NASCAR Fans React as Roger Penske Delivers Update on the Fate of “Slow and Awful” IMS Road Course

Published 07/30/2022, 4:55 AM EDT

Drivers and professionals working within the NASCAR community, along with fans, have never hidden their disapproval of the road course races at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. The majority opinion on this subject is that at IMS, the race should be on the oval course and not what it is currently.

However, what Roger Penske, the owner of the track as well as the owner of Team Penske, stated ended up making fans sourer on the subject.

“Roger Penske says NASCAR will remain on the IMS road course for 2023, but is evaluating whether to switch to the oval in 2024. He mentions alternating years between the road course and oval is one option under consideration,” journalist Jordan Bianchi reported.

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Really want cup back on the oval, waiting till ‘24 is kind of silly, no reason it couldn’t be back next year. Just want to see these cars on the big track while they’re still newish. Racing will probably not be as good once they figure them out.
— Rob (@b_a88) July 29, 2022

Get rid of the road course for Cup!
— Phillip Sterling (@PSterling9512) July 29, 2022

Bring back the brickyard 400.
The road course is slow and awful for stock cars.
— Jonathan Absher (@cpt_crazy91) July 29, 2022

Personally, I like the idea of both layouts alternating because it'll create more hype for the oval since it'll only happen every 2 years
— Robbie Power (@Robbie_FJ_Power) July 29, 2022

Very disappointing. I’ve been to every @nascar race at @ims and the road course last year was the worst #nascar race I’ve attended at #indy.
— Mike Woodrum (@mikewoodrum13) July 29, 2022

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What else did Roger Penske say about the future of NASCAR at IMS?

In an interview ahead of the Cup Series race at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway this weekend, Roger Penske was asked what the future holds for the track layout considering the general voice of disapproval against the road course.

“We’ll be on a road course,” Penske said about the fixture for 2023.

The Captain added that “to be honest”, they are considering alternating between a road course and an oval on a yearly basis.

“Do we alternate that year after year? We don’t know, but certainly something we’ve had some conversations (about). But next year, we’ll be on the road course,” he described.

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Now, it remains to be seen how long can NASCAR and Roger Penske continue the road course experiment going because it’s only one year old, but the distaste the new course has developed amongst the fans and drivers is immense.

The Cup Series race on the oval was a regular fixture from 1994 to 2020.

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Will we see it return in 2024?

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Written by:

Shaharyar is an F1 & NASCAR writer at EssentiallySports. A graduate in Journalism from Amity University, he has been a passionate follower of motorsports for a better part of the decade. A Max Verstappen and Ferrari supporter, he dreams of a pairing of the two in future.

Edited by:

Ranvijay Singh