2015 IndyCar schedule

[NaBUru38]

Don't shoot the messenger! It's not my fault that I've started this thread. It's Robin Miller with some news:

A quick survey by RACER has no fewer than four new players in the mix for an IndyCar race in 2015. Technically, it's two old friends (Elkhart Lake and Laguna Seca) and a pair of new venues (Circuit of The Americas in Austin and Providence, R.I.) that are taking a hard look.

"But I'm looking at a IndyCar/United SportsCar Championship double-header for 2015" - George Bruggenthies, president of Road America

“We've not come to any decisions but there is interest on both sides. We've always been interested in bringing Indy cars back here.” - Gill Campbell CEO and general manager of Laguna Seca

"The whole city and state is behind this and we are pretty far down the road with title and presenting sponsors" - Mark Perrone, president and general manager of the New England Prix

There aren't any ovals on the immediate horizon to be added to the IndyCar schedule. Phoenix, Chicago and Michigan would be candidates but only if it's good for both sides and that doesn't appear likely at the moment.

[Jonerz]

I feel this probably traces back to the more immediate post-merger world, but here is my ideal 2015 schedule. Brazil is left off the calendar, assuming it can be a part of the winter series, should one develop.

1 Shell/Pennzoil Grand Prix of Houston The Raceway at Reliant Park Houston, Texas (January)
2 Marvel Agents of Sheld 200 Walt Disney World Speedway Orlando, Florida (February)
3 Chevrolet Indy 200 Phoenix International Raceway Avondale, Arizona (February)
4 Honda Indy Birmingham Barber Motorsports Park Leeds, Alabama (March)
5 Honda Grand Prix of St. Petersburg Streets of St. Pete St. Petersberg, Florida (March)
6 Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach Streets of Long Beach Long Beach, California (April)
7 GoPro Grand Prix of Sonoma Sonoma Raceway Sonoma, California (April)
8 Portland 200 Portland International Raceway Portland, Oregon (April/May)
9 Firestone 600 Texas Motor Speedway Ft. Worth, Texas (May)
10 99th Indianapolis 500 Indianapolis Motor Speedway Speedway, Indiana (May)
11 Milwaukee 200 Milwaukee Mile Milwaukee, Wisconsin (May/June)
12 Chevrolet Grand Prix of Detroit Presented by QuikenLoans The Raceway at Belle Isle Detroit, Michigan (June)
13 Iowa Corn Indy 200 Iowa Speedway Newton, Iowa (June)
14 Pocono 500 Pocono Raceway Long Pond, Pennsylvania (July)
15 Honda Indy Toronto Exhibition Place Toronto, Ontario (July)
16 Grand Prix of Cleveland Burke Lakefront Airport Cleveland, Ohio (July)
17 Michigan 500 Michigan International Speedway Brooklyn, Michigan (August)
18 Road America 200 Road America Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin (August)
19 Honda Indy 200 Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course Lexington, Ohio (August)
20 Watkins Glen 200 Watkins Glen International Watkins Glen, New York (August/September)
21 New Hampshire Indy 200 New Hampshire Motor Speedway Loudon, New Hampshire (September)
22 Laguna Seca 200 Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca Monterey, California (September)
23 IndyCar Championship 400 Auto Club Speedway Fontana, California (September)

It is probably unreasonable, especially on the location and promoters at a couple of the ovals. But it's got a decent amount of ovals, and they are the right ovals for the formula. If Walt Disney World and New Hampshire aren't doable, perhaps Chicago can come back into the fold.

Start in the off-week between the Championship games and the Super Bowl, and finish in the middle of September on a Saturday night when the marquis college football season kick off match ups are in the rear-view mirror and the conference play has yet to begin.

My schedule also puts Milwaukee back where it belongs, brings back Watkins Glen and puts it on Labor Day Weekend to create the opportunity for a festival crowd and atmosphere and it puts about a month between the 6 Hours, stock car races, and the IndyCar weekend. Also, St. Pete gets to keep its spring break weekend which is valuable.

Chris

[bjohnsonsmith]

2015's a long way off, so I'm not too sure about the relevance of this thread, just saying.

[D.R.T.]

Isnt the Robin Miller article and the quotes from the proposed new venues your relevance?

[Paradise City]

You guys discuss the 2027 calendar if that is what you guys want. Me? I'm going to see where we are once we exit the winter before I join my fellow race fans in discussing 2015. I'm too nervous for the series to do anything else.

[bjohnsonsmith]

Originally Posted by D.R.T.

Isnt the Robin Miller article and the quotes from the proposed new venues your relevance?

Don't think so. 2013 hasn't finished and there's 2014 with a load of TBCs. otherwise 2015 is mere speculation.

[D.R.T.]

Originally Posted by bjohnsonsmith

Don't think so. 2013 hasn't finished and there's 2014 with a load of TBCs. otherwise 2015 is mere speculation.

I think the majority of what is discussed here is mere speculation.

The fact that you have circuit owners discussing 2015 with Indycar in press substantiates such a thread.

[bjohnsonsmith]

Originally Posted by D.R.T.

I think the majority of what is discussed here is mere speculation.

The fact that you have circuit owners discussing 2015 with Indycar in press substantiates such a thread.

Let's see what happens in a year's time.

[NaBUru38]

Mark Perrone, the boss of the Providence race, is planning a August 7-9 date. It's Victory Day in Rhode Island, a holiday in tribute to World War II soldiers.

[NaBUru38]

By the way, he's very optimistic about the reach of the race: "It would be televised to 270 countries worldwide"!!!

[bjohnsonsmith]

Originally Posted by NaBUru38

Mark Perrone, the boss of the Providence race, is planning a August 7-9 date. It's Victory Day in Rhode Island, a holiday in tribute to World War II soldiers.

Yet another street race. It would really behoove IndyCar to look at how they sanction races and get traditional tracks like Road America and Laguna Seca back on the calendar.

I would really like to see some racing on a real road coarse.

[JacobP]

Starting a thread about 2015 schedule right now is quite justified. While the fans are in shock by apparently a stagnant 2014 schedule, there are rumors of big changes for 2015. See here:


http://www.racer.com/robin-miller-on...rticle/313150/

[rwintle]

Throw this back into the mix since it's been mentioned elsewhere already - the Toronto contract only goes through 2014, and the Pan Am games will be right on top of the track in July of 2015. I can't imagine any scenario in which the Toronto race could be in July, and I can't imagine it being dropped or skipped for a year, or moving venues... so I would guess a date change. Canadian Motor Speedway in Fort Erie might be a dark horse for an alternative location, but I can't see that happening either.

[NaBUru38]

That's the link I put in the first post

[NaBUru38]

IndyCar bosses are trying to do a race in Brazil in 2015.

[bjohnsonsmith]

Originally Posted by NaBUru38

IndyCar bosses are trying to do a race in Brazil in 2015.

This would be good posted on the IndyCar News & Rumours thread.

Let's hope it goes ahead, as IndyCar needs some form of international presence.

[NaBUru38]

I've created several threads like this, because that News & Rumours thread is too long and mixed up. I prefer more specific threads.

It's bound to be mixed up to a certain extent, because of the nature of the thread but everyone who has posted on it will get an e-mail notification of a new post, so that keeps the thread in context.

The only thing about starting too many other threads is duplication, just saying....

[NaBUru38]

The F1 Australia Grand Prix boss has threatened Bernie to drop it for IndyCar and save AU$ 40 million.

Bernie is clearly in breach of his contract, because this is not what we bought. I didn’t buy a wimp ... I bought a giant with noise.

We may as well go and buy an IndyCar race for $3.5m. It would be hugely louder. It would be a drastic change to switch to IndyCar, but we cannot go on like this.

[tandino]

Originally Posted by NaBUru38

The F1 Australia Grand Prix boss has threatened Bernie to drop it for IndyCar and save AU$ 40 million.

As great as this would be, ultimatly it's just politics and not much else. The F1 contract ends in 2015, the Victorian Government are trying to get a better deal, the public are jumping up and down about the price of holding the Grand Prix and it's an Election year.

Seems like everybody's trying to turn the screw on Bernie about pretty much everything at the moment, no doubt motivated by his current issues.

[icemachine]

The fact that Indycar is competitive enough to be used as leverage in a major market is favourable news for this series though

[NaBUru38]

That's my thoughts too. If he had said "Bernies, give us a break or we will run A1GP", everyone would have laughed. Not so with IndyCar this year.

[NaBUru38]

According to AP sources, IndyCar will announce a race in the New Orleans road course tomorrow.

[Hendrix]

According to this AP article it will be held here (the 2.75 mile north course will be used).

[bjohnsonsmith]

A very intereresting development. Nothing on the IndyCar website yet.

[NaBUru38]

The backstretch has one too many esses (like Sonoma). The final stretch until the chicane is too small for proper attacking and defensive moves.