Would Brickyard 400 be better under the lights?

INDIANAPOLIS — It would cost about $20 million to install lights at the 2.5-mile Indianapolis Motor Speedway, but that's nothing compared to what Clint Bowyer estimates the electric bill would be.

"You're going to need nuclear power to light this place," he said Friday. "You're going to have to shut down downtown to have enough power to light this track. It's huge."

IMS doesn't currently have lights, but officials hope to have them in place by the 2015 Brickyard 400 (the Indianapolis 500 would remain in its traditional daytime slot). The hope is to revive the struggling NASCAR event at the track, which has seen attendance fall from 280,000 in 2006 to an estimated 125,000 last year.

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So would lights help the Indianapolis Motor Speedway?

"It doesn't need lights, (but) I think it would be awesome to race here at night," Jeff Gordon said. "I would never want to see the Indy 500 run under the lights. But the Brickyard 400 breaks traditions. ... Why not change it up?"

Saturday night races typically produce lower TV ratings than Sunday afternoon events, but Indianapolis often has scorching July temperatures (this year's race is expected to have highs in the mid-70s, though). A night race would offer a respite from the heat.

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Gordon said having a Saturday night race would be important, because Sunday night races "can get a little tricky with travel."

"It seems like when it's a Saturday night, it's an exciting thing for fans and competitors," he said. "I've not seen a night race not be a win-win for everyone."

Bowyer, though, isn't totally sold. The tradition of running at Indy has always been about day races — for 104 years, actually. And Indianapolis has been built on tradition.

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"That's what is important about this track in my opinion," he said. "It's always been a day race. I don't see why it shouldn't be."

Plus, he said, a night race would be less interesting. Cooler track temperatures provide for more grip, which means it could be easier for drivers to maintain their speed and position.

"At least in a day race on a Sunday, you slip and slide around quite a bit here and create some exciting racing," he said. "So I'm happy with a day race here."