For Indy's sake, the fix better be in

INDIANAPOLIS – Tony Stewart, a well-versed critic of Goodyear over the past decade, is convinced the tiremaker has a suitable product for use in Sunday's Allstate 400 at The Brickyard.

Let's hope he's right for the sake of Goodyear, NASCAR, Indianapolis Motor Speedway and every race fan who sat through last year's fiasco. Otherwise, NASCAR's future at The Brickyard must be seriously reconsidered.

No one can afford a repeat of last year, when the race was ruined by a poor tire selection by Goodyear. The combination of NASCAR's heavier new car and the "diamond grinding" on four-year-old pavement at IMS proved too much for the tires, which wore quickly and failed to lay any rubber on the surface.

Tires lasted only 10 to 12 laps, and NASCAR had to call competition cautions to force teams to pit so that they wouldn't try to stretch the tires beyond their lifespan. The race, won by Jimmie Johnson, was no race at all, and fans in attendance were disgusted by the farce of a show.

How bad was it? An embarrassed NASCAR issued an apology the day after the race – a show of humility most race fans know doesn't come easy to governing body.

Goodyear has spent the last 11 months trying to avoid a repeat, but in many respects the damage has already been done. Ticket sales are believed to be dramatically down at IMS, which last year claimed a crowd of more than 240,000. Its racing fans had already suffered through one tire debacle, in the 2005 Formula One race when Michelin's compound was deemed unsafe by its drivers, who staged a walkout at the start of the event.

There's simply no way IMS can afford a third flop.

"I think a bit of our reputation is at stake," Greg Stucker, director of race-tire sales for Goodyear, said of Sunday's race. "We left there as disappointed as anyone, but the one thing we said is, 'We're going to get it right,' and that's what we've been working on for 11 months."

Stewart, who rarely has a kind word for the tiremaker he's skewered over the years, thinks Goodyear has got it right.

"I've gained a lot of respect for Goodyear over the process of working on the tire for Indianapolis and the dedication that they've shown to making sure that doesn't happen again," he said. "I think they've come back with a combination that not only is durable, but also made where it should be better racing at that time, too."

While the Brickyard is hallowed and historic, it is not a place for spectacular stock-car racing. Its minimal banking, tight corners and long straightaways make it perfect for Indy cars, but difficult for NASCAR.

The prestige of just being at IMS, however, has prevailed over the quality of racing ever since the facility opened its gates to stock cars in 1994. Back then, NASCAR used the track and its history as a vehicle to take stock car racing to another level. It hardly mattered what the product on the track looked like.

Immediately, the Brickyard 400 became one of the most important races on the schedule, one drivers desperately wanted to win because now they had their chance to kiss the "Yard of Bricks," something they thought they had given up when they chose their formula of racing.

Indy also became a favorite place for sponsors, who liked the idea of wining and dining executives in an IMS suite as cars donning their logos paraded by.

The Brickyard 400 was never the Indianapolis 500, but even second-best was pretty special to NASCAR.

But that was 15 years ago. Today, NASCAR isn't as dependent on certain markets or venues, not even IMS, which is in a state of flux following the recent ouster of Speedway CEO Tony George and the subsequent resignation of track president Joie Chitwood.

Yes, drivers love the prestige of racing at Indy, and the purse is one of the biggest of the year. (Johnson banked $509,236 with last season's win, while last-place finisher Michael Waltrip grabbed $139,494.) But even they understand how damaging last year was to Indy's spot on the Sprint Cup schedule.

"I think certainly a lot of damage was done," admitted Jeff Gordon, an Indiana native who's won four Brickyard 400s. "It might not take one race [to rebound]. It might take more than one race. I hope it happens and we get a chance for that to happen. But I believe it can happen."

It's doubtful the showing on Sunday will lead NASCAR into a quick decision on pulling the plug on IMS's future as a Sprint Cup venue. But if there is a repeat of 2008, you can bet the clock will certainly start ticking.