Brickyard 400 blows the 500 away

[JohnHKart]

I never thought I would say this, but for the second year in a row, I really did not enjoy the Indy 500 much . I know there are those here that have hated it since 1996, but I even was excited about it up until a couple of years ago, despite the fact that I hate the IRL. Just finished watching the Brickyard 400 and found it way more interesting, competive, charismatic and exciting than watching the crapwagons and I don't even like Jeff Boredom. It was almost as if I was watching the Indy 500 but with Nascar cars. And for that matter, F1 also now eclipses Tony's ruined race.

John

[Railbird]

I was at RA so I didn't see the BY400 but the results in both ratings and attendance speak for themselves.

[Ziggy]

Thanks Tony.......

[jonovision_man]

Factor in international TV audience and the Indy 500 is in 3rd place at its own track...

[Spicoli]

Tony is merely "adjusting" things. He knows what's best, really he does. :shakehead

[DaveL]

Good thing the IRL was created to prevent the 500 from becoming "just another race" :shakehead

[racer2c]

People, people, people... :shakehead :shakehead :shakehead, NASCAR replacing the open wheel cars was the 'Vision' all along. __king Tony is a puppet.

[Don Quixote]

The next logical step in the progression will be to make the Brickyard a 500 mile race. Then the race will be moved to Memorial Day weekend. Then a simple name change will be made to complete the vision.

[DaveL]

People, people, people... :shakehead :shakehead :shakehead, NASCAR replacing the open wheel cars was the 'Vision' all along. __king Tony is a puppet.

Hey, look at this way: If the 500 becomes a NASCAR race the downward ratings spiral will finally be reversed.

[Brickman]

Well... I attended both. Sitting both times in the B Penthouse.

The thing about Indy is that you race the track, Jeff Gordon dominated, he did what he was suppose to do, race the track and race it well. All the pieces fell in place. I'm not a great Gordon fan, but as a youth I always wanted a "Californian" to win in stock cars, it's the Dan Gurney fan in me. I also can't stand most of the new racers. Even though Harvick comes from here he is a punk. But the 400 in my mind wasn't as exciting because of the "Chase" I have tickets available to me for about half the final races (http://www.nascar.com/races/cup/2004/data/schedule.html) so I'm have tempted in the future to say screw it to the first 26 races and start my season Sept 19th.

As far as the Indy 500... open wheel cars wheel to wheel and the inherent danger that comes with it makes racing into turn 1 at Indy far more exciting than fendered stock cars. The same can be said with cars passing on the straights. I do like the way stock cars muscle themselves on road courses, but for sheer out braking and shifting through the gears a Champ Car has always been hard to beat.

With the way NASCAR is becoming more like Big Brother than anything else it's too bad that Tony isn't smart enough to change the way he does business with manufacturers and to change the formula he calls Indy Cars. They sure as hell could mock Cup cars with ads comparing winning in open wheel and having to stand on a "star" front and center for TV in NASCAR's Gatorade Victory lane.

I miss the good ol days... then again... who doesn't?

[B Real]

Hey, look at this way: If the 500 becomes a NASCAR race the downward ratings spiral will finally be reversed.

In addition - the attendance will increase, there will be bumping, the field will consist of American cars and American drivers who came up through the short track ranks.