Why IndyCar is Better than NASCAR

In this year’s “Month of May” series, on each day leading up to the Indianapolis 500 on May 26, a different topic about the race or about Indianapolis will be discussed. Each of these topics will be ranked to create special “fields of 33” regarding the Indy 500. I hope you enjoy, and I hope you learn something about Indianapolis and the Indy 500, the Greatest Spectacle in Racing.

Each May when I start getting excited about the Indy 500, I find myself talking about it to friends or co-workers or strangers on the street. When they hear that I attend each year, they say something like “What’s it like seeing a NASCAR race?” or “I’m not a NASCAR fan.” I about flip out. The Indy 500 is not NASCAR, people. It is much better than NASCAR. IndyCar as a whole is much better than stock car racing. And I can prove it to you…yes, it’s the Field of 33 Reasons Why IndyCar is Better Than NASCAR.

Row 11

33. No “Boogity boogity boogity!” – So happy I don’t have to hear a commentator say that at the beginning of a race to try to get fans excited…so glad…

32. No Bogus “Chase” – The Sprint Cup “Chase” is a playoff system where twelve drivers are eligible to win the championship. With ten races left, those twelve are given a point spread over each other and then race for the title. The other 30+ drivers who are now ineligible to win the Cup still race, however. How many sports do you know that have non-playoff teams compete during the playoffs AGAINST those who did make playoffs? Oh, and those ten races are almost exactly the same each and every year. So if you are talented at those tracks, you can win the Cup each year without much difficulty. (Jimmie Johnson, five in a row, enough said). Every race is meaningful in IndyCar. In fact, it’s an early season race, the biggest race in the world, that is worth the most for the championship!

31. Tougher Car to Drive – Go ahead and try to argue this one. There’s enough TV series out there of people hopping into a stock car with no issue, but unable to work an IndyCar or F1 series car because they can’t generate heat in the brakes enough to control the vehicle.

Row 10

30. No “Lucky Dog” – This might be the dumbest rule in the book. You’re a lap down and the caution comes out. So we’ll just give you the lap back if you are the top car that is a lap down. We’ll let you pass around and get back on the lead lap. It logically makes zero sense. Don’t try to battle with a leader, I’ll get the spot back anyway when some idiot intentionally wrecks somebody else back in the pack.

29. No “Big One” – Restrictor plate racing especially allows cars to bunch together into pack racing. When that happens, a crash in front of you pretty much means you’re screwed. There’s nowhere for you to go to try to avoid the hit. The “Big One” results, with usually over a dozen cars knocked out and another dozen wounded.  Look at the end of the Nationwide race in Daytona this year. Last lap, the Big One happens. And the fans’ reactions? Excitement. “Oh HERE WE GO!” They love seeing big wrecks caused by careless driving. You want carnage? Go to a monster truck rally.

28. No Guaranteed Spots – For each NASCAR race, a certain number of spots are guaranteed for the top teams in the standings. Danica Patrick was guaranteed a spot last year in the first race because, even though she hadn’t raced anywhere near a full season, her TEAM had enough points to get a guaranteed spot. IndyCar used to have a similar 25/8 rule, but smartly eliminated it when faster cars were being left out of the Indy 500. You must be good enough to compete. I was ecstatic when two Andretti Autosport cars (Mike Conway, currently 4th in points standings, and Ryan Hunter-Reay, the following year’s series champion) did not make the field. Even the best in the business can be left out if they’re not prepared. That’s how it should be. Do your job.

Row 9

27. No Competition Yellows – The Brickyard 400 guaranteed caution periods every twenty or so laps a few years back. Terrible. Even if not given the name of “competition yellow” you know they exist. When cars get spread out a bit (oh yes what a shame we don’t have a single big pack) you have a yellow for “debris” and not a single safety truck drives onto the track to find this mysterious piece of wreckage. But the mission is accomplished – the cars are close together again.

26. It Took a Split for NASCAR to Become Popular – The IRL/CART split in the mid-1990s directly led to NASCAR becoming the premier racing series in the United States. Just look at the ratings and attendance over the years. It wasn’t until 1996 that the races like the Daytona 500 were anywhere near competitive with Indy 500 ratings. Kudos to NASCAR for capitalizing, but you didn’t earn it. And now your ratings are dropping and IndyCar’s are skyrocketing. Why is it that you keep getting air time when Indy doesn’t then?

25. Actually Can Pass – Stock cars are so poor with aerodynamics…it creates a huge hole for trailing cars to catch up or stay close, but there is no chance to pull around a car because the drag out of the draft is so high. The only way to pass is to cause a crash.

Row 8

24. One Race > Series – The Indianapolis 500 is more important to drivers than the series as a whole. Can NASCAR say the same? How special is the Daytona 500 when they race at Daytona a second time in the same season?

23. Deeper Talent – The combination of old blood and new blood creates the deepest field of talent of any motorsport series.

22. Qualifying Means Something – Anybody in the top 20 of a NASCAR race has an equal chance to win due to the lucky dog, the big one, or to two vs. four tire pit stops. There truly is little difference in your winning chances whether you start 1st or 43rd in NASCAR. If you start in the lead in Indycar, you are at a HUGE advantage.

Row 7

21. Considered Relevant Worldwide – NASCAR is laughed at as soon as you leave the United States. IndyCar isn’t.

20. Technology – No KERS-type system, no tire pressure changes, no electronics at all, no fuel gauges…it’s 2013 why are you racing in the stone age, NASCAR?

19. “Pushed” To Win – Look at the Talladega race this past weekend. Teammates pushed each other from eighth to first on the last lap. The only reason that driver won is because he got pushed. Nice skill there.

Row 6

18. No Pack Racing – Race at 180 mph in what appears like a traffic jam. You can’t go anywhere. That’s not racing.

17. Fast Car and Driver Win. Period.  Two tires vs. four tires wins probably 40% of NASCAR races. You don’t need a fast car at all to win. Cars held together with duct tape could make it to Victory Lane.

16. Close Championship Each Year – And that’s without a “chase.”

Row 5

15. No Bump Draft – I won’t control my car, I’ll just run into your rear.

14. No Restrictor Plates – So you’re keeping your car from going faster? Thus you allow everybody to be stuck together, unable to pull away or fall behind? Okay, sounds fun.

13. Can Only Fit One Person – If I can ride shotgun, it’s not a race car.

Row 4

12. Ability to Improve the Car – Why would I want to drive a brick car that is from the stone age and cannot be adjusted to improve its performance? Weight jacker, tire pressure, front wing... all are used to help improve car performance in IndyCar.

11. Aerodynamically Sound – Man would I hate to be in the lead in a stock car. Just opening up a huge hole for those behind me to just reel me in.  

10. You Touch, You Crash – NASCAR is nothing more than high speed bumper cars. You bounce around and “trade paint” like that in IndyCar, and you crash. There’s no margin for error in Indy. In NASCAR, you can slack off and oh well you’re just fine.

Row 3

9. Left AND Right Turns – NASCAR would be great on road races because of the ability to bounce around off of each other. Yet they just go around on the ovals for 34 of 36 races. IndyCar, you better be good on the ovals AND on the street circuits if you want to be successful.

8. On Track Respect – Somebody in my line in NASCAR? It’s okay I’ll wreck him. Somebody in my line in IndyCar? Oh crap I’ll give him some extra room.

7. Must Be All-Around – Oval racing, road racing, engineering, strategy, adjustments, pit stops…you have to do it all to be a winner in IndyCar.

Row 2

6. No Fights, Actual Racing – Go watch MMA or WWE or boxing or something if you want to see fighting. We do real racing in IndyCar.

5. Skill To Pass – It takes true skill to set up a pass using the draft or outbraking an opponent. In NASCAR, all it takes is a nice push in the back.

4. Fit Athletes – Tony Kanaan participated in the Iron Man Competition! Tony Steward looks like he weighs 225 pounds. You must be fit to participate in IndyCar. Obviously that’s not the case in NASCAR just judging by the athletes.

Row 1

3. Best in the World – NASCAR claims to have the best drivers in the world. Yet 97% of the drivers in the series are from the United States. How can you claim to have the world’s best drivers if only two were born outside of the country? Wake up! The best mix of nations comes from IndyCar – Brazil, United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, Japan, Switzerland, Venezuela, and the US. And much more!

2. Look Like Race Cars – NASCAR was created to demonstrate what the typical car you’d see on the street can do performance wise. They were to resemble the cars you see on the road. And they used to do just that. The Car of Tomorrow ruined that, as all cars looked identical despite the manufacturer. So their only reason for looking like regular, boring cars doesn’t even exist anymore! At least IndyCars LOOK fast!

1. 230 vs. 200. That’s the top pole speeds at any track in the series over the past few years. You do the math. 230 is much much faster than 200.

The Field of 33 – Reasons IndyCar > NASCAR

Row 1	1. 230 vs. 200	2. Looks Like Race Cars	3. Best Drivers in the WORLD
Row 2	4. “Athletes” are in shape	5. It Takes Skill to Pass	6. No Fights, Actual Racing
Row 3	7. Talented in ALL facets of racing	8. On-Track Respect	9. Left AND Right Turns
Row 4	10. You Touch, You Crash	11. Aerodynamically Sound Machines	12. Ability to Improve the Car
Row 5	13. Can Fit Only One Person in the Car	14. No Restrictor Plates	15. No Bump Drafting
Row 6	16. Close Championship Each Year	17. The Fast Car and Driver Win. Period.	18. No Pack Racing.
Row 7	19. Can’t be “Pushed” to Win the Race	20. Technology	21. Considered Relevant Worldwide
Row 8	22. Qualifying Means Something	23. Deeper Talent	24. One Race > Series
Row 9	25. Actually Can Pass	26. It Took a Split for NASCAR to Gain Popularity	27. No Competition Yellows
Row 10	28. No Guaranteed Spots	29. No “Big One”	30. No Lucky Dog.
Row 11	31. Tougher Car to Drive	32. No Bogus “Chase”	33. No “Boogity Boogity Boogity!”