The road, finally taken

I feel vindicated this morning.

 It doesn't happen often. I might even still be asleep and it's just a dream. If it is, don't wake me up.

See, seven or eight or 10 years ago, I started writing that they ought to move the Brickyard 400 to the infield road course at Indy, because on the oval it was like watching paint dry on the Tournament of Roses parade if the Tournament of Roses parade had floats sponsored by Napa Auto Parts and Bass Pro Shops. Just a string of blaring loudness endlessly circling those historic 2.5 miles while the mid-summer sun baked everyone like a cherry pie. That was the Brickyard.

And not even the Petaluma High School marching band from Petaluma, Calif., to break up the monotony.

Well. Yesterday I opened up a story about NASCAR's 2021 Cup schedule, and ...

And there it was.

They're finally, finally moving the Brickyard 400 to the road course.

I have to say it's high time, and even if I know I had absolutely nothing to do with it, a man can be as delusional as he likes in 2020 America. A man can think somewhere in the sanctum sanctorum of NASCAR's corporate offices, some exec named Cooter or Delbert III said, "Ya know, we oughta do what this Ben Smith feller says. Seems like he's got his head screwed on straight on this Brickyard deal."

OK, so that didn't happen.

More than likely it was the official storyline, which is that NASCAR took a look at its schedule decided it could use some revving up. So they ditched two cookie-cutter ovals (Kentucky and Chicagoland) and moved the Brickyard to the infield course and added a couple other road-course races. They're even going to dump a pile of dirt on Bristol and stage the first dirt-track Cup race since 1970.

(Which is not what they ought to be doing, mind you. The perfect venue for a dirt-track Cup race is an actual dirt track, and the finest one around is Eldora, which just happens to be owned by NASCAR legend/team owner Tony Stewart. Of course, this makes so much sense it's probably why they didn't do it.)

In any event, the Brickyard is now a road race. And I suspect some of what informed that decision was the Xfinity race on July 4 weekend, which was also run on the infield course. That it just happened to be the most exciting race of the entire weekend -- and the best show NASCAR has ever put on at Indy -- no doubt opened a few eyes.

And now I feel vindicated.

"Well, look at you, Mr. Big Shot, strutting around," you're saying now.

Please. Don't spoil the moment.