For 27 years, the Cup Series competed at Indianapolis Motor Speedway with its annual Brickyard 400. All 27 races have been conducted exclusively on the traditional 2.5 mile oval of the track.
But after Saturday’s Xfinity Series race on the 2.4-mile, 14-lane track, an obvious question has been raised:
Should the Brickyard 400 remain in the oval, where passage is made difficult due to a combination of the rule pack and track design, or should it be considered moving it to the course?
“I would never vote for that,” Kevin Harvick said last week before winning his third Brickyard 400 on Sunday. “I love everything about Indianapolis Motor Speedway. For me it’s all about the oval … running on the traditional track because for me I’m a bit of an old school and I think the Cup cars belong and really started the Brickyard 400.
“That was what it should always be, that iconic event, just the Cup car event. I think with Xfinity cars and trucks and cars (ARCA Menards) and all the things that used to compete in the IRP (Indianapolis Raceway Park), it was a great event. Hopefully the road course can take on the role that IRP used to have and be able to unite Indy and NASCAR cars to add to that event at Speedway. For me personally, I would never vote for the Cup cars not to run in the oval. “
Harvick is joined in that camp by teammate Stewart-Haas Racing, Aric Almirola, who finished third in Sunday’s race for his first Top 5 and Top 10 at Indy.
“I hope we never stop running the oval,” said Almirola. “I think it is one of these places that, regardless of whether it is the best race or not, is historic.” It is just a special place. It is difficult to explain when you do not grow as a pilot and do not aspire to race in Indy.
“But for me, I grew up watching stock car racing and sprint car racing. I grew up watching Thursday Night Thunder, watching so many guys go from USAC races and sprint races to Indy races. It is something that I have always stayed with, I always dreamed of having the opportunity to compete here. I have that opportunity now.
Matt Kenseth, who finished the second Sunday in his 20th Brickyard 400, said the Cup Series “should be” in the oval. But the Chip Ganassi Racing driver is open to the idea of Cup using the circuit in some way.
“I think it’s one of those racetracks where we have to run as much as we can,” Kenseth said of the oval. “Arguably it is the most famous race track in the world, or one of them.
“In order to compete in ovals with Cup cars, which is the highest form of stock car racing here, we should also be on the big track. I don’t think it’s bad to try the racetrack and analyze it, maybe do a second race on a racetrack, kind of like the IndyCars did this week.
“I really think the Brickyard 400 has a lot of prestige. It is not a southern race, but similar to the Southern 500, races like that. I think there are some of those races that you would surely hate to see disappear. ”
