NASCAR moving Nationwide race to Indianapolis Motor Speedway

NASCAR moving Nationwide race to Indianapolis Motor Speedway

Special to Sporting News NASCAR Wire Service

(July 6, 2011)

NASCAR will move its Nationwide Series race during the Indianapolis race weekend from Lucas Oil Raceway to Indianapolis Motor Speedway, the sanctioning body announced Wednesday.

The Nationwide Series will compete on the Saturday of the 2012 race weekend at IMS, which will include the Rolex Grand-Am Sports Car Series running on the road course Friday of the 2012 race weekend.

"It's going to make for a really exciting weekend," said IMS CEO Jeff Belskus. "It's important for our fans. It's important for us. We know our fans like different forms of racing."

NASCAR president Mike Helton said having all three series—Grand-Am also is owned by NASCAR as well—at "The Brickyard" will enhance the entire weekend.

"Everybody wants to grow," Helton said. "We're no different than that. … Today's announcement is one of those milestones where you pulled a nationally iconic facility together with NASCAR Sprint Cup, Nationwide and Grand-American Series to put together a weekend that is going to be special."

It will be the first time the Nationwide Series competes at the historic 2.5-mile oval.

"That's going to be a pretty big deal," said Kyle Busch, a driver and owner in both the truck and Nationwide series. "There's not many series that get an opportunity to race at the big track, so for the Nationwide Series, it will be a huge deal. … I'm excited about it. I bet you I'll be in it."

But one track's gain was the loss for another. Formerly Indianapolis Raceway Park , Lucas Oil Raceway has had a Nationwide race every year since the series' inception in 1982.

Track officials from the 0.686-mile track announced it won't have Camping World Truck Series race during the Cup weekend at IMS but left the door open for the possibility of stand-alone truck and Nationwide events.

A news release from the short track did not state that it would actively pursue any NASCAR events in 2012, so while leaving the door open for stand-alone weekends, it does not appear likely.

"We are disappointed that the NASCAR Nationwide Series and the Camping World Truck Series will not return to Lucas Oil Raceway on their customary race weekend," said Wes Collier, general manager of Lucas Oil Raceway. "The Kroger 200 and the AAA Insurance 200 have long been one of the ‘can't miss' events for race fans in the Midwest ."

Drivers who grew up short-track racing hope they get to race again at Lucas Oil Raceway, but know that there's a good chance they won't return for a NASCAR event at the track.

"I don't like the thought of trucks and Nationwide not going back to IRP," said defending truck series champion Todd Bodine. "There's so much history, so much tradition. We've lost that part of our sport, the history and tradition of the short track.

"That's where most of us grew up. That's where all these series started. And we've lost that tradition. … You have to have advancement, you have to grow, you have to do all those things and unfortunately part of the casualty of that is the tradition.

"It's a shame. I hope we still race there."

Truck series driver Timothy Peters echoed that sentiment.

"I hope it doesn't go off the schedule," Peters said. "Even though I like going to all the races on the schedule, you feel more in your element when you go short-track racing.

"There's a lot of history there, and there's good racing."

The big track has history, too, and that excites some drivers.

"Indy has always been a place that I wanted to race, and I always just assumed I had to get to the Sprint Cup level to race it," said Joe Gibbs Racing Nationwide Series driver Brian Scott. "NASCAR bringing the Nationwide Series there, that brings me a lot of excitement. I'm looking forward to next year."

The Nationwide race likely will attract more Cup drivers with it being held at the historic 2.5-mile oval.

"It's awesome they're going to the big track," JGR's Joey Logano said. "It's the Brickyard. It's a cool racetrack. That and Daytona are up there right next to each other on how cool those two tracks are.

"I'm all right with it. For me personally, I never ran worth a crap at IRP. I'm pretty excited. It will be cool to run a race there, like the Daytona Nationwide race, it's still a big deal to win there no matter what (series) you're in."