Column: Roger Penske Saved Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Now IndyCar Needs the Same Attention.

No one can question what Roger Penske has done for the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

Since purchasing IMS and IndyCar in 2019, Penske has poured millions into modernizing one of motorsports’ most iconic venues. The grandstands are cleaner. The fan experience has improved. The garages have been transformed into world-class facilities. The museum has undergone a complete renovation. The track looks every bit like the crown jewel it should be.

The Indianapolis 500 has never looked better.

That’s a tremendous achievement.

But now comes the harder part.

IndyCar itself needs that same level of investment.

The racing product isn’t the problem.

In fact, it’s arguably the best in the world.

Week after week, IndyCar produces close competition, multiple winners and some of the most talented drivers in motorsports. Alex Palou is building a Hall of Fame résumé. Pato O’Ward is one of the sport’s biggest personalities. Josef Newgarden, Scott Dixon, Kyle Kirkwood, David Malukas and Christian Lundgaard give fans plenty of stars to follow.

The product is there.

The promotion still has room to grow.

Too often, IndyCar delivers an incredible race that disappears from the national conversation by Monday morning.

That shouldn’t happen.

The series needs to tell its stories more aggressively.

Promote the rivalries.

Introduce the personalities.

Take drivers into local communities before race weekend.

Flood social media with behind-the-scenes content that gives casual fans a reason to care.

Most importantly, market IndyCar drivers as stars—not just race car drivers.

Formula 1 has shown what’s possible when fans become invested in personalities.

NASCAR has long understood the value of building recognizable names.

IndyCar has drivers worthy of that spotlight.

Now it has to shine the light on them.

Roger Penske deserves enormous credit for preserving and elevating Indianapolis Motor Speedway. The Speedway once again feels like the centerpiece of American motorsports.

Imagine if the rest of the series felt that way, too.

Because if IndyCar can pair its exceptional on-track product with equally exceptional marketing, the series won’t have to convince people to watch.

They’ll already be counting down the days until the next race.