Lost in the madness that was the MENCS race at the roval on Sunday was the fact that out of nowhere mid-week it was announced that newly crowned IndyCar Champion Josef Newgarden would be taking some laps around the roval…. in an IndyCar. Myself along with plenty of other fans of motorsports in general where instantly intrigued. And the champ did not disappoint, turning laps 10 seconds or more faster then the pole speed of the Cup race without any prior track time or setup. So now the idea of a doubleheader, which was rumored and pretty much had died out, is on a lot of people’s minds. Here is why I think there are benefits of NASCAR and IndyCar running a double-header
Why It Benefits IndyCar
IndyCar has without a doubt been rebuilding. The IRL/Champ Car split in the 90s did damage that is felt to this day that could be a whole article on its own. Over the last few seasons though with a better racing product, through car design and an ever-growing field of talented drivers, IndyCar has been growing again. It still has a long way to go but with a dedicated tv partner in NBC that advertises the series more then previous partners the sport could see some growth soon. So what better way to do that then partner with NASCAR, the number one motorsport currently in North America. While ratings have suffered and tracks have struggled some with track attendance, the audience is still there. And with NBC covering the second half of the NASCAR season it could be presented in one giant block of racing action if it were to be on the same day. And if not they could cross promote it through the weekend.
Why it Benefits NASCAR
Sometimes it feels like people believe that if you like one series you must dislike the other. But I don’t believe that is true for many fans. Obviously, I don’t feel like you have to like both, but I do believe there is a big group of fans that love both series. I know if they announced a double-header I would be there even if I had to fly to the event and stay in a hotel for the weekend. And I think a lot of people would do the same. Seeing the top two motorsports in the country and two of the biggest in the world in the same weekend would be a draw for many people. The hype that the event would create would put people into seats and who knows maybe some IndyCar fans that never really gave NASCAR much of a chance would see the product and become fans themselves.
In Conclusion
To me the benefits of NASCAR and IndyCar running a double-header are intriguing enough to at least try it. Both series could use a bit of a boost and I don’t see how this would really hurt anything. And the idea of some drivers maybe running in both races is also an interesting prospect that could play out. Newgarden was very excited when he got out of the car and you could tell that he really had a good time with it. So in the words of Mario Andretti when he was interviewed before driving the pace car for the Cup race on Sunday “Why not.”
Don’t forget there are still a few weeks to enter our Homestead Championship 4 contest on our forums. Also being the month of October head to our store to get some pink gear to support breast cancer awareness. Also follow me on twitter @jcjr4224 and hit me up to join the conversation
