Category Archives: Indianapolis Motor Speedway

Blame physics for the misery of watching the Brickyard 400
July 24, 2017

It’s not like NASCAR and the Indianapolis Motor Speedway are conspiring to bore us every July.  They don’t want the Brickyard 400 to suck any more than we do. But it does, and watching it rewards only our ability to endure tedium. Six hours and nine minutes.  That’s how long it took yesterday’s Brickyard 400 […]

Bryan Clauson passes away – Statement from Bryan’s family
August 8, 2016

I got to spend a lot of time around Bryan Clauson the last two Mays as he prepared to drive the Jonathan Byrd’s Racing entry in the Indianapolis 500.  I was one of the lucky who got to know him a little bit. Talking to a guy on the radio is sort of strange in […]

Top 10 ways to fix the exceptionally dull Brickyard 400
July 25, 2016

Kyle Busch won the 23rd running of the Brickyard 400 yesterday in front of dozens at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. At least it looked like no more than dozens.  The Indianapolis Motor Speedway is a gargantuan facility capable of holding more than a quarter million race fans – as it did for the 100th Indianapolis […]

Top 10 reasons to attend the 23rd Running of the Brickyard 400
July 21, 2016

The Brickyard 400 used to be an event that rivaled the Indianapolis 500 for local excitement.  It was different – slower – but still fun. Then came the mandatory red flags because of tire wear, and an admission by NASCAR that the nine-degree banking of the corners at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway are not conducive to […]

Top 10 ways to improve the national image of the Indianapolis 500
May 31, 2016

TV ratings don’t lie.  Despite the extensive media coverage for the historic 100th running of the Indianapolis 500, ratings were down nationally from a 4.3 share in 2015 to a 4.1 for the 2016 race. That was despite a 33.6 local rating.  If not for the massive number in Indy, the rating for the race would have […]

Top 10 things to remember, ponder, and rely upon for the Indianapolis 500
May 27, 2016

More than the combined populations of Fort Wayne and South Bend will converge upon the hallowed grounds of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway for a celebration of speed and history. One in every 850 people in the continental United States will be right here, hoping to enjoy a beautiful day of racing, beer, food, and friendship. […]

Top 10 reasons to celebrate the lifting of the live TV blackout of the Indy 500
May 25, 2016

The live local blackout of the Indianapolis 500 is stupid, and this year for the first time in 65 years, the powers that be at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway have acknowledged it. As readers of this list learned yesterday, the Indianapolis 500 is replete with arcane, nutty, and charming traditions that make it one of […]