NASCAR on the IMS road course?

The crowd is so sparse for the Brickyard 400, maybe worth a try

The national media bemoans the fact the racing isn’t very exciting and that attendance at IMS, like at all NASCAR tracks is on the decline.

I recently saw a post that recommended the annual Brickyard 400 visit be changed from the oval to the road course at IMS.

It’s an idea worth considering for both the Sprint Cup and Xfinity Series in the future.

Sprint Cup has for many years raced on the road courses at Sonoma and Watkins Glen. The Xfinity Series has three road course races scheduled this year at Watkins Glen, Mid-Ohio and Road America.

So racing on a road course is not a novel idea.

Running the road course at IMS would bring a revival to NASCAR’s visit to the Hoosier State, seating for fans would allow some options as to the type of racing action to be observed and should produce exciting racing.

Sprint Cup could run 164 laps on the road course which would be equal to 400 miles. The road course also incorporates portions of the 2.5 mile oval in the track layout.

The Xfinity Series race could be 102 laps, which is approximately 250 miles.

Racing on the road course would attract some drivers that are considered experts on the road courses as is the case with the current races, particularly in the Xfinity Series.

NASCAR racing on the IMS road course might entice Verizon IndyCar Series drivers to try their skills in a stock car.

The idea would create a buzz that would benefit NASCAR, IMS and more importantly the fans.

In other racing news:

Bryan Clauson considered the quarter-mile Kokomo Speedway is home track and in his memory the track is hosting a Celebration of His Life.

Clauson died two weeks ago in a racing accident while coming at the Bellville Midget Nationals.

Kokomo Speedway is hosting the Celebration of Clauson’s Life on Wednesday, Aug. 24 with free admission for a USAC Sprint Car race.

Conor Daly, who was Clauson’s teammate with Dale Coyne Racing for the Indianapolis 500 will be competing this weekend at Pocono Raceway with Clauson’s number 88 on his car.

With just five races remaining before the Xfinity Series Chase for the Championship, New Castle’s Dakota Armstrong is just 18 points out of 12th, the cutoff point for the Chase.

A hot streak could put Armstrong in a position to make the Chase, but he desperately needs to score some top 10 finishes over the next five races.

The Champion Racing Association Late Model Sportsman and Street Stocks are making their next to last appearance at Anderson Speedway this weekend.

Both the late models and Street Stocks will be competing in 75-lap features with the final visit set for Sept. 17. Ken de la Bastide/Herald Bulletin