Future Schedule Thoughts

[LouisTheShark]

CART is reducing its schedule to concentrate on races where the promoter is willing to pay the full sanction fees and self-promoted events (such as Miami), where they think the Motorock concept will make the event financially successful.

The IRL is not looking to expand to a full road course schedule and probably will run only 2 or 3 races in 2005 on circuits like the short courses at Watkins Glen and Sears Point. It appears they want to follow the NASCAR formula of shorter simpler road courses that are more like modified ovals. Even if CART dies, they are likely only going to pick up 1 or 2 more tracks, like Long Beach (Toyota) and Cleveland (wide open simple track).

The OW situation will leave a few road courses in the U.S. with no open wheel dates. Motorcycle racing is already the cash cow for these tracks but to maintain their valuable season ticket base and income, they will need to offer other spectator events. With Trans Am becoming a defacto support series to CART, tracks will give serious consideration to offering seperate weekends for ALMS and Grand Am. Expect this new direction to start as early as the 2004 schedule.