This past weekend IMS in all likelihood hosted the last NASCAR/Indycar doubleheader. Most signs point to NASCAR returning to the oval for the traditional 400 mile race. While it is a nice treat to see another home Indycar race, i am glad this event is going away.

Indycar does not need to have two, or in this case, actually three, events at the same venue. I never liked the concept of the extra race, especially when Indycar played second- I mean third- fiddle to the stock car series. Three races of the same series at a track lead to fan fatigue, especially when two of the events are the same distance.

The doubleheader weekend, born out of necessity during the pandemic accomplished some positive things. It boosted the sagging attendance that the Brickyard 400 weekend had suffered since the 2008 tire debacle, it might have brought more fans to Indycar, and possibly NASCAR as well, and the weekend gave drivers of both series a chance to see what their counterparts in the other series do.

I have always thought pairing Indycar with IMSA is a better idea than a NASCAR/Indycar weekend. The sportscars are closer in speed to the Indycars. I got to the track Saturday as Cup qualifying was ending. The pole speed for the NASCAR race was 17 seconds slower than the Indycar pole. When IMSA tested at IMS a couple of weeks ago, the GTP cars were just five seconds off Graham Rahal’s pole speed.

If the buzz is correct, Indycar might replace this second road course event with the mile oval at Milwaukee, I would be all for that. The series needs more ovals more than they need another street course. Iowa and Nashville have shown that ovals can draw people if marketed correctly.

As far as this past weekend is concerned, it’s been a fun three years, but now is the time for Indycar to expand to other venues.