Wheels of Change in Motorsports
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As a subscriber you can listen to articles at work, in the car, or while you work out. Subscribe NowCould it be a sign of things to come? This year’s revamped Brickyard Weekend at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, featuring both NASCAR and INDYCAR races on the IMS road course, was an example of efforts among the sport’s major sanctioning bodies to drive attention and attendance. IMS President Doug Boles says ongoing communication among INDYCAR, NASCAR and the International Motor Sports Association (IMSA) could result in the series’ sharing the spotlight at more venues in the future.
“It used to be competitive between the three, and really right now, everybody’s trying to make motorsports in general much better for all of our fans,” said Boles.
Boles was a guest on this weekend’s edition of Inside INdiana Business with Gerry Dick.
When the green flag first dropped on the Brickyard 400 in 1994, it was one of the toughest tickets in town with NASCAR playing to sold out crowds in its early years at IMS. But attendance has plummeted over the past decade, to an estimated 60,000 fans in the cavernous Speedway, prompting a sense of urgency to reinvigorate what was once a marquee racing weekend.
Boles says the new triple header on the road course is a one-year deal with NASCAR and a targeted attempt to drive fan interest and attendance.
Heading into the weekend, Boles was optimistic about ticket sales, indicating more than 125,000 fans could visit IMS for the three-day weekend.