2000s IndyCar Was Awesome: Clips To Make You Nostalgic

[@jmed412]

If it wasn't for the split the sport would have gotten much more recognition

[@scott_johnson_]

In a lot of ways the split was for the best. It was only the Indy 500 that suffered. Besides that you had two great series and twice as many car counts. I still wish you had two 20-25 car series instead of just one and 40-50 entries for the Indy 500.

[@BRIANCOTNOIR]

2000's Indy was just on another level! After Dale Sr. died, I just remember NASCAR kind of faltering off in popularity, and the IRL was the new and exciting series to watch. There was so much talent during that time Hornish, Wheldon, Danica, Dario, Dixon, TK, and so many other great drivers

[@Huckle15]

Helio, JPM, Little Al, Gil, RHR, all legends.

[@patrickanderson9023]

NASCAR’s popularity was it its peak in 2003, two years after the death of Dale Sr. The decline of NASCAR started first in 2006.

[@joeb7975]

i mean once all of the top CART drivers and teams displaced all of the amateurs it was good..before that, not so much.

[@Casethebro169]

Yeah, indy car started getting really big after the merger.

[@IanTheMotorsportsMan_YT]

This makes me wish I got into IndyCar early even more. Honestly, I still wish I got into IndyCar sooner. Saw some races between 2010-2011, bud I officially got into the sport on 2012. No regrets!

[@andrewhaywood1262]

Same here. I remember seeing some races from 2008 to 2011 like Detroit, Long Beach, Iowa, Indy, Edmonton & New Hampshire but didnt get into the sport until after DW's death (which I was also watching live as well)

[@JuanCarlos-tv2hu]

2001-2002 IRL ovals: full crowds. 2001-2002 CART ovals: few people.

[@bobbyblair8478]

Man I was Born in 2004 and I wish I was born in like 94’,Cause I would of loved all this watching classic Nascar,Indycar,Formula One,Champ Car,IROC,American Le Mans series,Grand Am series,NHRA and More. I think that Motorsports on the whole is in a healthy place right know and I think it will continue to grow,But I want to go back to this era so bad and experience it.

[@TheFoyer13]

I was born in 84 and in my humble opinion, watching indycar from 94' to 04' in real time and being able to remember it was epic.. It's why I bought a racing go kart. CART/Champ car > IRL. Then I watched F1 from 2008 till present. Thankfully they saved indycar back in like 2019 and it's getting good.

[@robpeeters9006]

IRL races I saw during this time growing up: 2003 Kentucky 2005 Michigan 2006 Indianapolis 2006 Michigan 2007 Michigan 2008 Indianapolis I would do anything to see those races again. This was peak IndyCar racing and we’ll never see anything as amazing as this ever again. I miss the big oval racing and the spectacular finishes. Growing up I loved Hornish, Wheldon, and Patrick. I’ll always remember watching them win races. Thank you for this video. It made me so very happy

[@crazycars81]

I miss indycar Mile and a half races, well except Vegas

[@AnarRamazanov-po5le]

​@@crazycars81and probably Charlotte too

[@kloosternator]

2000s Indycar is what nascar dreams it would be today

[@rsb363]

In 2005 I was a 10 year old lad from England I’d run back from school on a Monday to watch the replay Wheldon was my hero. I wish indy car would go to more ovals and have a package that would see some of these drafts again.

[@MLGProSwag69]

love how IndyCar goes to almost none of the tracks that these highlights are at outside of the 500, Texas (which they're trying to get rid of) & the singular Detroit clip

[@AlistairMaxwell77]

narscar owns them all

[@robertmusgrave9236]

@@AlistairMaxwell77 yet how ironic that those tracks owned by the France family let them use them in the first years of the IRL 1997-99 to help them get off the ground to rival CART. The Frances only did that to get CART to go out of business and push the IRL stars into NASCAR which was booming at the time in the late 90s.

[@Anthony_Stuart]

@@robertmusgrave9236 important difference: back then, IndyCar was selling out races at those ovals. Attendance plummeted before the series left the tracks

[@robertmusgrave9236]

@@Anthony_Stuart it’s not that your completely wrong but from I heard that those all oval tracks the IRL used in the first years had NASCAR ticket packages and for buying tickets for nascar races they got season ticket like packages as a perk and that is why they looked sold out at races like Charlotte,Texas,and Atlanta .

[@joeb7975]

if 1% of the people that complain about the lack of ovals on the internet actually showed up to the oval races we wouldn't have this problem....yet here we are.

[@vinewood8295]

I absolutely hated the look of those 2000's IRL cars as compared to their ChampCar counterparts BUT they did always put on a great show...

[@LucasGonzalezA]

I was on Champ Car's side, but these crapwagons could put up pretty good shows on ovals.

[@RafaelSantos_]

the title is totally right i'm 100% nostalgic right now!

[@chipsnever957]

Chicagoland, Michigan, & Homestead need to be back on the schedule

[@MikeHernandezjett]

Huge Hornish fan, it's awesome seeing how many races he won by inches.

[@xtlm]

2000's IRL was bonkers. Like literally everything about it.

[@emhutchi]

The way God intended racing - close, fast, and failing to make a profit.

[@izzdin6228]

Lmao that last point. Burnt so bright you burnt out in the process.

[@JoeBobTarheel]

3:54 that crowd!

[@bratasaurus2222]

dan wheldon rip sadly missed

[@Staggs2200]

I wish Indycar would return to Richmond. It's the only oval that's within a reasonable distance to me

[@zachg9065]

My frost race was 2007 at Kansas, wish they still came.

[@jefferyrobertson7520]

IndyCar Was Totally Amazing Badass From The 50s 70s 80s And Early 90s ☺

[@skatewithnomercy]

All I can say is that man I miss Dan Weldon

[@andcho13]

I wish we did more Oval today

[@revvingoverload6197]

At the time it was called IRL, when IRL carries a completely different meaning to what would be used today. "Indycar" as a term was legally not allowed to be used by both series. And this iteration of Indycar obviously had another term "crapwagon". Oh the good ole days where you get to watch 2 faltering series tearing each other apart. Good that the Indycar is now finally regaining some tractions.

[@bratasaurus2222]

a great era of indy car you forgot the races in europe the two rockingham england races were great sadly the german one is remembered for alex zinardis terrible accident i was a huge alex zinardi fan ,great music also early red bull sponsorship in motor racing at the start

[@professors84]

I was at the 2006 Indy 500 with my dad. It was incredibly hot and it was too much for him so we left a bit early and missed the finish. He was so mad at himself for leaving early! I also remember being at the 2004 race and having to sprint back to our car because of the massive storms rolling in.

[@gosmo4504]

It was all fun until Vegas...

[@jzeirke]

Is that a baby Colton at 7:40?

[@nascarmanHistory]

That's him

[@NASCARMcDonaldsPaperSeries]

IRL and CART is the best motorsport series ever!

[@cody95]

I was born 10 years too late. I got to experience this as a child but didn't appreciate it like I should have

[@ryanmorrison3699]

The IRL was easily the most heart-stopping, exciting Motorsport that whole decade and even a few years beyond it.

[@densontriton5780]

I don't know why indycar took chicagoland off the race schedule I'll never know......

[@joeyc1970]

Man I wish they'd race on more ovals

[@christophertarhan]

That roll back off the brakes spin at Detroit was uncharacteristically dirty for Dixon

[@matpk]

Indycar today needs more oval

[@dee3368]

Man I want to see more ovals on the schedule

[@victoruribe2465]

2004 was the peak season for the series!

[@noviranger88]

ALLOW MORE CHASSIS. That’s the problem I have with IndyCar.

[@bobwalsh3751]

0:54 Who's the middle school art teacher giving the order?

[@jackharle1251]

Danica was not ready to be a hero to little girls, unlike Sara Fischer. Danica would ignore the little girls simply wanting an autograph or picture. Hard to believe no one stays in her life.

[@racdude01]

When the drivers would do autographs sessions there would be 2 lines. One for all the men drivers and one just for Danica. And if u tried to even take a picture of her while she was signing security would push you away

[@racdude01]

Well this video sure proves why I was a fan of champcar and not IRL in the 2000s. Not even close to as exciting as the nostalgic champ car reel nascarman made

[@dibslin2.081]

Way better than the shit we have now. The racing was much more exciting and intense.

[@HRZN02]

Hello and first

[@patrickanderson9023]

I would say the 2000s was probably the worst period in the history of Indycar, due to the aftermath of OW split.

[@scott_johnson_]

No way. Having two series was way better. Twice as much great racing.

[@deanhirasawa1414]

Sorry, have to disagree. In 1997, the IRL stopped using the CART formula engines and chassis. They "dumbed down" the cars with high downforce and slowed them down with underpowered engines - all in an vain attempt to emulate pack oval racing ala NASCAR! IMHO, from 1997 to 2006 was perhaps the worst era of IndyCar.

[@PaperBanjo64]

Agreed, I LOATHE the pack racing from the era it's not good racing.

[@eddietat95]

2000s IndyCar > 2000s F1 NOT sorry. Don't @ me.