NASCAR drivers say the recent unification of the open-wheel factions makes racing in the Indy 500 more appealing. But it’s not enough to have them flocking to Indy anytime soon.
“I don’t know that unification makes a difference,” says J.J. Yeley, who finished ninth in his lone Indy appearance in 1998. “The Indy 500 is really a race all of its own.”
Unification “clears up a little confusion,” Gordon says. “But they have a little process over there of building stars again. Obviously, Danica (Patrick) is a star. Marco Andretti has tons of opportunity. With Scott Dixon and (Helio) Castroneves, they’ve got good racers. But the public needs to know about them. The saying is to be a star, you’ve got to beat a star, and they’re going to have to rebuild that process.”
Challenges aside, a major obstacle to NASCAR drivers is the starting time of the Sunday races, 1 p.m. for Indy, 5:30 p.m. for NASCAR.
“It’s logistically impossible,” Yeley says.
Gordon says if he could run both races, he would. But as it’s not possible, “My NASCAR team is where my focus is.”
Indianapolis Motor Speedway President Joie Chitwood says there are no plans to change the Indy 500 starting time. “The double was nice, but I’m not sure that it ever changed the game and became the story,” he says. “Unification is the story here now.”
Indy 500 champs Mario Andretti and A.J. Foyt also won the Daytona 500, but no driver has won the Indy 500 and the Coca-Cola 600. Only Tony Stewart has completed all 1,100 miles on the same day.
“There’s part of me that thinks running at Indy and in IndyCar is a chapter of my life that is closed,” Stewart says. “Then, there is the emotional part of me that says, ‘Never say never.’
“I don’t know if I will ever get in an Indy car again, but if that happens, it’s obviously going to be a long way down the road because I have a lot of commitments on the NASCAR side.”
Casey Mears grew up on open-wheel racing and has Indy in his blood. His uncle, Rick Mears, won the Indy 500 four times, and his father, Roger Mears, raced in the Indy 500 in 1982 and ‘83.
“I’m happy to see open-wheel growing. I would absolutely love to (run the Indy 500), but I don’t have anything in play more than expressing that I’d love to do it.”
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