With NASCAR reigning supreme and Formula 1’s popularity on the rise, it can be easy for IndyCar to get lost in the shuffle when it comes to American motorsports.
Sure, there’s the Indy 500, but beyond that, the series is well beyond the other two in popularity. Even its own fans have voiced their displeasure with the direction that IndyCar is headed.
But on Wednesday, the series made a major change to its 2024 race schedule that is being unanimously praised by fans across the country.
.@MusicCityGP has announced updates to the 2024 season finale.@NashvilleSuperS will be the first oval in a decade to serve as the NTT #INDYCAR SERIES Championship finale. pic.twitter.com/BWLe1OwgjA
— NTT INDYCAR SERIES (@IndyCar)
IndyCar announced that the 2024 series finale, which was previously scheduled to take place on the streets of Nashville, will instead take place at nearby Nashville Superspeedway.
It’s just the seventh oval race on the 2024 calendar for a series that rose to fame on high-speed ovals. And four of those seven races will be double-headers on the same track at Iowa and Milwaukee.
The Nashville race becomes the first series finale hosted at an oval track since Fontana in 2014.
IndyCar largely reduced the number of oval tracks it raced on after the deaths of drivers Dan Wheldon in 2011 at Las Vegas Motorspeedway and Justin Wilson at Pocono Raceway in 2015.
But the series has since made significant strides in driver safety. And, in response, fans have called for the return of more high-speed ovals on the calendar.
Now, with the news of the Nashville change, they couldn’t be any happier.
superspeedway spec with hybrid regen in newgarden's hometown https://t.co/hLDbJsMkmk pic.twitter.com/Y90YMEtA0d
— Colin Kulpa (@ColinKulpa)
Girls don’t want chocolates for Valentine’s Day – they want series finales at a Super Speedway. https://t.co/MHu9GdOLsh
— Jules (@julianamyers20)
NO WAY INDYCAR FINALE ON A NASHVILLE OVAL
WEVE WON!!! https://t.co/fKXgyI7qYX pic.twitter.com/3y6abp0GWP
— Brandon (@ColoBrandoni13)
Even drivers were fired up about the news.
Another oval? I love the streets of Nashville. But I also love this. A LOT #MoreOvals https://t.co/aPOd6HgRzd
— Conor Daly (@ConorDaly22)
I love ovals. It’s the DNA of Indycar racing for me. Yes it’s sad we’re not going to race down broadway this year but man it’s great that we have another oval on the calendar. And for it being the finale will be spectacular. Let’s do this @MusicCityGP @IndyCar https://t.co/8T7kt480Y7
— Marcus Ericsson (@Ericsson_Marcus)
IndyCar last raced at Nashville Superspeedway in 2008. Six-time series champion Scott Dixon is the last driver to win at the track, completing a three-peat” from 2006-2008.
IndyCar Changes Nashville Race Venue Due To New Titans Stadium
While the move went over well with everyone, outside forces appear to have forced IndyCar’s hand.
“With construction set to begin for the new Titans Stadium, the Grand Prix operations team knew they’d be faced with new challenges, knowing that the course used for the first three years would have to change dramatically for 2024’s race,” race promoter Scott Borchetta said in a press release.
The Tennessee Titans recently began construction on a new, domed stadium set to open in 2027.
IndyCar did not say whether the race would remain at the oval in the future or return to the streets. But Nashville has a contract with the series to host a race through at least 2026.
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