The IndyCar-ification of NASCAR

Behind Larson, Tyler Reddick finished second, his third top three in the last five races, and a heated Ryan Blaney crossed the line in third.

What Really Happened?

In its return to the Indianapolis Motor Speedway oval for the first time since 2020, NASCAR’s top series showed an uncanny resemblance to the famous open wheel race that happens at this same venue each year: the Indianapolis 500. In fact, the Cup Series has grown to be more like the NTT IndyCar Series than many people realize.

Before a rash of cautions set up a myriad of fuel strategies in the final stage, the opening segments of the race featured a narrow groove with little passing, which has sort of been the norm for stock cars at Indianapolis. But the need for the Next Gen to have multiple lanes only amplified the problem, and drivers couldn’t quite find the momentum they needed to get a run down the long straightaways to make a pass.

The Next Gen machine — a kit car — involves raised corner speeds, leaving a bigger wake and making it harder for drivers to follow the car in front on tracks with a narrow groove. When you look at IndyCar racing, they have a kit car and a similar issue with passing on narrow race tracks.

In IndyCar, quick tire changes make fuel strategy ultra important, and it often comes down to who can take the least fuel latest. This weekend, and for much of the season, quicker Cup pit stops make fuel savings ultra important, leading to conversations like Chase Elliott had with Alan Gustafson about “biting the bullet,” or Reddick being told to wait on one stop so the team can pack it full.

With the increased emphasis on strategies, crew chiefs are becoming superstars in their own right. Much like the IndyCar race strategists get a lot of mentions on the broadcasts, crew chief names Chris Gabehart, Cliff Daniels, Matt McCall and…