NASCAR double headers in the future?
So while Randy Bernard was in Loudon he talked about the possibility of double-header weekends with the Cup series. While the there was no need to do this when track operators were selling tickets to Cup races as fast as they could build stands, but now with every track seeing swaths of empty seats, which will likely continue for several years, double headers make some sense.
There is a good bit of crossover between NASCAR and Indy fans, and holding two events on one weekend reduces the capitol outlay for track owners. Obviously it would help the ICS more than it wold NASCAR, but if track owners want it I don't seen NASCAR dismissing it. The only time I heard of a serious offer being made was for a Wednesday night race at Phoenix and it was never considered by the ICS. A bad economy makes for stranger partnerships though.
The tracks I see as most likely to embrace the idea:
Las Vegas: The Trucks run a stand alone event at Vegas on Sept. 25, I'm hearing this may be the championship weekend for the ICS next year with the trucks and the FIL running in support. I think this is the only double header we're likely to see next year.
Road America: The crowd for the Nationwide race was outstanding and I'd look for their to be a multiple year contract for the support series. I could see the ICS getting its own date later in the summer/fall or combining with the Nationwide Series.
Michigan: Attendance has been declining for years, Michigan hosts three series at the June race and could run a 400 mile ICS race on the Saturday before a Cup race without a whole lot of effort.
Charlotte: Apparently Bruton is open to the idea of the ICS racing there, both the Bush and Cup races are evening events, so the ICS could run in the day before either race.
Randy talked about it here:
http://www.mikemulhern.net/index.php...nard-loves-ide
I think it would be great......
...and would hope to see more of this, especially if it were during a Cup series weekend where the is a higher probability of out of town fans staying the entire weekend and needing something to watch on Saturday beisdes Cup practice. That would help the Indy Car race with attendance and could only be good for the sport.
The fly in the ointment when pairing with the lower Nascar series could be just one simple word: "support"
When Indy Car and the Nationwide Series race the same weekend, which race is the "support" race. Which is the main event? Allthough it makes no difference to me, personally, there are many high up in both camps that would look down their nose at being called the "support" series.
Arguments could have been made last month at Kansas that since the Indy Car race was on Saturday, and the Truck Series race was in the prime Sunday slot, that Indy Car was the support race for the Truck race. That doesn't sit well with me, that the top rung open wheel race could be considered a support race for a third tier tin-top event, and I am a NASCAR guy first. I can only imagine the blistering someone would take if they had come in here stating that as fact, and I'm not so sure the Indy Car brass would like it either if the press called them that.
But , be that as it may, I think anytime the two disciplines can get together it makes both stronger and builds the fan base.
