Here is a rundown of what got me thinking.
There was a Daytona race that did not go to overtime, and there was a four-wide finish for first as the playoff field was set for the Cup Series. A relief driver won and probably should get credit for his efforts. The biggest news from the week in NASCAR was the schedule was released and the Truck Series will be joining IndyCar at St. Petersburg in 2026. MotoGP visited a new circuit. There was some late-race drama in Germany. Virginia hosted a GT-only party. Christian Rasmussen took a stunning victory, but we stare at the final week of the IndyCar season, and there is a question that I have had bouncing around my head.
What Happened to the Love of Racing?
It is something when two series are experiencing existential crisis simultaneously, and neither realize it.
NASCAR went through another week contemplating its championship format, who is championship-eligible, what constitutes a good season, what it means to be a champion and whether it is doing things the right way.
IndyCar entered its penultimate race of the season as its final two races happen over consecutive weekends with a championship already decided and wondering what the draw will be for these races since the biggest prize is already claimed.
Those who are proponents of NASCAR's current format and want the championship to be guaranteed to be decided as late as possible used IndyCar's current state as evidence against a full season aggregate to decide a champion. If the system was that popular, then people would tune in for the IndyCar race from Milwaukee. Since the IndyCar championship was already decided, is there any reason to tune in?
Such a mindset does bother me because if you are a fan of a series or motorsports in general, what happened to tuning in for the series and the race itself?
We all care about the championship and it is the overarching prize for the entire season. It does keep us watching until the very end, but motorsports holds a unique place in the sports world. The championship could be decided, but each race can stand on its own. The points are one thing, but each race has a winner and do not require the full championship picture to convey importance of that event. Each team is trying to win whether or not the championship is within reach or not. It is competition and a chance to be the best, even if only for one day.
The championship might be claimed, but no one is mailing it in.
In IndyCar's case, all 27 cars showed up to Milwaukee even though Álex Palou could not be caught, and we saw one of the best races of the season. Palou has nothing to race for except pride and a place in history. He went at 100% and had an incredibly dominant day. Christian Rasmussen could not win the championship and has not been mathematically eligible to win the champions for quite some time, but he didn't just toil around in 15th for 250 laps.
Each race is a chance to beat the competition and take that pride in winning on that day. Every driver and engineer and crew member go into a race looking to be better. They aren't thinking about what they have. They are looking for what it will take to get more on that day.
As we saw at Milwaukee, Palou still wanted to stomp the competition even if he has nothing left to prove this season. Rasmussen still took a chance at an opportunity to win a race. To some, there is nothing left to play for, but all that mattered to Palou and Rasmussen was this one day. They wanted to win that race and they put on a breath-taking battle. They didn't need the allure of a championship to race hard and try to beat one another.
We love when a championship goes the distance. It is special to see two or three or four drivers push each other and be near equals over a six or seven or ten months. The drivers push each other and raise the bar on the competition, but sometimes one driver is head and shoulders above the rest. We saw that with Palou this season, but that same ability to thrash the competition is what made A.J. Foyt, Mario Andretti, Al Unser, Bobby Unser and Rick Mears the legendary figures we currently revere. In some seasons, you just have to appreciate greatness.
For some, a decided championship makes the races irrelevant. I have never felt that way. I have never felt like there isn't a reason to tune in because the championship was over. I watched Michael Schumacher, Fernando Alonso, Sebastian Vettel, Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen all have seasons where the final result was inevitable, and yet there was still a reason to watch the next race. I didn't know what was going to happen. There was a strong inclination on how the result might go, but what happens between the green flag and the checkered flag is not pre-determined. We will find out what will happen in real time, and it could be incredible.
If you love motorsports then I would believe you can see a race for what it is on its own. It is a race. A grid of cars will line up and complete over a scheduled distance. Who cares what will happen in the championship? Let's just enjoy that day. And even if the race winner cannot win the championship, we never see them celebrate any less. It is still meaningful. It is still earned. No one gets out of the car and acts like they won a race where most were not trying. Everyone is still chasing a victory.
Where did that love of racing go?
The status of the championship shouldn't be that much of a determining factor over whether or not you will tune in. I understand why people would feel differently, but there are only a finite number of races each season. A series might have 20 races if we are lucky. IndyCar cannot seem to have any more than 17. Choosing to skip two is missing 10% or more of the season. It isn't baseball where there are over 2,000 games. It isn't basketball or hockey where there are over 1,000 games. It isn't even the NFL with its 272 regular season games, 285 if you include the playoffs. If you just watch IndyCar, Formula One and the NASCAR Cup Series, you only have 77 chances to watch. Add in MotoGP grand prix and you still have not hit 100 races.
Each series must have a fan base that will love a series no matter what is at stake. In the 21st century, that is likely harder than it has ever been. I cannot know what it was like to watch races in the 1960s or 1970s, but it is easy to believe that was a time period where people went because they just loved seeing the cars on track. They wanted to these speed machines in person and be in awe. There were so few opportunities to see them. Motorsports wasn't all over the television screen. The chance to watch on television or see it in person was special. You couldn't let the championship get in the way of watching the drivers push the limits of speed and safety.
We are spoiled, not only in our abundance of access to series all around the globe, but in ability to indulge in these series to a point where we believe we know everything, from which technical regulations lead to less than thrilling racing to how races should be lined up on the schedule to maximize viewership. At some point, it might be easier to step back and enjoy what happens on the racetrack.
It is ok that the championship might be decided though there are still races to run. You can watch. You can enjoy it. There is no need for it to feel like a waste. It might be better to tune in and just have to worry about what happens over those 200 or 250 laps without much care of the larger picture.
Champion From the Weekend
Dennis Hauger clinched the Indy Lights championship with a runner-up finish at Milwaukee.
Winners From the Weekend
You know about Christian Rasmussen, but did you know...
Marc Márquez won MotoGP's Hungarian Grand Prix, his seventh consecutive victory and his tenth of the season. Márquez also won the sprint race, his seventh consecutive weekend sweep and his 13th sprint race victory in 14 races. David Alonso won the Moto2 race, his first Moto2 victory. Máximo Quiles won the Moto3 race, his second victory of the season. Mattia Casadei swept the MotoE races.
Ryan Blaney won the NASCAR Cup race from Daytona, his second victory of the season Connor Zilisch is credited with victory in the Grand National Series race after Parker Kligerman finshed first on the track driving in relief. It is Zilisch's seventh victory of the season
Salvador de Alba won the Indy Lights race from Milwaukee, his first career victory.
The #3 Corvette of Alexander Sims and Antonio García won the IMSA race from Virginia International Raceway. The #57 Winward Racing Mercedes-AMG of Philip Ellis and Russell Ward won in GTD.
The #48 VDS Racing Oreca-Gibson of Esteban Masson, Charles Milesi and Oliver Gray won the 4 Hours of Spa-Francorchamps. The #8 Team Viraga Liger-Toyota of Daniel Nogales, Rik Koen and Julien Gerbi won in LMP3. The #59 Racing Spirit of Léman Aston Martin of Erwan Bastard, Valentin Hasse-Clot and Clément Mateu won in LMGT3.
Ayhancan Güven swept the Deutsche Tourenwagen Masters races from Sachsenring.
The #23 NISMO Nissan of Katsumasa Chiyo and Mitsunori Takaboshi won the Super GT race from Suzuka. The #7 CarGuy MKS Racing Ferrari of Rikuto Kobayashi and Zak O'Sullivan won in GT300.
Coming Up This Weekend
IndyCar ends its season in Nashville.
Formula One returns from its break with a trip to the sandy beaches of Zandvoort.
NASCAR opens its playoffs with the Southern 500 while the second division makes a final trip to Portland.
GT World Challenge Europe Endurance Cup will race at the Nürburgring.
The World Rally Championship makes its first visit to Paraguay.
