Belskus: Allstate 400 here to stay

IMS CEO Jeff Belskus reiterated Sunday that NASCAR will return to the Brickyard for additional races.

"(The event) will be here for years and years to come," Belskus said. "We want it here and NASCAR wants it here."

Concern for the event has centered on a smaller crowd, which Belskus and others attribute to a struggling economy and the tire issue that plagued last year's race.

The announced attendance for Sunday's 16th annual event was 180,000, which pleased IMS officials, even if it was about 20 percent less than last year.

"(All tracks) have the economy working against them, and the tire situation last year was something unique we had to deal with, but we think we can build this event back up with some work," Belskus said. "It's still a profitable event." Indy Star