only seven races away, and Indy
could be the spot for his team’s rejuvenation.

Jimmie Johnson, the current point’s leader, is also looking forward to the race this
weekend. He’ll be breaking in a brand new car, tested only a week ago…15 laps at
Kentucky. Prior to this year’s successes at Pocono, Johnson hadn’t considered flat
tracks his strong suit. But this year, while discussing the first time he ever drove Indy,
he said he’s charged up for the race.

“When I was there in my rookie season, everybody talked about the walk through
Gasoline Alley, and I wanted to save (the experience) and have a little different point
of view,” said Johnson. “I waited to go underneath the Gasoline Alley sign until I was
in a race car. And the first time I saw the front stretch was at speed. I rounded Turn 4
and looked down the tunnel of grandstands and pit road…it was a pretty cool
experience.”

Rookie Brian Vickers will soon make that same turn for the first time during a race
this weekend. He’s been in Victory Lane at nearby Indianapolis Raceway Park when
he won his first Busch race. And although he tested at Indy a few weeks ago, he’s yet
to barrel through with thousands of fans surrounding him.

“I’ve been there many times throughout my childhood as a spectator,” said Vickers.
“But to be in a car going down that front stretch (during the test) with the grandstands
on both sides it was just…there aren’t any words to describe the feeling.” Wait until
the fans are in the stands, Brian.

NASCAR may be relatively new to Indy, but many Cup drivers are veterans of the old
track. Robby Gordon and Tony Stewart have both competed in open-wheel cars.
Every year, fans watch Gordon attempt a double feature by driving the Indianapolis
500, then board a plane for Charlotte and the Coca-Cola 600 at Lowes Motor
Speedway. This past May, Stewart sat waiting in an IRL car hoping for the approval to
race at the last minute (he was denied).

Many NASCAR drivers remark fondly upon open-wheel racing, which has suffered in
fan popularity ever since the main series split into the Indy Racing League and the
CART series. CART is no more, and talks are rumored to be under way for a
reunification of U.S. open-wheel racing.

If it happens, it could spell trouble for NASCAR. NASCAR is already facing a fan revolt
over a seemingly endless stream of changes to the sport, including the hotly
debated Chase. Late next year, NASCAR is expected to phase in a new “car of the
future,” a bulky, heavy car designed to reduce current speeds and improve safety and
the so-called quality of racing. But to many fans, racing is inexorably linked to speed,
and these folks may find a more thrilling home in IRL or Formula One racing - where
speeds often top 200 mph.

But for a few days this weekend, open-wheel racing will have no place at the
Brickyard. It’ll be all NASCAR, all the time. And the track originally built before World
War I with crushed stone and tar (shortly thereafter it was paved entirely with bricks
due to accidents) will once again be in the spotlight.

Said Vickers, “It has some of the best events in the country as far as racing’s
concerned…the Indy 500 and the Grand Prix race. It’s just an amazing place.”

Interesting IRL Note: Earlier this week, the IRL announced its return to Sears Point’s
Infineon Raceway next season, the first time in 35 years and Indy cars will grace
Sonoma’s windy curves.

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