Indianapolis Motor Speedway hasn't always been friendly to NASCAR in the two decades of racing at the historic track, but the latest stock car model could finally change that.
Five years after the Gen-5 car made a disastrous debut at one of auto racing's most famous venues, NASCAR and its drivers are confident the Gen-6 model won't suffer the same fate.
A tire test this spring yielded promising results, especially when temperatures were cool during the morning session.
Drivers like Jeff Gordon topped out at 214 miles per hour (344 km/h) and posted average lap speeds that reached and exceeded track records. More importantly, the tires appeared to hold up on a track known for being so abrasive it takes a toll on rubber.
If those speeds hold up and the tires don't disintegrate after the green flag drops on Sunday afternoon for the Crown Royal Brickyard 400, the Gen-6 car could break the current stock car track record of 186.293 mph set in 2004.
The weather appears to be co-operating, with Sunday's anticipated high of 25 C not posing a significant danger for increased tire wear, which has long been a concern at the 2.5-mile oval known for hosting the Indianapolis 500.
It's that open-wheel heritage that has kept NASCAR coming back to Indianapolis every season, even if the track hasn't produced the best racing over the years.
In a sport where the athletes play an active role in the promotional machine each week, criticism of track conditions is frowned upon and drivers are encouraged to focus on the positive in pre-race interviews. At Indianapolis that has translated into drivers speaking glowingly about its history and the symbolism of what it means to win there, while at the same time talking about the unique style of racing that has developed at the long, but relatively flat track.
The latter is code for the challenges that persist 20 years after stock cars first crossed the brick start finish line and no event was more challenging than the 2008 race.
It quickly devolved into a disaster when the Car of Tomorrow, as the Gen-5 vehicle was known at the time, experienced tire wear so severe the cars were unable to last more than 10 laps before risking a blowout. Rather than a display of driving skill, the event became an endurance test for the pit crews and fans who endured a 3 1/2 hour marathon devoid of much excitement.
If the Gen-6 debut is anything close to the debacle of the Car of Tomorrow, there will be renewed calls for NASCAR to disregard the track's storied history and dump Indianapolis from its schedule in favour of a venue built to stock car specifications.
But if fans are treated to record speeds on Sunday and a race that's won by the drivers on track and not on pit lane, the Brickyard might finally evolve into a place drivers want to compete at on its racing merits rather than its historical significance.
