NASCAR and the Indy 500

[slompappy]

So I've read a few comments on other internet sites that stated that the persons who made the comments believed that The 500 Mile Race would be a stop on NASCAR's schedule and become a stock car race sometime in the very near future...

First vote on how realistic do you believe this possibility to be and second comment on how you would react if it did ever happen

Im voting 0% chance...I just can't accept that it is a real possibility...and if it every did that would be my very last visit to the ole Brickyard....it would kill me but that's the way I would handle it

[millrace]

Not going to happen.

[MikeyHooligan]

Whoa. Don't know if this is even worth responding to, but here goes.

If IndyCar were to ever close shop and NASCAR was to come in and purchase the rights to the Indy 500 (and that's a HUUUUUUUUGE "if,"), I highly doubt they'd turn it into a stock car race. What would be the point? They already have the Brickyard 400, which isn't nearly the draw that it once was. Would adding another 100 miles to the race and calling it the "Indianapolis 500" (but with stock cars) really increase the attendance? I certainly don't think so.

Let's pretend that NASCAR does purchase the rights to the 500 (BTW, I think I just vomited in my mouth after typing that). I can see them keeping the Indy 500 as once-a-year open wheel race, but opening it up to different engine manufacturers, chassis types, etc. With their marketing power, I imagine they could easily capitalize on the Indy 500 brand. They'd be nuts to turn it into a stock car race, and as much as I despise NASCAR I think they're smart enough (ugh, more vomit) to see that the Indy 500 brand is strong as-is.

[lotuspoweredbyford]

This "rumor" comes around every year, it's simply ridiculous.

Why would NASCAR tick off ANOTHER one of their traditional venues (Charlotte) to go a track where attendance for the NASCAR race has been a problem recently (Brickyard 400).

It makes no sense, just the usual Chicken Little "scare tactics" stuff.

You can't just invent tradition, and taking the 500 and turning it into a NASCAR race isn't gonna happen.

NASCAR has their own signature event the same weekend. File this under, not gonna happen.

[Sea Fury]

That is the ONE THING that would cause me to never, ever watch the race again.

NASCAR is to racing what Twilight is to vampires.

[TimmyZ1]

A. It will never happen
B. I could have sworn I read it somewhere that Richard Petty was the original origin of this story.

[Todd Gack]

Its more likely we end up seeing the NASCAR Indy Car Series at some point, then we ever see a NASCAR Stock Car Indy 500.

Not real likely, but much more likely then ever seeing a stock car Indy 500.

And as this sport continues to go nowhere, the last option left before the eventual death could be NASCAR. Whether some of you like it or not.

[KevMcNJ]

h

[Buckeye Bullitt 93]

33 sparkling Silver Crown cars before Nascar...

[Doctorindy]

Amazingly dumb and ignorant rumor that gets circulated around every once and a while. The Indy 500 will live on for decades, even if the series around it falls....if the 500 could survive 1996-2007 without NASCAR, they can darn near survive anything. It would be a one-off event...there are enough "Indy style" chassis around (old ones and new ones) to grandfather in a field of 33 annually. Even if they had to fill it with DP-01s, DW-12s, IR5s, March 86C's, and the prototype D*l**wing, they could scrounge up 33 machines.

Frankly NASCAR would be the dagger that killed it. The BY400 is barely the worst race on the schedule as it is.

When the Rolex 24 sunk to obscurity, we didn't hear about it becoming a 24-hour NASCAR race.

[nascarnation]

You left out the part about how they're going to "Homesteadize" the track making it a high banked oval for better stock car suitability......

[THIRD TURN]

Why would they make it a Nascar race when the 500 outdraws the 400 now?

[Turn13]

I heard they're gonna make the Brickyard 400 a street race.

[Z28]

Super Bowl Sunday is going to be a soccer game, just you wait for the rumor and you'll be the chump to believe it.

[TexManZero]

As long as there is a series, the Indy 500 will have open wheel cars. Now, if some get their wish and the race becomes a one-off special...

[pumpman]

Nascar has its own issues to worry about. If the cup series ever fielded the cars for a pretend Indy 500 the place would be pretty empty. Look at the BY400, its gone they way of Bristol.

[indyracefan]

No.

[comfortably numb]

I just wanted to point out that I didn't make this poll.

[mdkiel]

33 sparkling Silver Crown cars before Nascar...

[Captain Spyro]

It is possible, but if anything, NASCAR would purchase the right and end the race period before that would ever run it, effectively killing the most popular non-NASCAR race.

[KenK]

I first heard this rumor about 35 years ago!

If it hasn't happend by now it never will.