2010 IndyCar Schedule

[Gaz170]

Having just spent the day at the Surfers SuperGP (where the A1's were a no show), word is that the organisers are now willing to accept a date change to get the indycars back next year.

Some time in August was the word, but having just looked at the planned schedule this doesn't seem to fit, September is probably a better bet.

[NaBUru38]

Originally Posted by AndrewF31

Going to Brazil has as much meaning as going to Australia. Brazilians are racing fanatics and as long as Helio, Matos, Kanaan, Moraes and Meira stick around, there's more than enough reasons for Brazilians to show up. Heck, if Junqueira finds a ride and if, heaven forbid (hope they don't leave ALMS), Gil de Ferran goes back to single seaters, there's plenty reasons for Brazilians to show up.

Brazil is fairly close to North America, they share time zones, they have drivers fans, money and top-level tracks... it makes a lot of sense the IndyCar to race there.

Originally Posted by JagtechOhio

I'm not so sure about Mexico City though, I don't think there is the local fervor or the national economic health to hit a home run there.

Originally Posted by Purist

Mexico City is a good circuit [...] It would help if we had Moreno, Diaz, Fernandez, Jordain, etc racing in the series.

Originally Posted by JagtechOhio

I couldn't think of a local hero for the Mexico race. One less reason to go there.

The failure of Champ Car made that happen. The IRL must recover Mexico.

Originally Posted by Alwaysfirst

I always thought that if Surfers was a no no due to the conflicting dates then the series should have moved to Adelaide. A great track, twin it with the V8s & you have a huge crowd of several hundred thousand over the weekend with a good late March date. Have it as part of the fly away races with Motegi

That would be so great!!!

Originally Posted by JagtechOhio

If F1 comes back [to Montreal], fine. If IRL runs the same weekend as the Canadian NASCAR show, even finer.

Exactly.

[icemachine]

Montreal won't happen, only 2 race weekends/year allowed and now that F1 is back, and Nationwide series runs the other weekend, and Nascar is doing track management, open wheelers are out. It would be good to see them back in Tremblant.

[NaBUru38]

Originally Posted by Jonerz

I tend to prefer races like Michigan 2000, and 1999, and 1998... well, you get the idea. It's one thing to get the IRL cars at 650bhp 675kilos to race side-by-side (or race su-i-cide if you will) but proper passes like those classic CART hanford races are safer and more exciting in my eyes.

Originally Posted by Purist

For the ovals, and in general really, the cars need more power with less drag. You need that sort of set-up for the passing to work at Michigan like it did for CART.

First of all, Indy engines should be turbocharged and much more powerful, but four- to six-cylinders. Handford-like aerodynamics may work in superspeedways and high-banked ovals (Homestead, Chicagoland, Las Vegas, etc). However, that would be insane in road and temporary circuits. Besides, low-banked ovals should force drivers to actually brake before corners. That could only happen with little downforce and the extra horsepower. Btw, Jonerz, Handford-induced overtakes were sickening indeed, but never "proper". Purist, how do you call Handford devices "less drag"?

That said, the IndyCar Series lacks several track types:
o- Road America and Laguna Seca: no explanation. Sears Point seems to fall apart in comparison to the latter.
o- Cleveland, streets of Miami and Las Vegas - not sure.
o- At least one West Coast oval race - the Nascar Cup has about seven (I lost count). I'd go for Las Vegas, but only when Sin City recovers its bubble-generated health.
o- More short ovals, be it Michigan, Richmond, Phoenix, New Hampshire and/or Nashville.

Originally Posted by Jonerz

Of course, they haven't been at Michigan and Fontana in ages, and those tracks in my mind must be a part of the triple crown of 500 milers.

Originally Posted by johntt

17. Michigan - 500 miles. Labour Day Weekend. Done.
21. Fontana - 500 mile finale, end of season awards banquet in Hollywood the next day.

o- There's only room in Indy for one 500-mile race. So let's race 400 miles at any of those two places (or both), as they did before.

- o -

Originally Posted by Alwaysfirst

Indycar seems to have missed its oppertunity to get into the Montreal market whilst F1 is away. Bernie has said that they're going back there next year...bad decision IMO.

The F1 was much worse this year with no North American date. IndyCar already has Toronto and Edmonton - not that two is enough, of course.

[Hazza]

Originally Posted by Gaz170

Having just spent the day at the Surfers SuperGP (where the A1's were a no show), word is that the organisers are now willing to accept a date change to get the indycars back next year.

Some time in August was the word, but having just looked at the planned schedule this doesn't seem to fit, September is probably a better bet.

This. Fantastic.

They were coy when they were talking about plans for next year. Here's hoping.

[Knowlesy]

Not the greatest schedule ever, so many great tracks missing, both oval and road.

But this is a common trend in all of motorsports now sadly.

[johntt]

Originally Posted by NaBUru38

o- There's only room in Indy for one 500-mile race. So let's race 400 miles at any of those two places (or both), as they did before.

For years they had a triple crown of 500 milers consisting of Indy, Michigan and Fontana.

[Hazza]

Also, can someone enlighten me as to what "money" is owed by whom to what over Milwaukee?

And what's the deal, the Mile "Coughs up" and Texas gets moved?

[Hazza]

Originally Posted by johntt

For years they had a triple crown of 500 milers consisting of Indy, Michigan and Fontana.

Pre-TG right? Not quite the "Jewel in the crown" of the series.

Having said that that would be fantastic if it did happen. In a fantasy world. Where I could fly. And I'd also have my own unicorn.

[johntt]

Originally Posted by Hazza

Pre-TG right? Not quite the "Jewel in the crown" of the series.

Having said that that would be fantastic if it did happen. In a fantasy world. Where I could fly. And I'd also have my own unicorn.

Clearly pre-TG. These things will remain in a fantasy world until there is a major shakeup in the running of AOWR

[Teretonga]

Originally Posted by johntt

For years they had a triple crown of 500 milers consisting of Indy, Michigan and Fontana.

Actually it was Michigan, Indy and Pocono until in the 90's they decided Pocono was too rough and then had only two 500 milers until Fontana opened and Penske ran end of season 500's for a few years until the CART collapsed and he moved to the IRL.

The Penske tracks were sold about this time to the good old southern boys and Penske exited owning race tracks.

[Tim Northcutt]

Apparently, the IRL will make a decision today as to whether or not it will open the season in Brazil next March.

It is included as a one-sentence item in Curt Cavin's "Pit Pass" roundup in today's Indy Star. Lots of other OW items in there as well, including Marlboro staying on board with Penske, etc.

http://www.indystar.com/article/2009...cing+to+afford

Also, go the the Sports/Motorsports/IRL page to read a great article about Greg Moore that Cavin wrote today.

If it is down to a decision today, that tells me that the race down there probably isn't going to happen.

[JagtechOhio]

Hi Tim,

I am always reluctant to jump to conclusions, so I am trying not to make much of the fact that I can't get the second page of Cavin's article to come up.

The information about a Brazil race does not appear on the page I can access..

[Purist]

The Hanford Device produced drag, which aided in the slipstream. However, the rest of the aero package on those cars was heavily trimmed out for superspeedways. Until I'd seen some of the older races in the last month or so, I'd forgotten just how spindly those wings were for Michigan and Fontana. You don't see that dramatic difference between the various ovals on the current cars. Those older cars also had more power, which with the trimmed-out aero overall, gave you throttle response on the straights, while not allowing you to be flat through the corners. This also made your line through the corners on those large ovals something that actually mattered.

Hopefully Brazil comes together, but we'll see. As I said, I've been very interested to see what Cotman has had in mind for a layout of the street circuit in Ribeirao Preto. I do think it's a good thing though that they're trying to firm things up with a number of months still in hand before the season kicks off.

[Tim Northcutt]

Originally Posted by JagtechOhio

Hi Tim,

I am always reluctant to jump to conclusions, so I am trying not to make much of the fact that I can't get the second page of Cavin's article to come up.

The information about a Brazil race does not appear on the page I can access..

It is on the second page...

I just went back to the link and copied the two-sentence blurb...no big deal...a minor item in "Etc."

"IndyCar is expected to decide today if it will open the 2010 season in Rio de Janeiro. The street course race is tentatively scheduled for March 14. . . . "

[JagtechOhio]

Thank you. That seems to present a bit of doubt about the posting of Dave Lewandowski's article scheduled for tomorrow. I hope everything's gonna be awright.
______________________________________________________________
Andy Bernstein

[champcarman]

So Indycar cannot run Surfers Paradise on the usual date because it is too late in the year and "we have to finish our Series in the US".

So you cannot race in the USA after mid October?

Someone better tell NASCAR!

The "stock cars" seem to have had a few Rounds of their (rather silly) "chase" since we were at Surfers.

And they have been in the USA!

The facts are that Indycar were pretty stupid to walk away from what really was their second biggest event.

I was hoping that with the departure of Tony George common sense would again prevail in the Indycar Series but perhaps I was naive to think something like that.

[Yannick]

With A1GP not taking place at Surfers this year and the IRL calendar for next year in a rather complete state (despite the missing of Milwaukee), chances are that IndyCars are being invited back to Surfers for 2011. At this moment, there is still enough time to plan a date that will suit both the V8 Series and the IRL.

[JagtechOhio]

Hey champ,

I'd love to see the IndyCars return to Surfers. Their problem is that they have so little negotiating power here that they have no flexibility in choosing when and where they run their events.

Other than Indy, all the U.S. oval tracks are for all practical purposes owned by Nascar. Where IndyCar hasn't drawn fans before, they're not invited now. When Nascar has a date at a track, IndyCar can sometimes get a date but not one that is less than a month away from the existing event.

Homestead is a good example: the IndyCar finale run on Oct. 10 drew about half of a 65,000 seat full house. The upcoming Nascar race hasn't sold out yet. So they can't move that date, and could only run in Oz after Homestead, which has required that IndyCar hold their championship there.

Nothing will improve until they can demonstrate to track owners and promoters that they can sell tickets. If the dollars were offered to run Surfers, it's a no-brainer: but they still wouldn't do it anyway.

[NaBUru38]

I tried to make a perfect but realistic 2011 IndyCar Series calendar, following these rules:

o- Keep traditional dates.
o- Five consecutive races at most.
o- One-week breaks for oval-to-road and road-to-oval switches (didn't do that with the Motegi/Surfers Paradise couple because of the travelling).
o- Avoid two consecutive long travels.
o- Try not to clash with Nascar Cup races on the same venue (I didn't check current clashes.).

The result is 24 races including Brazil, Motegi and Surfers Paradise. Since some of these circuits' owners aren't trying to attract the series, the final number can easily drop.

March 12-13 - Brazil
March 19-20
March 26-27 - St. Petersburg
April 2-3 - Barber
April 9-10 - Long Beach
April 16-17
April 23-24 - Gateway
April 30-May 1 - Kansas
May 7-22 (Month of May)
May 28-29 - Indianapolis
June 4-5 - Milwaukee
June 11-12 - Texas
June 18-19 - Iowa
June 25-26 - Richmond / New Hampshire
July 2-3
July 9-10 - Watkins Glen
July 16-17 - Toronto
July 23-24 - Edmonton
July 30-31
August 6-7 - Mid-Ohio
August 13-14 - Road America
August 20-21 - Laguna Seca
August 27-28
Sept 3-4 - Kentucky
Sept 10-11 - Chicagoland
Sept 17-18 - Michigan
Sept 24-25 - Homestead
Oct 1-2 - Las Vegas
Oct 8-9
Oct 15-16 - Motegi
Oct 22-23 - Surfers Paradise

To recover the Mexican market, either Monterrey or Hermanos RodrÃ*guez could open the season one week earlier than Brazil. They might switch dates as well. Sadly, the traditional dates of three CART's classic venues -Detroit (early June), Portland (late June) and Cleveland (early July)- clash with other classic IndyCar races. If Kentucky falls, any of those or Montreal may fit in late August. Phoenix could replace Gateway were it not for Nascar Cup's race there. I left Fontana out because I already put two Californian circuits, a West Coast oval and a superspeedway.

[icemachine]

I know it can't be done for 2010, but IMO Motegi and Surfers should and can be done on the same leg in 2011 if IRL is willing to take their season finale to somewhere other than Homestead.

[JagtechOhio]

Here's some facts to consider on the subject of Homestead: if you're down under and would like to see the IndyCars, push your local officials and race organizers for Oct 2011.

I just called Homestead. The Nascar Championship race tomorrow is not sold out: they haven't sold 65,000 tickets (capacity). Homestead is trying to build a reputation of the "Championship Track", as they are hosting the final race in Nascar's three top divisions as well as the IndyCar finale. There has also been a push to publicize Juan Pablo Montoya to attract Hispanic community members in south Florida.

The IndyCar race looked to me like it drew no more than 35,000. The contract is up for renewal after 2010: IndyCar might see a boost in popularity next year through the added exposure from Izod, but there is no reason to expect a huge increase in attendance at a track where people aren't paying to see a show, even the Nascar final.

The local economy probably has a lot to do with this problem, but many of the travelers who went to south Florida are now staying home. Next year will be similarly affected, and I can easily guess that Homestead will not be on the IndyCar 2011 schedule.

For IndyCar's part, I'd think they would be better to run an early season race at Homestead (if a date was available), and run the final races at Motegi and Surfers.

To NaBUru: That's a great schedule, but you can strike Gateway, Richmond/ New Hampshire, Michigan, Milwaukee and Las Vegas. They're not going to happen. And Infineon (Sonoma) is fine instead of Laguna: the latter has been narrowed, and doesn't attract fans.

[Jimmy Magnusson]

Remind me when Homestead drew a crowd last time? The fans usually have a habit disguising themselves as empty seats there. Bleh, run the finale someplace else, thank you very much. Homestead works as an opening race, but I don't think it really adds anything.

[NaBUru38]

Originally Posted by JagtechOhio

Infineon (Sonoma) is fine instead of Laguna: the latter has been narrowed, and doesn't attract fans.

Are you sure about Laguna Seca's lack of public? Champ Car last visited it in 2004, in the middle of the series' downfall. A refreshed IndyCar with a half-oval half-road calendar, all the American open-wheel stars and a futuristic machine might draw larger crowds. On the other side, Sears Point is just falling apart - the track's all bumpy just to mention one thing. Besides it's France's backyard, whereas Laguna Seca attracts more worldwide-relevant championships (MotoGP, ALMS).

Originally Posted by icemachine

Motegi and Surfers should and can be done on the same leg in 2011 if IRL is willing to take their season finale to somewhere other than Homestead.

Originally Posted by JagtechOhio

For IndyCar's part, I'd think they would be better to run an early season race at Homestead (if a date was available), and run the final races at Motegi and Surfers.

They race combo is a must. Back to reality, IRL officials might want a season end in US territory, unlike CART / Champ Car which had Surfers Paradise and Hermanos RodrÃ*guez after the Californian races. October / November races are discouraged from the championship because the Chase for the Cup blocks the media's attention. So perhaps they could try some sort of IndyCar World Series format a la ACO Int'l Trophy, with all the foreign circuits I listed before, some Middle Eastern course and that Chinese project in Qingdao, with the addition of a few US circuits (I'd go for Long Beach and one of the September oval races).

Originally Posted by JagtechOhio

you can strike Gateway, Richmond/ New Hampshire, Michigan, Milwaukee and Las Vegas. They're not going to happen.

New Hampshire was pretty close this year, so it's realistic for 2011. I just don't want to lose hope, so I write at places like this.

[JagtechOhio]

S'cuse me Jimmy, I don't pay much attention to history because it doesn't matter a crap. There hasn't been a time in my 52 years living in the U.S. when people had less money to throw around, or when IndyCar got less attention from the general public. I waste my time thinking about tomorrow, not yesterday.

My comments about Laguna are heresay from a guy on Track Forum who said Laguna had been modified for bike racing, and that Sonoma got better attendance. Send him the lawsuit.