NASCAR and IndyCar: America’s two biggest series should embrace each other

By Kyle Funderburk | Apr 4, 2019

20 Mar 1998: Tony Stewart in action during the Dura Lube 200 at the Phoenix International Raceway in Phoenix, Arizona. Mandatory Credit: David Taylor /Allsport /

NASCAR and IndyCar are both working on building their respective fanbases. To take the next step, they should set their rivalry aside and join one another.

NASCAR and IndyCar have long been considered rivals. After all, they are the two oldest and most prominent national motorsports series in the United States. The two series couldn’t be more different.

NASCAR has closed-cockpit bodies resembling street cars and racing on ovals and tri-ovals with the occasional road course to find the best drivers. IndyCar is all about openness, with open-cockpit bodies, open-wheel cars and a style of car that earns your respect before you even see it take a sharp curve at high speeds. The schedule is the epitome of racing variety with road courses, street circuits, superspeedway ovals and even a short track.

Yet the two series couldn’t be more similar at the same time. If IMSA and TransAm are America’s take on motorsports series from overseas, NASCAR and IndyCar are all-American. You wouldn’t see a Formula 1 race on a circuit with only left turns in 2019. There are five such tracks on IndyCar’s 2019 schedule.

Whereas DTM is making its street cars look more mythical, NASCAR is reportedly making the cars of its top series cars look more like the cars on the street, according to NASCAR COO Steve Phelps earlier this week on the Dale Jr. Download. NASCAR and IndyCar are the people’s motorsports series.

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With both series working on building their fanbases, they both stand to gain by putting their old rivalry aside and embracing each other. The only parties with more to gain than them are the broadcasters, the tracks and the fans.

This partnership shouldn’t just stop at staying out of each others’ ways when scheduling. Such a deal should be multifaceted to add intrigue. Both shouldn’t be afraid of taking risks. Both have proven recently that they aren’t afraid of taking risks within their own bubbles. Now both should take those risks together.

Those risks should include high-profile doubleheaders or even tripleheaders, more than just the IndyCar, K&N Pro Series East and K&N Pro Series West tripleheader at Gateway Motorsports Park on Saturday, August 24 this year. NASCAR and IndyCar should try doubleheaders and/or tripleheaders with the Cup Series, Xfinity Series and Truck Series.

Maybe that includes moving the Truck Series race at Gateway Motorsports Park to the late August weekend or even adding the St. Louis area oval to the Cup Series and/or Xfinity Series schedules.

Iowa Speedway is another prospect, as are Circuit of the Americas, Portland International Raceway and even Pocono Raceway. On the subject of doubleheaders and tripleheaders, why not include IMSA? The NASCAR-affiliated sports car and prototype series could host some dates together with IndyCar

Doubleheaders and tripleheaders are probably the most interesting illustrations of a partnership, but the deal should go deeper, including pooling money together to help the Milwaukee Mile. The fabled oval is the oldest racetrack in the United States, and it’s about time America’s top two motorsports series help in preserving history together. They should give the same treatment to other old tracks struggling today.

Television must also play along with this partnership. Dale Earnhardt Jr. joining the Indianapolis 500 broadcast is a good start. How about NBC sending him to a couple more races as well and bringing the legendary Bob Jenkins to the broadcast booth for the Bojangles Southern 500 at Darlington Raceway, the Brickyard 400 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway and the Coke Zero Sugar 400 at Daytona International Speedway?

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NASCAR and IndyCar have never had a bad relationship. They’ve always been friendly in competition. But no one stands to gain when both race at the same time, and no one stands to gain when they host races in the same area one week apart. Embracing the other’s style, history, and, of course, fans will make both series grow and flourish.