Applauding an Unpopular Decision
Most regular visitors to this site would probably agree that I am an IndyCar fan. I have been since 1965, when I attended my first Indianapolis 500. I dragged my first wife to a few 500s in the 90s, but she never liked it. That’s one of the many reasons she became an ex. When Susan and I got married at IMS in 2012, we delayed our honeymoon for over a week, so that we could attend that year’s Indianapolis 500.
I have run this site for over 15 years, and it is exclusively devoted to following the NTT IndyCar Series. I don’t get paid a cent for doing this, and I spend my own money to travel so we can attend races – which usually amount to over half of the races each season. When Susan and I attend the Big Machine Music City Grand Prix next weekend at Nashville Superspeedway – it will be our tenth race for this season. Now there are a couple of double-headers in those ten races, but if IndyCar can count them, so can I.
I don’t mention any of this to brag. But I don’t want anyone to have any doubt what a racing fan I am after they read this post, because most of you will disagree with me.
The NFL season kicked off last night in Kansas City, with the Chiefs winning 27-20. For some strange reason, the Green Bay Packers will be playing the Philadelphia Eagles in Brazil on Friday night. When IndyCar used to race in São Paulo a little more than a decade ago, it was because there were so many fulltime Brazilian drivers in the field. As far as I know, there are no Brazilian NFL players for the Packers or Eagles, but I digress…
Sunday will be the big day in the NFL, as the remaining 28 teams will be in action on Sunday or Monday night.
I have already established that I am a big IndyCar fan. But I am also a sports fan. I am just as excited about another NFL season starting this weekend, as I was going into the race weekend for St. Petersburg back in March.
There are a lot of similarities between the two. The NFL plays 17 games per season, IndyCar has 17 races per season. The NFL season lasts a little less than six months, from start to finish. The IndyCar season lasts about six months from start to finish.
For the past few seasons, fans have been forced to choose between watching their favorite NFL team live or the IndyCar season finale – which normally decides the championship. I am a fan of the Tennessee Titans, much like most of those that live in Indianapolis who are Colts fans. As big of an IndyCar fan that I am, I normally set the DVR to record the IndyCar race and watch the Titans live. Once it’s over, I flip over and watch the IndyCar race recording from the start. By zapping through the commercials, I usually catch up to the live broadcast before the race is done, but not always.
This year we will be attending the season finale in-person, mainly because it is taking place in our hometown. The problem is, the Titan’s home-opener against the New York Jets is also that weekend. The green flag will fly about the same time the Jets/Titans will be starting the fourth quarter. We have made our choice for that weekend and I am fine with it. Unfortunately, many Nashville residents who would normally attend the IndyCar race have chosen the Titans over the Music City Grand Prix.
It’s not just at the gate where the season finale will suffer. It will be hurt by dramatically lower TV ratings. It’s nothing against the race or the series. That is the fate of any property that goes head-to-head against the NFL, including NASCAR.
When the 2025 IndyCar schedule came out in June, many fans were upset to learn that next season will end over Labor Day weekend, at the end of August – a whole two weeks earlier than this season. They say the off-season is too long anyway, and now it will be two weeks longer. What they fail to mention is that next season will start a full week earlier than this season (Mar 8 ’24 vs Mar 2 ’25). In reality, the offseason next year will be one week longer. There are greater crimes in life.
Here is where most fans disagree with me. While most fans were upset to learn of the early finish to the season – I applauded it. I think the IndyCar season should finish on Labor Day weekend every season. The NFL should be avoided at all cost. The NASCAR season is ridiculously long, running from February through November. But starting this weekend, their ratings will drop significantly. That’s what happens when you go against the behemoth that is the NFL. You lose.
I had a conversation about this at Milwaukee last weekend with my good friend Mike Silver of The Pit Window. We are on opposite ends of the spectrum on this, but there is a reason why – he doesn’t care for football. He told me last weekend that he looks at football as something that keeps him mildly amused until basketball season starts. That’s how I feel about basketball – it’s something to watch after football, before the IndyCar season starts.
I get it that if you don’t watch football, you get irritated that IndyCar bends its schedule to fit around the NFL. I also know that there are many racing fans who don’t give a hoot about “stick & ball” sports of any kind. They like auto racing and that’s it. I get it, but if that last part describes you – you are in the vast minority. The majority of us die-hard IndyCar fans are also die-hard football fans. Marketing research has shown over the years that the demographic of fans that follow IndyCar and the NFL, greatly overlap. It’s been that way since the late 80s, and it shows no signs of changing anytime soon.
When sitting in my den, even I will relegate the IndyCar season finale to the DVR, while I watch the Titans live. If I have the chance to attend the season finale in-person, obviously it’s the Titans that go to the DVR.
IndyCar fans should not have to choose. If a rabid fan like myself is sending the IndyCar race to the DVR, how many casual fans are simply picking the NFL over IndyCar and will choose to simply read about it later? I’m guessing a lot. By ending the season over Labor Day, there is far less competition. Yes, there are is usually a college football game on that Sunday – but it is usually of little consequence, compared to the NFL Sunday slate of games.
Count me as a proponent of ending the IndyCar season before the NFL kicks off. Now, if they can find some more warm-weather locations, count me in on starting the season in February. I would much rather go against golf or college basketball, than the NFL. Going directly against the NFL is scheduling malpractice!
George Phillips
Please Note: In keeping with this theme, I am going to take this weekend off, as I normally do this weekend each year. Since we were in Milwaukee all last weekend, I saw very little college football. With the NFL Opening Day this weekend, and my Tennessee Vols in a big game against NC State on Saturday – I plan to be a couch potato and do nothing but watch football all weekend. Mrs. Oilpressure will not be happy, but she’s now used to me doing it on NFL Opening Day. Therefore, there will be no post here on Monday Sep 9. I will return here on Wednesday Sep 11. Please check back then and enjoy Opening Day, if you choose to celebrate. – GP
Oilpressure 
September 6, 2024 at 7:57 am
100 percent George. It’s pointless to air opposite the NFL. Plus, six months is long enough for a season. Nascar and F1 going into November is so silly.
I think IndyCar’s season is about right. The NFL has it right. If baseball shaved one month off the regular season it would be six months with the playoffs included, and that would be about right.
The NBA and NHL should dump two months and start around Christmas time in my opinion…..then their seasons would be about right. I remember that strike-shortened season in the NBA back in ’99 when they played around 60 games instead of 82. It was great.
September 6, 2024 at 9:20 am
This is one of those things I’ve generally disagreed with from a fan standpoint and agreed with from a business standpoint… but with Indycar on Fox for the foreseeable future, I actually disagree with it from a business standpoint now as well.
Fox has several Sunday afternoons each fall during the NFL season where they are only allowed to air 1 game, and the timeslot that follows gets the best lead-in a non-NFL broadcast could ever hope for. Here’s the viewership for some post-NFL sports broadcasts on Fox from the 2022 season (the last season that I can find full ratings reports):
9/18/22 – NHRA – 1.6 million
10/16/22 – PBA Bowling – 1.3 million
12/25/22 – Big East Basketball DePaul at Creighton – 3.0 million
All 3 of these broadcasts had more viewers than any non-500 Indycar race has had in several years. When CBS has only one NFL game it is a similar story, with broadcasts of properties like Professional Bull Riders and Sail Grand Prix topping 1.5 million viewers. And all of these broadcasts are still going up against NFL games on the network that has the double-header that week.
Now the caveat here is that most of the sports that wind up in these post-NFL time slots are likely paying for their broadcast slot and it is not uncommon for such broadcasts to actually be tape-delayed. Even so, with Indycar on Fox now it would still seem to be an opportunity to draw a big TV rating… and perhaps please a race promoter or two who prefer a fall date at the same time.
September 6, 2024 at 11:21 am
I am in 100% agreement with you that the Indycar season should end prior to NFL week 1. If necessary, try and fill some of the early season gaps, if more races are added. I wonder how the Titans home opener will impact attendance at the Indycar finale?
September 6, 2024 at 2:56 pm
Filling the gaps during the season is just what I wanted to suggest. BTW, we watch the NFL and have several favorite teams, but will be taping next weekend so we can watch the IC finale.
September 7, 2024 at 1:36 am
Back in the 90s, I first got into watching IndyCar racing on TV channel Eurosport in October after the F1 season was over in September.
That’s why it still feels odd to this follower of the series located in Europe that it’s now vice versa: IndyCar ending early and the F1 season dragging on and on for 23 races I think it is these days.
Personally, I have no clue about American Football and how huge it is in IndyCar’s national US market. Not a stick and ball sports guy at all either.
Yet, from the topic of this thread and the reactions to it, I must assume that American Football must have gotten even bigger than it was back when the Boston Consulting Group introduced the recommendation to end the IndyCar season before football began some roughly 15 years ago. I’ve been told they are even showing it on TV here in Germany now. IndyCar? Not that I know of.
September 7, 2024 at 8:10 pm
well, the NFL will have 18 games soon enough.