(Photo: Maddie Skidan | The Podium Finish)
SPEEDWAY, Ind. — Two motorsports heavyweights of the world have converged on the Racing Capital Of The World for the fourth year in a row. The NASCAR Xfinity and Cup Series join up with the NTT INDYCAR Series on the infield road course at the famed Indianapolis Motor Speedway to create action for fans and teams alike.
For years, NASCAR and INDYCAR had raced on the same tracks, but never on the same weekend. Some fans thought and wished that there would be a doubleheader for both series at the same track at some point in the future, but thoughts of who would play undercard to who would always be the sticking point as to why an event of such would never occur. However, in 2020, after NASCAR and INDYCAR team owner Roger Penske bought ownership of both INDYCAR and IMS itself, that hope looked more promising.
Amid COVID and schedules going entirely out of shape due to losing months of real-life racing time and availability at certain tracks, the dream became a reality as INDYCAR’s normal pre-cursor to the Indianapolis 500 would join NASCAR’s Fourth of July weekend at the speedway. Xfinity ran on the road course with INDYCAR on Saturday while the Cup Series took to the oval for the Brickyard 400 on Sunday, albeit without fans.
🇳🇿🇦🇺 pic.twitter.com/L97QvfA69e
— Shane van Gisbergen (@shanevg97) August 12, 2023
Now jump to 2023 and all three series are racing on the same circuit, with the Cup Series moving from the oval to the road course. The racing has proved exciting and intriguing as this event has seemingly taken a more or less permanent stay on both schedules for NASCAR and INDYCAR. Fans can converge on the famed Speedway for an event that brings together the best of both worlds.
Kyle Busch and Tony Kanaan do a video after Kanaan gave Busch a ride around Indianapolis road course in a two-seat IndyCar. pic.twitter.com/FwLaidLf4p
— Bob Pockrass (@bobpockrass) August 11, 2023
There is a unique synergy as both garages can intermingle and drivers love the chance to meet up with their counterparts.
“[It’s] also really cool to be on the same weekend as NASCAR. I think it helps both of us, and it’s a weekend I look forward to each year,” said Will Power, a five-time winner on the IMS road course. “It’s the only time I’ve seen them (our Chevrolet NASCAR teammates) at the same track, and it’s the only time it ever happens. It’s so cool to see those guys race, and they get to watch Indy cars go around on track. It’s awesome.”
Meanwhile, on the other side of the garage, Indiana native Chase Briscoe loves the doubleheader weekend.
“Where now, you see drivers from both disciplines coming and racing, and I feel like the fanbase has really kind of embraced each other,” Briscoe said. “It’s just a great opportunity, and honestly, this Saturday ticket is one of the best in motorsports.”
However, the future of the weekend isn’t the strongest. What started as a necessity became a weekend to look forward to; changes to both schedules as early as next season could disrupt the doubleheader. INDYCAR is looking to return to the Milwaukee Mile, which could lead to the elimination of one of the IMS road course dates. Meanwhile, on the other side of the coin, the Cup Series will likely return to the IMS oval as a Goodyear tire test is scheduled for the Monday and Tuesday after the race.
Some drivers, like three-time Brickyard 400 champion Kevin Harvick, say, “I would prefer to be on the oval.” This sentiment can be seen with other drivers in the NASCAR garage. While may enjoy sharing the track with the INDYCAR drivers, there is a belief that if they’re going to be racing at IMS, it needs to be on the famed oval itself, and if not, why be there in the first place?
But just because this doubleheader at IMS might end, it doesn’t mean it shouldn’t continue. Two-time Brickyard 400 champion Kyle Busch said that a conjunction weekend should be considered at other tracks.
“There’s plenty of places that we can do it – we can do it together, stuff like that,” he said. “You could even do it at Watkins Glen [International] together if you wanted to.”
There are multiple venues all across the country that both NASCAR and INDYCAR currently run at but at different times, World Wide Technology Raceway and Road America. Earlier in the year, the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series served as an undercard to the INDYCAR race at Texas Motor Speedway.
This weekend at IMS can be something special for both NASCAR and INDYCAR. The era of fighting over each other doesn’t need to continue, especially in an age in which more and more fans are becoming more open to expanding their horizons of watching motorsports. The ability for both series to come together and give themselves and the fans a chance to watch two different disciplines on the same track can only bring more good than harm.
