Indycar News & Rumors.

[Tim Northcutt]

Rumors in Indy are out that China will be confirmed as gone as early as today, but probably closer to the weekend when everyone gets to Milwaukee.

Replacements?

Tow in the alleged hopper are Pocono or a possible second race at texas Oct. 7

[Yannick]

Originally Posted by Tim Northcutt

Rumors in Indy are out that China will be confirmed as gone as early as today, but probably closer to the weekend when everyone gets to Milwaukee.

Replacements?

Tow in the alleged hopper are Pocono or a possible second race at texas Oct. 7

Curt Cavin keeps mentioning joining ALMS at Road America on the original Chinese date as a possible replacement. Now that would be something exciting!

[HJJ]

IndyCar is now officially in Plan B for completing its 2012 schedule.

Sanctioning body officials confirmed today that the Aug. 19 race in Qingdao, China, has been canceled. IndyCar CEO Randy Bernard said last weekend that “politics” keyed the issue.

Qingdao has a new mayor since IndyCar consummated a deal last November. The event was to be held on the same weekend as the Qingdao International Beer Festival.

Bernard said the promoter canceled the race. IndyCar is keeping open the possibility of racing in China in the future, he said.

Bernard said he has a backup plan for a replacement race, something that needs to happen to keep IndyCar in good standing with several contracts. The minimum number of races in a season is 16; the loss of China leaves the series with just 15.

Bernard said it’s possible the replacement race happens after the Sept. 15 race at Auto Club Speedway in Fontana, Calif.

The possibilities include races at Road America in Elkhart Lake, Wis., Pocono Raceway and Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca.

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[NaBUru38]

Damn!

[mountainstar]

Well, what a surprise. They got suckered by the Chicoms as has happened many times already and no one heeded that prior experience by others.

The "replacement" race will be entirely self funded by the indy racin league.

[DS"]

Now Indy has even two possibilities of "win": Either they join the ALMS at Road America, or they try opening a new bridge for open-wheel racing at Pocono. My heart says Pocono, but it would make more sense for Indy to join the ALMS.

EDIT: And Indy won't even have to run alongside NASCAR at Pocono, when they race in August. They should really give it a try.

[HaydenFan]

What about Michigan International Speedway? Just repaved, and a bit closer to Indy than Pocono.

[MagVanisher]

For a safe bet, there's the Road America option... But if they want to stage a race at Pocono, so be it!

[HJJ]

http://jalopnik.com/5918147/chinese-...ium=socialflow

[Paradise City]

Good. The sooner that race was killed off the better. What began a fiasco, died a fiasco. Now let's hope they select a serious replacement ASAP. Pocono, Texas sound just fine to me.

[Down F0rce]

It's a blow for IndyCar, as this will cost them more than eight million dollars in sanctioning fees. Drivers, teams and fans are no worse off though.

A last minute race at Pocono would be welcomed by the purists, but perhaps they should wait until they can have some proper promotion. Piggybacking with the ALMS or Grand Am would be the safe bet.

[champcarman]

Must be some beer festival!

At least some good things seem to be happening in China, just not Indycar races.

As for a replacement I wish they would raun at Surfers with V8 Supercar, otherwise I would love to see them at Laguna Seca with Grand Am.

Laguna Seca is a great track and easy access from Australia.

[HJJ]

Any race they schedule is doing to have to be a track rental deal this late into the season.

Might as well just run the road course at IMS and open the gates.

[HaydenFan]

Originally Posted by champcarman

Must be some beer festival!

At least some good things seem to be happening in China, just not Indycar races.

As for a replacement I wish they would raun at Surfers with V8 Supercar, otherwise I would love to see them at Laguna Seca with Grand Am.

Laguna Seca is a great track and easy access from Australia.

I think when Tony George said "no deal" to the people in Surfers, he burned any bridges for the series to return in 2012, or ever.

Road America is the logical thing to do, but it's IndyCar, and has the series ever made a logical decision?

[one five five]

Originally Posted by HaydenFan

I think when Tony George said "no deal" to the people in Surfers, he burned any bridges for the series to return in 2012, or ever.

The general feeling i've gotten down here is that the Gold Coast council would be very open to talks about returning the Indycars there (certainly not this year though). For the Gold Coast the event was all about attracting overseas visitors & the TV coverage overseas it gave the city, something the local V8Supercars, even with international guest drivers, doesn't do to the same level.

The stumbling block might be the track, it's been cut in half since 2010, and a new rail system getting built likely means major track changes would need to be incorporated (unless Indycar was happy to race on the new shorter layout?)

[barnettracing]

Pocono would be awesome. With the new oval aero package the race would again be like the old CART races and the drivers would really have to earn their money through the turns. It'd also even up the balance between ovals/circuits as they'd lose a street circuit and gain an oval. C'mon IndyCar, make the right choice (for once). Pocono!

[HJJ]

http://www.autoweek.com/article/2012...YCAR/120619912

Pocono said "No thanks".

[MagVanisher]

Originally Posted by HJJ

http://www.autoweek.com/article/2012...YCAR/120619912

Pocono said "No thanks".

Aww, no love for Pocono... Maybe next year!

[JohnSSC]

Would like to see them at Pocono, but obviously it would have been way too short a notice to put anything together for this season. These are the sort of events tracks promote for a full year. 6 - 8 weeks ain't going to make it.

[NaBUru38]

If it's not Road America on ALMS weekend, what can happen?

Curt mentions Laguna Seca. ALMS has raced there in May, but Grand-Am will have theirs on September 9, sandwiched between Baltimore and Fontana. But that weekend must be full too.

How about racing at Las Vegas on November 11? It's one week before the US Grand Prix, and it's a F1-free weekend. IndyCar can call drivers to visit - or race! (if it's the Strip)

[Purist]

I think we're going to have to wait a LONG time for the echoes of Las Vegas 2011 to fade enough to even consider a return to the oval.

I do rather wish that the street circuit there had been longer lived, as that 2007 layout was quite good, even with that pesky little curb chicane.

Hopefully, Pocono can get a berth for next year. Another good oval, and I'm just not big on visiting the same track twice in a season in a lot of cases.

[MagVanisher]

Originally Posted by NaBUru38

How about racing at Las Vegas on November 11? It's one week before the US Grand Prix, and it's a F1-free weekend. IndyCar can call drivers to visit - or race! (if it's the Strip)

I hope it's not the *ahem* Las Vegas Speedway... A street race would be nice!

[Paradise City]

Leaving aside the politics, Las Vegas oval isn't a bad idea. Chance to wreak vengeance on the demons with a sensible number of cars and the aero philosophy we saw at Texas.

The politics and lingering ill-will will nip this in the bud of course.

[Tim Northcutt]

Originally Posted by Paradise City

Leaving aside the politics, Las Vegas oval isn't a bad idea. Chance to wreak vengeance on the demons with a sensible number of cars and the aero philosophy we saw at Texas.

The politics and lingering ill-will will nip this in the bud of course.

It'll never happen...no way they will rip the scab off of that wound just one year later.

The drivers had trepidation about Texas in the wake of the Vegas tragedy, so they will never agree to go back..at least not this soon.

[Paradise City]

Originally Posted by Tim Northcutt

It'll never happen...no way they will rip the scab off of that wound just one year later.

The drivers had trepidation about Texas in the wake of the Vegas tragedy, so they will never agree to go back..at least not this soon.

Well CART went back to Fontana, Toronto..etc.IRL, Homestead (Dana). I thought it was acrimony with Vegas management over clean-up among other issues where Randy was lucky not to get battered with a couple of lawsuits.