A new date for NASCAR's race at Indianapolis Motor Speedway and a new dirt-track race leading into this weekend are some of the "wholesale changes" IMS and the sanctioning body are making to "revitalize an event that once drew hundreds of thousands of fans but now sees fractions of those once-great crowds," according to Jim Ayello of the INDIANAPOLIS STAR. One of the "biggest changes" made ahead of this weekend's Monster Energy Cup Series Big Machine Vodka 400 at the Brickyard was changing the date to make it the regular season’s last race. Ayello gives the decision to change dates a "B" grade. The reason this grade "isn't higher is that NASCAR and IMS slated their race head-to-head" against the Colts on NFL kickoff weekend (INDIANAPOLIS STAR, 9/7). Ayello writes there is "no way to mask" that there will be 35,000 fans sitting in 234,000-plus seats for this weekend's race. However, IMS President Doug Boles and his team "don't relent." They continue to "call Indianapolis 500 ticket-holders to see if they can entice them to come out to the Brickyard with discounted rates" (INDIANAPOLIS STAR, 9/7).
TOUGH ODDS IN SIN CITY: In Las Vegas, Ron Kantowski notes this season marks the first time Las Vegas Motor Speedway is "hosting two NASCAR races in one year," with next week's South Point 400 "serving as the Cup Series playoff opener." The track hopes to "attract another big crowd," but what is "happening in NASCAR combined with factors closer to home aren’t making the mission any easier." Despite having "reduced seating capacity from around 140,000 to around 80,000," it has been "years since LVMS has sold out its spring race." There is also a "big fight in town (Canelo Alvarez vs. Gennady Golovkin II) on race weekend, and the South Point 400 will be up against the NFL on TV when the green flag falls." It also is "supposed to be hot" (LAS VEGAS REVIEW-JOURNAL, 9/7).
