Back in the 1980s, IndyCar had an outsize footprint in the American sports landscape. Driver Mario Andretti was a legit star, whose name even made it into rap songs, and A.J. Foyt and Rick Mears weren’t all that far behind. In the intervening years, of course, the circuit’s cachet has wanned. Last summer, Fox Sports picked up IndyCar rights on the cheap—around $25 million per year—with the hope that its fortunes could be reversed. Not only had F1 introduced a whole new generation of Americans into the once-sleepy backwater of motorsports, but Fox also owned a NASCAR rights package. Perhaps Fox Sports C.E.O. Eric Shanks could leverage the synergies of the two leagues into a highly amortizable ratings opportunity?