iNSIDE SCOOP: 20 Years of the Brickyard

INDIANAPOLIS -- It's hard to believe that it has been 20 years since stock cars invaded the heretofore sacred ground of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

For those of us who grew up with the Indy 500, it was a strange day. We had never been to the track past June 1, certainly never to watch a race, and it was disconcerting to see the stock cars lumber around where previously it had only been the sleek, speedy Indy Cars.

But we got over it quickly.

That day in 1994 when Jeff Gordon crossed the finish line first set in motion a truly interesting period where the two sides peacefully coexisted. Indy Car had its own problems, as it was embroiled in the IRL-CART civil war, and NASCAR just came in, put on its show and left for the next stop on the tour.

I remember stopping in the men's room in one of the garage areas that first year. Above one of the facilities was a sign, ostensibly from one of the Indy Car crews left there in May. It read: "Dear NASCAR people...don't eat the big white mint!"

Bathroom humor aside, the Brickyard has been good for the city, good for the sport and good for IMS.

That's not to say there haven't been problems.

The 2008 Goodyear tire debacle was nearly a race-killer. Fans were not amused, and attendance dropped substantially the following year. 

Jeff Gordon said earlier today that he thought the 2008 economic downturn was more to blame for the attendance problems than the tire fiasco, but I'd say they're closely linked as dual causes.

Indiana was a huge manufacturing state, especially in the automotive industry, and when all that went away, there was nothing to replace it. Half the population of my Indiana home town lived there because Warner Gear, Fisher Guide, Fisher Body, Chevrolet and Chrysler had plants nearby. They'd moved from the South to rural Indiana because of good wages and ample work.

When it disappeared, seemingly overnight, there was quite a void in the tax base and the available cash flow.

First thing to go when that happens is...disposable income that was once used to buy race tickets.

As we sit here on a Friday morning, it's easy to see that the void is still there. Not a lot of people in the stands, even as Sprint Cup practice is about to kick off. 

I have high hopes that it will get better. As most of you know, I worship at the temple of the IMS, so I hope for all the success in the world.

Besides, given the way that things seem to work in NASCAR, either Jeff Gordon or Dale Earnhardt Jr. will win on Sunday.

That'll fill a bigger void than the one that currently exists.