With NASCAR's Brickyard 400 "floundering" with its mid-July date at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, it was "time to try something new" by moving the Monster Energy Cup Series race to the second weekend in September beginning next year, according to Jim Ayello of the INDIANAPOLIS STAR. In recent years, "excitement over a race many still consider one of NASCAR's crown jewels has evaporated." A race that "used to draw 200,000-plus fans has now seen its numbers dwindle to a fraction of that." IMS President Doug Boles called the date change a "complete reset." Boles: "To think we’re going to sell out the Brickyard 400 really is a fiction. I don’t think any of us really believe that’s what we’re trying to do. What we are trying to do is to make sure we have a healthy Brickyard 400 that can go into the future." Boles said that there was "little hope of reinvigorating the race in July," but in September, IMS can "promote the race in a whole new way." He said, "The biggest complaint we hear from fans is that it's just too hot in July." However, Ayello noted one "big problem" with having a race on the second Sunday of September is that it "collides with Week 1 of the NFL season." Boles: "For sure we’re concerned about bumping up against the Colts." But he added, "We can promote together. ... There are far more advantages to racing in September than the big offset of running into the Colts." Looking at this weekend's event, the outlook "isn't great." Boles on Wednesday said that ticket sales are "'flat' compared to last year's lackluster crowd." The Brickyard "might take another one on the chin this weekend, but perhaps this will be the final year for that narrative." Boles: "We're confident we can turn this around. Long term, this is what the race needed. It's a complete reset and a brand new Brickyard 400" (INDIANAPOLIS STAR, 7/20).
DOG DAYS OF SUMMER: An ESPN.com NASCAR roundtable addressed the future of the Brickyard 400. Ricky Craven noted the race is "too important to be stuck in the middle of the summer, and it being the final regular-season race" in '18 will "prove very, very healthy." Ryan McGee: "Maybe the September move will work. If nothing else, it should be a little cooler for the fans who do show up." Bob Pockrass noted NASCAR "faces an uphill battle at Indy, one that certainly won't go away if NASCAR and the track make the foolish decision to use the Indy road course starting" in '19. Matt Willis noted it is "important for NASCAR to be a presence at the track" (ESPN.com, 7/20). In Greensboro, Ed Hardin wrote the idea of running a NASCAR race at IMS has "gone stale." The track is "unsuitable for stock cars" and fans have "stopped coming." Moving the race to September will "not fix the problem." The novelty "wore off years ago" and the reality is that the track "doesn’t work for big, boxy stock cars." Moving the race to IMS' road course "would be a start." Hardin: "Eliminating this race altogether would be even better" (Greensboro NEWS & RECORD, 7/20). Jeff Gordon said the racing at the Brickyard 400 has "not been spectacular." Gordon: "This year with less downforce and stages, it gives it an opportunity to have the best race we’ve had in several years. But I’m probably more interested in what we’ll see in the Xfinity Series race ... to see if we can find a package that works." Gordon said the weather is "brutal" in July, adding he was "dying" inside his car when he competed last year. Gordon: "I can’t imagine what fans are going through in grandstands. So I do think an adjustment to the schedule will be great for that race" (INDIANAPOLIS STAR, 7/21).
