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Major Lazer embraces NASCAR theme at Indy’s 400 Fest

I’m not going to try to convince anyone that getting 5,000 or 10,000 Millennials to show up at Indianapolis Motor Speedway for a concert is going to suddenly create a lot of race fans.

That’s obviously not the case. The vast majority of the music lovers who came to see EDM megastars Major Lazer, rapper Mac Miller and DJ group Cheat Codes on Friday — the first day of the inaugural IMS “400 Fest” — have no interest in following NASCAR and never will.

But what if the track could expose new fans from a desirable demographic to NASCAR while making some money in the process? Even if a half percent of those people decided to take a second look at NASCAR, wouldn’t that be worth it?

Thanks to Friday headliners Major Lazer, IMS got a little help.

Before Major Lazer members Diplo and Walshy Fire took the stage (Jillionaire, the third of the trio, was performing in Ibiza), crew members passed out giant checkered flags with Major Lazer’s logo on them. Fans waved the flags around throughout the concert, and Walshy Fire also participated during one song.

In addition, the group’s four dancers sported checkered flag pattern booty shorts — which they emphasized through extensive twerking. And at one point, the DJs themselves wore shirts that appeared to say MAJOR LAZER in the style of the NASCAR bar logo (I think they also had a stock car on the shirt, but I couldn’t quite make it out).

Diplo seemed impressed by IMS and at one point urged the crowd to turn up and take advantage of “this great racetrack right here,” which he called “amazing.”

Again, I’m not saying all that is about to create thousands of new fans or even dozens. But it can’t hurt when Major Lazer tells an 18-year-old that Indianapolis Motor Speedway is cool and then shrouds its performance with checkered flag imagery.