NASCAR plans to add Indy races in the 2012 Sprint Cup Series season – NASCAR news
NASCAR officials and Indianapolis Motor Speedway race organisers are engaged in discussions to add Grand-Am Rolex Series race and considerably including a Nationwide Series race to the 2012 schedule of NASCAR Sprint Cup Series.
The Director of public relations for IMS, Doug Boles said, “We are the only event on the series schedule that has one event on a race weekend. Friday, the Cup cars have two hours on the track. All we get on Saturday is qualifying and the final practice.
If you look at the entire on-track schedule, it's just not a lot of content.”
The IMS Public Relations Director, Boles was not able to clarify the addition of the Nationwide Series event to the circuit’s 2012 race schedule. Though the discussions took place but there was no decision taken. The present Nationwide Series race at Lucas
Oil Raceway at Indianapolis would expectedly shift to Indianapolis Motor Speedway to be held on Saturday afternoon.
The addition of the Grand-Am endurance race will be scheduled for Friday afternoon so that it does not interrupt the Camping World Truck Series race which takes place at night on same day and same venue. The formerly known O’Reilly Raceway has been named
Lucas Oil Raceway from this season. The Grand-Am race will take place on a road course.
In the 2012 season, the other part of the NASCAR schedule at Brickyard will remain unchanged along the IndyCar Series plan. The IndyCar Series drivers will take a weekend off.
Boles said, “If you're trying to figure out how to spend dollars in the summer, it helps make this event more attractive. You can camp and stay in one location and see two or three events.”
Boles said that the aim of the organisers is to make more value for the enthusiasts and attract them towards the Grand-Am event.
He also said that the Indianapolis Speedway hosted its debut race in 1994 while Michigan was the nearest circuit to hold an event of the Sprint Cup Series.
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