Quote:
Originally Posted by Ferrari333SP
What is the appeal of IndyCar drivers moving over to Nascar? Besides to make more money (I assume that happens), what is the draw? Isn't IndyCar a more truer form of racing, and isn't that what you'd want as a driver, if it wasn't about the money?
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NASCAR is the pinnacle of American motorsport. The biggest challenge, the most talented drivers, the largest following...
It's hard for a lot of motor racing "purists" to accept, and while I love both NASCAR and...well I loved CART, so I guess I love what open-wheel could or should be...there is no prestige in today's IndyCar Series and the depth of the field is just not comparable to the amount of talent that has chosen NASCAR.
Danica's way happier in her interviews on a NASCAR weekend than an Indy one, too, so I think the racing's a lot of fun for her, and the paddock's a lot less...tense. NASCAR's found a way to make every single race their Indy 500. They're all just so massive, and all have the big event feel Americans crave. Any race win is an important one. It's a full slate of huge races, there's a lot of money in it, a lot more technology than one would think...and yet it still has roots in down-home stock car racing at local bullring tracks, and still has plenty of people who grew up there. In a way, with the spectacle of it all combined with the fan-friendliness and accessibility, NASCAR's found a way to be something like a cross of F1 and BTCC in terms of a weekend experience...
It may be an odd form of racing to take 3600-lb bricks out on speedways, but it's a damn fine one, and I think drivers are starting to recognize that. Yeah, money plays a role, there's no denying that, but Danica's still a racer and all the drivers like to be able to overtake, have a chance to win on any given weekend, not be subject to Indy's bull**** rulings, and feel like they're part of something huge and important every weekend, not just one race per season.