NASCAR’s return to the Indianapolis Motor Speedway oval for the 2025 Brickyard 400 was supposed to be a triumphant homecoming. It was meant to be a chance to relive the glory days of a crown jewel race. But as the green flag waved, social media lit up with photos of sparse crowds and rows of empty grandstands, sparking a firestorm of concern.
Fans and media sounded off, worried that the Brickyard’s magic had faded. Yet, Jeff Gluck pushed back on X, saying, “All of you tweeting about attendance: you’re not seeing the fans underneath in the shade. It’s not Indy 500 attendance by any means but there are people here.”
Those empty seats stung because Indy’s massive 235,000-seat capacity, along with room for 300,000, including the infield, can make even a solid 50,000 to 70,000 turnout look ghostly. Back in 1994, the Brickyard 400 pulled over 250,000 fans, a NASCAR high outside Daytona, and held strong at 200,000 through the early 2000s.
All of you tweeting about attendance: you’re not seeing the fans underneath in the shade. It’s not Indy 500 attendance by any means but there are people here. pic.twitter.com/SKr2dSpTn1
— Jeff Gluck (@jeff_gluck) July 27, 2025
But the 2010s brought trouble. Lackluster racing, the 2008 tire fiasco with endless cautions, and NASCAR’s broader popularity dip all took their toll. The 2021 switch to the IMS road course was an effort to shake things up with wilder action, but it couldn’t match the oval’s historic vibe.
NASCAR bet big on bringing the oval back, hyping it through the In-Season Tournament and earning support from drivers like Kyle Larson and Chase Briscoe, who publicly praised the move. Local fans were excited for high-speed battles on the bricks.
Still, those stark images of bare grandstands have sparked questions about whether the Brickyard can ever reclaim its past glory or if NASCAR has a bigger challenge ahead when it comes to filling seats.
This is a developing story.
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