Brickyard Hopes Changes Equate To More NASCAR Race Fans

Doug Boles calling IndyCar fans to offer them dirt cheap NASCAR tickets

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.

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,