Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: THURSDAY, April 15, 1993 TAG: 9304150026
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: Associated Press
DATELINE: INDIANAPOLIS LENGTH: Medium
NASCAR WILL RUN AT INDY
The Indianapolis Motor Speedway broke a tradition almost as old as the automotive age Wednesday, announcing a NASCAR stock car race after eight decades dedicated solely to the Indianapolis 500."There will be a NASCAR Winston Cup event here at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway" on Aug. 6, 1994, said Speedway president Tony George.
The 400-mile, 160-lap "Brickyard 400," bows to the tradition of the once all-brick track's nickname.
"This is a great milestone in Winston Cup and NASCAR history," said NASCAR president Bill France Jr., who negotiated the deal with George.
The deal seemed almost certain last June when the Speedway invited nine top NASCAR drivers to a tire test and opened the workout to the public, drawing more than 30,000 non-paying fans.
At the time, France and George, unlike their families' earlier generations, talked cordially - if cautiously - about uniting the Speedway and NASCAR.
"It was just a matter of time while they worked on it," said Dale Earnhardt, who attended the announcement with Darrell Waltrip and Bill Elliott.
The drivers, eyeing a reported $2.5 million purse, live TV and hordes of new fans, let the clutch out on their enthusiasm.
"This is an exciting time for us as race car drivers and for our sport," Waltrip said.
"We're ready to come back," said Elliott, who topped the 1992 test field with a 168 mph lap.
George refused to confirm the purse figure reported by The Indianapolis Star, saying that and other details would be released later.
The Saturday race date allows an extra day for rain, and the 400-lap limit creates an event that fits neatly into a three-hour TV time slot, George said.
It also avoids a clash with the classic distance of the Indy 500 and a tradition many fans jealously protect.
Even some Indy drivers fretted that the presence of stock cars tearing around the 2 1/2-mile oval would detract from the Indy mystique, and maybe its market.
"Some were taken aback by the fact we would even consider it," George said.
Forty years ago, George's grandfather Tony Hulman rebuffed France's father and his attempt to bring stock cars to the Speedway. Both men have since died.
"Somewhere I think Grandpa and Big Bill are shaking hands and happy to see this day arrive," George said. The track has been home only to the 500 since 1911.
George called Wednesday the "biggest day in Speedway history" since Hulman bought the track at the close of World War II, but said the NASCAR invitation won't distract track officials from preparations for 77th 500 on May 30.
France dodged estimating how many fans might be drawn to the Indy NASCAR race.
"I think anybody's guess is as good as anybody else's right now," he said. "But they do have a lot of seats here, too."
Although track officials have kept race day attendance a closely guarded secret, some estimates have put the crowd at 400,000.
France said the Speedway's fame won't steal from the luster of NASCAR's premier race at Daytona.
"I don't see it bothering the Daytona event," he said.
George said he has also talked with Formula One racing officials but "nothing came of it."
Keywords:
AUTO RACING