Last weekend’s race from Gateway was the final oval race of the year for IndyCar, and drivers were left wishing there were another round or two to complement the various other road courses the series visits.
With only five races being run this year on ovals, including the double-header at Iowa, a heavy majority of events are held on road and street circuits.
That distribution has been a trend in recent seasons, but some drivers wish the numbers were reversed. Veterans and newcomers alike made a point to say that they love racing on the banking and would welcome more of it.
“It’s just special to be able to race in IndyCar on an oval,” said McLaughlin, who never raced on an oval before joining IndyCar in 2021. “It’s part of the DNA of IndyCar racing. Certainly hope there’s more ovals in the future. I think many others would agree with me.
“I’ve just had good teammates, got a good team, good cars, for me to be able to extract the speed and be really comfortable with [ovals] and learn quickly. I’m very thankful for that.”
Back when IndyCar had just reunited with Champ Car, ovals comprised a majority of the schedule. In 2009, for example, 10 of the 17 rounds were held on all types of ovals around the USA.
That number has dwindled in recent years, with the series only visiting three tracks for four events on ovals in 2021, including the ever-present Indy 500.
The reality is that promoters find it tough to make ends meet for oval races, but a new trend is emerging where a commercial sponsor steps in to bring a festival atmosphere to the track to attract a wider audience.
Everything from concerts, to food trucks, to special contests were a part of the successful Hy-Vee race weekend from Iowa Speedway, and others are looking to that example as a viable path forward.
“Kentucky was always fun,” reminisced Scott Dixon when asked where he would like to see the series visit. “It was quite a demanding circuit, but always played well for IndyCar racing.
“Richmond, I know we were pretty close to being back there, apart from the situation with COVID. I just think we need to get back to more ovals, which I think everybody can definitely agree on that. It’s just picking the right ones, picking the right partnerships that do exactly what they’ve done in Iowa or here in St. Louis.”
Two of the best finishes of this season have been at ovals, with Newgarden passing McLaughlin on the final corner at Texas, and rookie David Malukas storming to second place on the final lap in Gateway.
A few of the tracks that IndyCar visited in years past have either fallen into disrepair or are no longer seeking to hold events with the open wheel series, leaving fewer choices when looking at viable options.
But if a way can be found to add one or two more to the schedule, fans could be treated even more thrilling racing that ovals tend to produce.
