INDIANAPOLIS -- There's a definite air of optimism surrounding the IndyCar Series.

Whether it was from drivers passing through INDYCAR's headquarters across 16th Street from the Indianapolis Motor Speedway for preseason physicals and media activities, or from promoters gathered in St. Petersburg, Florida, to share plans for the upcoming campaign, the expressed message was the same:

Indy car racing has momentum, and it's only going to increase moving forward.

"I think there's no doubt it's on the upswing," said second-generation star Graham Rahal. "And what I like about what we have going on here is there's no fake news out there. The entire organization here has done a great job. And there's no doubt it's headed in the right direction."

While NASCAR has suffered double-digit declines in attendance and television ratings in the U.S., and Formula One has experienced similar difficulties on an international basis, IndyCar is making small gains.

The overall numbers don't look like what they did in the early 1990s, but the way IndyCar is trending positive in what is generally a negative market for auto racing is encouraging.

And with a re-bodied car coming in 2018 that is expected to invoke visions of sleeker cars from the sport's most popular era, the potential for continued growth is plain to see.

"It appears we have some really good momentum," said Jay Frye, president of competition and operations for INDYCAR. "We've been very transparent with the plan that we've come up with and we've caught the power of the paddock -- all the teams, stakeholders and OEMs [original equipment manufacturers] have been involved, and I think we're all pointing in the same direction -- which is really good, obviously."

Several tracks reported record crowds in 2016, including a modern-era record for the 100th running of the Indianapolis 500. Indianapolis Motor Speedway president Doug Boles said that ticket renewals for the Indy 500 are occurring at the fastest rate of the past 15 years, and he won't rule out the possibility of another sellout of the grandstands for the 101st running in May.

But what really has people involved with the series excited is the "Back to the Future" philosophy being applied to the design of the 2018 car. INDYCAR recently announced plans to abandon the wings and body parts designed by engine manufacturers Chevrolet and Honda next year after an expensive and mostly pointless three-year "aero kit" era.

Sketches of the styling cues being discussed harken memories of the sleeker Indy cars that raced in the CART-sanctioned series in the 1990s, along with the Panoz DP01 used by the Champ Car World Series for a single season in 2007.

"I'm really looking forward to seeing the 2018 car -- hopefully we can nail that design," said 2012 IndyCar Series champion Ryan Hunter-Reay. "We're still working with the same [Dallara] chassis, the same tub, but hopefully we can make it something that when you look at it, you're like, 'Wow! That's a race car!'

"There needs to be something a younger audience can latch on to, the same thing that made me latch on to IndyCar when I was a kid," Hunter-Reay added. "I saw guys driving these cars that just sounded amazing and looked amazing. They were awe-inspiring, and I thought of the guys in the cars as heroes. We need to tap that."

Simon Pagenaud said he can improve upon his championship 2016 season. Jonathan Ferrey/Getty Images

The new bodywork won't come on line until 2018, though Frye said INDYCAR is likely to reveal official drawings prior to the March 12 season opener at St. Petersburg and hopes to show a prototype at Indianapolis in May.

For 2017, INDYCAR has frozen the Chevrolet and Honda aero kits in their final 2016 form, but there's a pretty good chance that the season will be more closely fought than recent campaigns. Chevrolet has won the INDYCAR manufacturer's championship the past five years, but the movement of Chip Ganassi Racing from Chevrolet back to Honda should make the competitive balance of the series a bit more equal.

"For the good of the sport, I think it's good maybe to get two marquee teams with different pieces," said four-time IndyCar Series champion Scott Dixon. "I think for us as a team it's a better fit, too. Personally, I think it's better for us to have a different package."

Team Penske won 10 of 17 races in 2016, with Simon Pagenaud emerging as champion. With Josef Newgarden replacing Juan Pablo Montoya in Penske's No. 2 Chevrolet entry this year, Penske starts the season with the drivers who finished 1-2-3-4 in the 2016 standings.

Pagenaud announced this week that he will run the champion's No. 1 in 2016 (his usual number is 22), and nobody doubts the Frenchman will be even tougher to beat this year.

"There's still a lot to iron out," said Pagenaud, who scored half of Penske's 10 wins last year. "It's only our second year together, so we still have a lot to improve, and that's what's exciting for 2017.

"It's easy to relax after you've won one time, but it's about being disciplined," he added. "Myself, it's to reflect on '16 and see how I can improve myself physically, mentally, all the aspects of driving -- the craft, basically. I can definitely improve on a lot of those things."

In terms of public perception, Indy car racing isn't what it was a few decades ago, and the IndyCar Series still suffers from a lack of attention and respect from mainstream media. But it is quietly bucking the overall trend of auto racing's decline in popularity.

"I think when people see the new car, they are going to really like it," said Rahal. "I mean, you've got your passionate haters out there that are going to continue to just do that. But in general, what I really enjoy is I do see the series has so much potential and is headed, without a doubt, in the right direction.

"And I don't see that that's going to stop anytime soon."