With just hours remaining before the iconic command is given at one of the most watched races in the country, NASCAR nation has a lot to digest. This includes speculations about the star-studded lineup including a sextet of international drivers, the ever-narrowing road to the Cup Series playoffs, and the distressing trend of the organization straying away from the core values that made NASCAR what it is today.

While it has only been 3 years since the race was moved to the current 2.5-mile road course at the coveted Indianapolis Motor Speedway, Brickyard 400 always has been an oval spectacle for old-school fans since its inception in 1994. The drastic move to shift to a road course can be attributed to the event’s dwindling popularity as numbers suggested fans opting out from the oval racing for a new and improved road racing version of the same in IndyCar.

From fans wanting the oval to be omitted from the schedule to wanting it back, NASCAR’s crown jewel track has seen it all now, and adding to its plight is the 2020 Cup Series champion, Chase Elliott’s open admission, blatantly betraying the track, leaving it in dire straits.

A deep dive into the cause of all the smoke

Ask any ardent follower of the sport about the biggest crown jewel event in the NASCAR calendar, most will point to either Daytona 500 or Brickyard 400 at IMS. Before being replaced by the road course, Brickyard 400 was the most anticipated race for avid old-school fans, who used to gather in the hundreds of thousands at the iconic speedway to watch stock cars speeding down the track.

But gone are days of oval racing at Indy. Owing to its dwindling popularity and several other factors including the track’s peculiar character, the iconic event is now being held at the road course. However recently there has been a surge in fans wanting the return of the oval instead of the more technically challenging road course. Reflecting on the track’s bleak future and fans’ demand, IMS President Douglas Boles broke the news to the community as he mentioned the complications.

Adding more uncertainty is the track’s diamond-grinded racing surface and NASCAR’s tire partner Goodyear’s testing phase. With news of rigorous tire testing coming to light, Boles spoke his mind about the issue. As reported by wibc.com, he said, “I’ve enjoyed the road course. I think it’s something we’ll continue to do in the future. The question is, ‘Do we go back to the oval? Do we rotate between the oval and road course?’”

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Furthermore, the President mentioned the right time to have a discussion, following the testing, “We’ll make a decision later this summer on what 2024 will look like, once they test, that will be a good time to sit down and talk about ‘Do we come back to the oval or do we keep this weekend format.'”

While the move to shift between an oval and road course seems highly unlikely, the Hendrick Motorsports speedster, Chase Elliott’s latest comments deepens the problem adding more tension.

Chase Elliott drops a bomb with his latest comments, deeming the track as “characterless”

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Despite being in deep waters, struggling to land a playoff berth, 2020 Cup Series champion, Chase Elliott had an intriguing take on the track ahead of his much anticipated IMS run. The HMS ace desperately needs a win and is in dire straits, sitting at 22nd spot in the points table.

While being sidelined for 6 straight races has put him on the back foot, the #9 driver has seemingly failed to shine and his Michigan venture was a total catastrophe for him, wrecking out miserably on lap 34 to end his day 36th in the 37-car field. He needs a major turnaround to keep his championship hopes, and the upcoming Indy road course promises HMS fans a ray of hope given Elliott’s road racing prowess.

Surprisingly, Elliott has taken the opposite stance, stunning fans. Ahead of the race, Elliott deemed the track simply as flat and characterless with no banking making it more complex for drivers. “For me, personally, I feel like it is one of the harder ones, if not the toughest for me. Most road courses that we go to have a little bit of character at some point, little bit of banking or a little bit of something,” said Elliott in a pre-race interview.

READ MORE: “There Is Nothing Telling Me This Team Is Ready To Go Win a Race” – NASCAR Legend Bashes Chase Elliott As He Declares the Road Course King Has Lost It’s Crown

He added, “That place is just flat. Not really a lot of character to the road itself. Imperfections, bumps. Things like that. Just a very flat road course, which I find challenging because it’s hard to find ways to be different.”