The Brickyard is Coming

[Jack Harrington]

And MY HEART nothing else tells me Smoke is gonna' gig 'em !!!!

[Liz]

Well, he does seem to favor odd numbered years.

[f1_indy2000]

it will be interesting to see. Anyone else wish the race was on Saturday like it use to be? Was there a reason why it was moved to sunday and a reason why it didn't go back to a saturday race? I thought it was better to have sunday to rest from being at the track on saturday. Now I have to take Mondays after the brickyard off, HA

[midtown]

it will be interesting to see. Anyone else wish the race was on Saturday like it use to be? Was there a reason why it was moved to sunday and a reason why it didn't go back to a saturday race? I thought it was better to have sunday to rest from being at the track on saturday. Now I have to take Mondays after the brickyard off, HA

I think the then new TV contract had alot to do with the race being moved to Sunday years ago.

[Doctorindy]

In the first year, ABC wanted the race at 1 pm EDT on Saturday because they considered it such a 'huge' event that if it rained they wanted a built-in rain date. The only time it rained was 1995 (and they still got it in on Saturday).

It really was a rather odd situation, and probably some overreacting by the suits. It created a logistical mess for the whole weekend. IRP wanted Saturday night back for the Busch Series...and wanted Friday night for the Trucks. Instead, they had to have Busch on Friday, and Trucks on Wednesday IIRC. Hardly anybody was in town for those two races. Plus BY pole quals was on Thursday...now they can do it Saturday.


When NBC's contract came in for 2001, they moved it to 2 pm on Sunday. They wanted better TV numbers, and generally, they did improve. It also helped events throughout the weekend. People stay longer when they have all day Sat. and Sun....better for the local economy.