2018 IndyCar Series schedule

[NaBUru38]

Let's open the 2018 IndyCar Series schedule silly thread.

o- New Hampshire will lose a Nascar Cup race. Will IndyCar try to return?
o- Of the other available ovals, how about Kentucky and Richmond?
o- Austin, Laguna Seca, Road Atlanta, Virginia?
o- Will any new city attempt to get a street race? Will IndyCar take the risk of another Qingado / Boston failure?
o- Mexico City? South America? Australia? Kyalami?

[RWill2073]

I've wished they'd go to road Atlanta for years.

[fieldodreams79]

Originally Posted by RWill2073

I've wished they'd go to road Atlanta for years.

Me too, kinda sorta. Check last year's schedule thread and you'd find more than you desire on the subject Some of us think the track itself is not suitable for IndyCar and while I'd like it because I could travel 40 mins to an IndyCar race, the changes that need to happen will kinda ruin the viewing for other races.

Barber is the current Southeast market holder anyways and until that changes....

[NaBUru38]

If LMP1 raced there, IndyCar can too.

[HighParker]

Originally Posted by NaBUru38

Will any new city attempt to get a street race?

New street races are unlikely. They've become impractical propositions because of the high cost of setting them up, and presumably the Boston debacle has not encouraged others to consider the idea. The last mention I saw of Green Savoree looking into the viability of one in Calgary was 16 months ago, so I assume they probably concluded it was not viable. IndyCar will be fortunate if they can keep all of the present ones. We may find out some time this year if the City of Toronto has any interest in repaving the track and renewing its contract with Green Savoree for the event to continue.

[fieldodreams79]

Originally Posted by NaBUru38

If LMP1 raced there, IndyCar can too.

Not necessarily. I disagreed last year and still do and so did Max Papis when we asked him about this specifically 10 years ago.

[broadrun96]

Originally Posted by NaBUru38

If LMP1 raced there, IndyCar can too.

By FIA rules and guidelines, yes they probably could. By actual interest in the teams and desire, prob not a chance. It never pops up on any business plans, and most industry thoughts are more ovals over another road course. I'd love to see them at Road Atlanta but the changes I'm guessing they would require are beyond what Road Atlanta will spend and could change the track for fans.

Richmond and Loudon prob have the best shot at a return to the schedule although it will take a lot of work. The teams seem to be fighting expansion at every step so more likely to see races swap weekends than added events unless they get the teams to agree to Kansas or Richmond night race to end the season. Seems like more teams and officials are building desire to end the season on an oval Saturday night event, sadly with the double points retained.

[NaBUru38]

Originally Posted by broadrun96

Seems like more teams and officials are building desire to end the season on an oval Saturday night event, sadly with the double points retained.

That screams of Richmond, Kentucky or Texas.

[bjohnsonsmith]

This season started on March 12 and finishes on September 17. There's a gap of nearly a month between the season opener and the next race at Long Beach, April 9. I personally think that's too long to wait, plus with the season ending mid September, that's a 6 month off season. At least two more venues are needed for next year.

[NaBUru38]

I would add Mexico in early March, New Hampshire in August and Kentucky in September.

[Yannick]

I would add Adelaide (Australia) in March, Sparta/Kentucky in September as the season finale and Milwaukee somewhere in between. I would like to add Montreal as well but the track doesn't seem to have an opening in their schedule.

[bjohnsonsmith]

Originally Posted by Yannick

I would add Adelaide (Australia) in March, Sparta/Kentucky in September as the season finale and Milwaukee somewhere in between. I would like to add Montreal as well but the track doesn't seem to have an opening in their schedule.

Adelaide, I thought Surfers would be more likely?

[Yannick]

Originally Posted by bjohnsonsmith

Adelaide, I thought Surfers would be more likely?

I picked Adelaide based on the fact it's V8-Supercar round is held in March whilst the Surfers race is still way past the beginning of the NFL season. Also, the track at Surfers is permanently shortened by the monorail tram that's been built on a part of the track at some time since IndyCar went there last time around. So how could an incomplete track be more likely? At Adelaide, they could easily switch back to the F1 layout.

[bjohnsonsmith]

Originally Posted by Yannick

I picked Adelaide based on the fact it's V8-Supercar round is held in March whilst the Surfers race is still way past the beginning of the NFL season. Also, the track at Surfers is permanently shortened by the monorail tram that's been built on a part of the track at some time since IndyCar went there last time around. So how could an incomplete track be more likely? At Adelaide, they could easily switch back to the F1 layout.

I don't see why a shortened track and the NFL should make any difference? I follow the NFL but that never stopped me watching a CART race in October and it would reduce the current six month off season.

If Adelaide were included, it would be the season opener instead of St. Pete's by a week but that doesn't address the problem of the month long gap, between the opening round and the second round.

[fieldodreams79]

NFL of late sometimes keeps me from watching live but never totally. I get the desire to not want to compete with it but I don't understand completely bending everything for it in what seems to be some fear of it.

[August]

I don't expect big changes to the 2018 schedule. My impression is that Portland would be the most likely new venue. I'd assume it'd go into between Mid-Ohio and Pocono as that's one of the long breaks in the current schedule.

PIR has already a date for the 2018 VICS race in some documents. It'd be two weeks earlier than this week, like between the current Long Beach and Barber weeks. Barber would probably be a week later, especially if Long Beach retained its week from this year and was in the previous weekend to PIR.

However, March would badly need another race, especially if St. Pete keeps its current week. But the problem is that there are not so many venues able to host IndyCar in March. After St. Pete and Sebring, a Homestead race might be too much for Florida. Fontana isn't possible in March because of the NASCAR weekend. And I doubt IndyCar wants to leave the USA anymore after St. Pete. Extending the offseason and having St. Pete two weeks later might not be such a bad move since it'd eliminate the huge gap we've had here.

Overseas races would be a great way to shorten the offseason and kick off the season in February or even January. But I'm not sure about where IndyCar could race outside the USA. Surfers Paradise seems like the Australian place interested in hosting IndyCar but two street races in different months in one city doesn't sound very realistic. Brazil has failed to become a permanent fixture in the schedule. And Mexico City already has F1, WEC, and FE; IndyCar might be already too much.

[bjohnsonsmith]

Originally Posted by August

I don't expect big changes to the 2018 schedule. My impression is that Portland would be the most likely new venue. I'd assume it'd go into between Mid-Ohio and Pocono as that's one of the long breaks in the current schedule.

PIR has already a date for the 2018 VICS race in some documents. It'd be two weeks earlier than this week, like between the current Long Beach and Barber weeks. Barber would probably be a week later, especially if Long Beach retained its week from this year and was in the previous weekend to PIR.

However, March would badly need another race, especially if St. Pete keeps its current week. But the problem is that there are not so many venues able to host IndyCar in March. After St. Pete and Sebring, a Homestead race might be too much for Florida. Fontana isn't possible in March because of the NASCAR weekend. And I doubt IndyCar wants to leave the USA anymore after St. Pete. Extending the offseason and having St. Pete two weeks later might not be such a bad move since it'd eliminate the huge gap we've had here.

Overseas races would be a great way to shorten the offseason and kick off the season in February or even January. But I'm not sure about where IndyCar could race outside the USA. Surfers Paradise seems like the Australian place interested in hosting IndyCar but two street races in different months in one city doesn't sound very realistic. Brazil has failed to become a permanent fixture in the schedule. And Mexico City already has F1, WEC, and FE; IndyCar might be already too much.

I don't think extending the off season is a good idea, it's long enough as it is. However, I think Mexico could be the answer. The F1 GP is in the second week of October, so if they were to hold the second round of the IndyCar series there, that's a good 5 months between both F1 and IndyCar races.

[Juntos]

Rockingham? Lausitzring? Sticks and stones may just break bones, but the wounds from words never heal. Especially when they’re words we hoped we’d never read.

[Purist]

We should see an announcement about Mexico City here soon as to whether or not IndyCar will be there in 2018. At the last update, Mark Miles was talking about it being in October, which would be positive sign about the schedule format overall.

[NaBUru38]

Welcome back, Purist!

I think Mexico should be held in late March, not October.

[bjohnsonsmith]

Originally Posted by NaBUru38

Welcome back, Purist!

I think Mexico should be held in late March, not October.

The F1 Mexican GP is held at the end of October, so it would make sense to have the IndyCar race at the beginning of the season. The end of March would be good. There was a gap of around four weeks, between this season's opener at St. Pete and the second round at Long Beach.

[Purist]

I just put down what I saw in the RACER piece from Mark Miles' statement.

I am starting to wonder though. IndyCar could well have Gutierrez in a seat for a race in Mexico City. However, there's another piece.

I'd say it's looking increasingly unlikely that Sergio Perez is at Force India next season, and I can't see him settling for a ride with Sauber or whoever. So, what are the chances he isn't even in F1 next year? He brings sponsorship, and if it's significant in F1 terms, it would be plenty for a full-time seat in IndyCar. Also, as with a number of venues, I know rumors have been floating, even in such a short time, about concerns over the sanctioning fee for the F1 Mexican GP.

So, if IndyCar can line up two Mexican drivers with F1 levels of name recognition, is it totally impossible that they could TAKE the Mexico event over?

(I honestly wonder if Perez is somehow tied to the terms of the Mexican GP contract. That would make things VERY interesting indeed.)

[NaBUru38]

The Mexican F1 Grand Prix is an amazing event. Switching it to an IndyCar race wouldn't be the same. Sponsors and fans know the difference between a Mercedes vs Ferrari duel and a Penske vs Ganassi duel.

An IndyCar race would be an addition, not a replacement to F1. However, it could be a replacement for FIA WEC.

Speaking of which, having IMSA as support series would be a nice idea, although that's a 2019 plan. Plus IndyCar would prefer an oval race, I think.

[Purist]

I'm quite certain that the oval at Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez is nowhere near up to snuff for IndyCar. For starters, there's basically no space on the inside of the corners, which will be very problematic for cars both entering and exiting the pits with race traffic still at oval speeds.

I don't think that Chase Carey would take as much issue with it as Bernie, but having both open-wheel races that close together just seems odd.

I wonder if the series wants two off weekends going into Mexico City, and thus consider the early-season break just a bit too short. (I don't know, but it could be possible; it's probably more involved crossing the border to and from Mexico than it is with Canada.)

[bjohnsonsmith]

Originally Posted by Purist

I'm quite certain that the oval at Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez is nowhere near up to snuff for IndyCar. For starters, there's basically no space on the inside of the corners, which will be very problematic for cars both entering and exiting the pits with race traffic still at oval speeds.

I don't think that Chase Carey would take as much issue with it as Bernie, but having both open-wheel races that close together just seems odd.

I wonder if the series wants two off weekends going into Mexico City, and thus consider the early-season break just a bit too short. (I don't know, but it could be possible; it's probably more involved crossing the border to and from Mexico than it is with Canada.)

Surely they would race on the full circuit and not on the oval, though that would be interesting to see?

If the race were at the beginning of the season, it won't be near or clash with the F1 GP. Hopefully Chase Carey isn't like Bernie...