INDIANAPOLIS (AP) – The once-frozen schism between the two largest racing series in the United States has finally unfrozen and the result is a highly successful event at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, even without fans.
The NASCAR Elite Cup Series will share a spot with IndyCar the same weekend for the first time, a double game conveniently forced by the hectic rescheduling required by the coronavirus pandemic. Still, it is an important step in presenting a united front for motorsport.
“We are all runners. We want the races to be successful, ”said Kevin Harvick, the current NASCAR points leader and winner at the Brickyard last year. “I know he has had that stigma for several years, there are the IndyCar boys and the NASCAR boys … the racers are racers.” Everyone wants to see a good race and be part of a great event. “
The split between the two leagues dates back to at least 1954 when NASCAR founder Bill France Sr. allegedly told IMS security that he had been ordered to leave the highway. France was already working on its own great race track, Daytona International Speedway, and promised that it would give Indianapolis a run for its money.
The battle was ongoing and neither side had any desire to build a working relationship. IndyCar, called CART at its peak, dwarfed the southern stock car series. But open wheel racing split in the mid-1990s, when Tony George created his own series gave NASCAR a chance to capitalize when CART and the Indy Racing League fractured their base. NASCAR exploded in popularity and surpassed its bitter rival as the place to compete.
As the years passed and NASCAR became an annual staple in Indinapolis, the relationship between the two series has improved. Jay Frye, who spent decades working in NASCAR, is now President of IndyCar. Steve Phelps, just the fifth president in NASCAR history, has never had a long-standing revenge against the series.
Most importantly, though, motorsport titan Roger Penske now owns IndyCar and the race track and has the juice to negotiate that weekend. When the coronavirus pandemic opened holes in both series’ schedules, Penske dropped the IndyCar road race originally scheduled for May on the weekend shared with NASCAR.
IndyCar will open the show on Saturday with its second event of the season, then NASCAR’s second-tier Xfinity Series will make its debut later that day on the same circuit. The Series Cup runs Sunday in the 2.5-mile oval. The COVID-19 restrictions mean that IndyCar and NASCAR teams and drivers will not mix, will use different entry points on the race track, and will work from different garages.
The inability to open doors to viewers is the only downside to what is a monumental moment for both series.
“For me, that’s the unfortunate part, we have no fans here,” Penske said. “But I went to see Jim France and Steve Phelps and I said, ‘Look, the Brickyard couldn’t be what they expected, and now that we run the series and the circuit, we can make the decisions and we can get it done and it will be good. for all ‘”.
This new pairing could ultimately pave the way for an entire industry struggling for attendance, TV ratings, and sponsorship. NBC Sports is the streaming partner for IndyCar and begins its part of the NASCAR season this weekend. Sam Flood, executive producer and president of production, has tried to steer clear of face-to-face programming that forced viewers to choose which breed to watch.
“We think it’s a really important crossover for people to watch races … for people to try different series, and you not only have to be a fan of NASCAR, you have to be a fan of racing,” Flood said. “I think this is a great celebration of motorsports. Interest in motorsports is high. We just need people to see ways to compete with each other and grow the overall group of racing fans.”
“And that is why this is so valuable, and that is why we are so fortunate that Roger entered here.”
There are no drivers scheduled to compete in both series, but NBC Sports Townsend Bell analyst will call the IndyCar race and then fly to Daytona to compete in the IMSA sports event. Seven-time NASCAR champion Jimmie Johnson plans to drive the car for five-time IndyCar champion Scott Dixon in an on-circuit test next week.
Both IndyCar and the Cup Series will work from garages once used by Formula One, and the NASCAR group cannot even enter the facility until IndyCar has cleared. It means that drivers cannot socialize as originally envisioned on a weekend like this, and they will have to watch the other series on television.
“I don’t think I can see the race. I wish I could have. This is the situation we are in, ”said Simon Pagenaud, winner of both the road race and the Indianapolis 500 race last year. He indicated that IndyCar will leave the circuit grounds before the Xfinity series turns green.
“At the end of the day, it is a historic moment, I think not only for American races but also for world races. I look forward to the weekend and seeing the reaction later. ”
