2005 Season to be Unveiled Aug. 3rd

Tim Northcutt · 31 Jul 2004, 13:34 (Ref:1052683)

The Indy Star reports from Michigan in this morning's edition that the IRL will release its schedule on Tuesday, August 3rd....

It also says that "some drivers have been asked to be present at Watkins Glen and Sears Point"....

Here is where it gets interesting....

They will announce a 16-race schedule, but an additional date TBA could be added in the future....

Are Portland negotiations still going on????

Could Las Vegas be a venue they are trying to work out????

Maybe Road America if OWRS can't extend what they have going there???

Or Long Beach????

This "additional race could be added and announced later" phrase is the most interesting part of the equation....

Your Thoughts?

marcus · 31 Jul 2004, 13:43 (Ref:1052686)

please please dont bother with long beach , great atmosphere and all but one of the most boring tracks ever to be invented , if they do go to long beach then re-open the old layout , at least that was a bit more exciting.

cant really comment on sears point or watkins glen as I havent seem much of those tracks , but portland and elkhart lake would be excellent to see.

Down F0rce · 31 Jul 2004, 17:59 (Ref:1052836)

Sounds great to me. Counting down the days

GP Racer · 31 Jul 2004, 22:39 (Ref:1052933)

It's got to be Portland. They sound pretty eager for the IRL to come in to replace CC. Without the IRL, they won't have a race. Portland is kind of falling into the IRL's lap really. I don't think they went out looking for Portland, but its probably to good to pass up. That would make 3 road courses.

Plus the IRL is eager to get into the the North West...

Kicking-back · 1 Aug 2004, 07:58 (Ref:1053099)

Glad to see they've settled on a 16 race schedule.

Just the right amount of races so that each individual event is important in its own right - unlike NASCAR - as well as contributing to the championship.

Always leave the fans wanting more, rather than leave them "raced-out"!

rustyfan · 1 Aug 2004, 09:58 (Ref:1053166)

Robin Miller included the following in his latest article;

Quote:

As expected, the all-oval series will go road racing for the first time at Sonoma, Calif. on August 28and at Watkins Glen, N.Y. on September 25. There is also a tentative date for a street race at St. Petersburg, Fla. on April 1st.

The season will open March 6 at Homestead, Fla. followed by Phoenix two weeks later and Motegi, Japan on April 30. Texas takes its traditional place after the Indy 500 on June 4 but it's not known the official dates of Richmond, Kansas City, Nashville, Michigan, Milwaukee, Kentucky, Pikes Peak and Chicago but the season finale will be at Fontana, Calif on Oct. 16.

The addition of Sonoma and Watkins Glen. N.Y. will replace Nazareth, Pa. and the second race at Texas.

Down F0rce · 1 Aug 2004, 10:46 (Ref:1053191)

Hmm. St Pete's. Not so sure I like the idea of a street course.

Shame we gotta wait so late in the season to see the road coursed, but it'll be worth the wait I'm sure

rustyfan · 1 Aug 2004, 10:52 (Ref:1053194)

Quote:

Originally posted by Down F0rce
Not so sure I like the idea of a street course.

For the most part I agree, but St. Petersburg was real good when Champ Car raced there and I wouldn't mind seeing it on the 2005 IndyCar schedule.

Kicking-back · 1 Aug 2004, 11:03 (Ref:1053199)

I think that may be Robin's idea of a joke.

Look at the date!

April 1 doesn't even fall on a weekend in 2005.

rustyfan · 1 Aug 2004, 11:39 (Ref:1053229)

Quote:

Originally posted by Kicking-back
I think that may be Robin's idea of a joke.

Look at the date!

April 1 doesn't even fall on a weekend in 2005.

Blah, he sure got me on that one. Oh well, just another reason for me to dislike him even more

GP Racer · 1 Aug 2004, 12:19 (Ref:1053255)

And not that I would ever doubt the words of Robin Miller, but Sept.25 sounds alittle late in the year for a race at the Glen.

Watkins Glen is located in the Finger Lakes area of NY State, a big vacation destination, but by the end of Sept., the official summer has ended, vacation season is over, and its a ghost town up there. It can also get cold and rainy in late Sept. that far north, and the kids are back in school.

All in all, it's definetely not the best time to hold a race there...

Kicking-back · 1 Aug 2004, 15:13 (Ref:1053320)

Autosport reporting next season's IndyCar series will likely be 12 ovals and 4 road courses - namely Sears Point, Watkins Glen, Portland and one other.

esorniloc · 1 Aug 2004, 17:54 (Ref:1053404)

If the IRL does hold road courses next year, would they allow racing if it were wet?

Kicking-back · 1 Aug 2004, 18:33 (Ref:1053429)

They would.

Down F0rce · 1 Aug 2004, 18:48 (Ref:1053441)

John Barnes was asked that on the Panther Racing forums (he's a regular there, as is Tomas) and he said they would too.

SevenGrain · 2 Aug 2004, 08:13 (Ref:1053756)

Quote:

Originally posted by GP Racer
Sept.25 sounds alittle late in the year for a race at the Glen.

It can also get cold and rainy in late Sept. that far north, and the kids are back in school.

All in all, it's definetely not the best time to hold a race there...

The USGP was held in early October when the Glen hosted. Having attended those races I can tell you that; yes, it was cold. Yes, it was rainy. Yes, it was muddy and nasty. But there was a huge crowd. The late date is necessary because the IRL machines, in their current form, will need extensive modifications to the steering, suspension, and transmissions before they can go road racing. Holding off until fall to go road racing allows the teams, engine, and chassis manufacturers additional time to address these issues. If the event tanks in it's first year, then it can perhaps be shuffled to a spring or summer date.

Tim Northcutt · 2 Aug 2004, 13:58 (Ref:1054117)

I will tell you that the INdy Star reported on Sunday that the negotiations are going on with St. Pete for the possible race to tadd to the schedule...but it is supposed to be earlier than April...like late February....

Ken Unger was guoted as saying that Miami and St. Pete are two totally different markets (I worked media & marketing down there...they are different and wouldn't cut into each other)...

The City of St. Pete almost sent a delegation to the Indy 500 in May to lobby for a 2005 date, but they did not have a promoter in place....

Now they do....

BTW....

The St. Pete course that CART ran on in 2003 is the only street course I liked...

if you go to an affiliate site of 10/10ths and look up the newest of the St. Pete circuits (they have had 3 different tracks there over the years), I think you'll like the layout a lot!!!!

the site is: www.etracksonline.co.uk

Guess we'll have to see whether Autosport is right about the possibility of four road courses on the schedule....but that is the only place I've seen that there are more than two of them confirmed and on the schedule....

Tim Northcutt · 3 Aug 2004, 13:37 (Ref:1055108)

The Schedule was published in the Indy Star today....

Mar. 6 -- Homestead
Mar. 19 (Sat.) -- Phoenix
April 3 -- Possible St. Petersburg
April 30 -- Motegi
May 29 -- Indy 500
June 11 (Sat.) -- Texas
June 25 (Sat.) -- Richmond
July 3 -- Kansas
July 16 (Sat.) -- Nashville
July 31 - Michigan (might be twin 200-milers)
Aug. 14 -- Kentucky
Aug 28 -- Sears Point
Sept. 11 -- Chicagoland
Sept. 25 -- Watkins Glen (3.4 mi. GP Circuit!)
Oct. 16 -- Fontana

Notes:

The Star noted this morning that there are 6 weeks from Phoenix to Motegi to leave the gap for St. Pete, or to quote the last sentence of the article: "It isn't a coincidence that April 10 is available if Champ Car doesn't race in Long Beach"....

It also said that the IRl tried to work a deal at Portland, but they wanted a late July date, but Ken Unger said that the IRL has an obligation to current event promoters, thus a date could not be reached that would work..."We remain enthusiastic about Portland. We hope to look at it for 2006 and Beyond"

Kansas wanted to move its date from the July 4 weekend to a pre-Indy slot in early May, but the late date for Motegi didn't make that one possible...

A good schedule....Bravo!!!!

rustyfan · 3 Aug 2004, 13:51 (Ref:1055126)

If I don't get decent TV coverage of the races next year, I'll make sure I get the races from someone in England (as I did with the Indy 500, getting it on DVD) - Sears Point and Watkins Glen in particular.

Will be an awful long wait until August 28th next year

Kicking-back · 3 Aug 2004, 13:55 (Ref:1055130)

Only 15 dates on the calendar so far.

And I hope they don't go for "twin races" at Michigan.

Down F0rce · 3 Aug 2004, 14:04 (Ref:1055137)

I hope they do get St Pete's after all..don't fancy a six week wait!

Otherwise, great Schedule!

Fogelhund · 3 Aug 2004, 14:29 (Ref:1055158)

I've not been a fan of the all Oval format of IRL in the past. I will give these road races a look.

Tim Northcutt · 3 Aug 2004, 16:12 (Ref:1055265)

They're running the full course at Watkins Glen, Fogelhund....including "The Boot"....

But it looks like they might not be runing the full Sears point Circuit....I think that it might be the NASCAR & Trans-Am circuit (about 2 miles & 10 turns)???

Can anyone verify that???

Tim Northcutt · 3 Aug 2004, 17:57 (Ref:1055364)

I owe all of you an apology....

In my haste to enter the 2005 Schedule (before going into a staff meeting), I LEFT TWO DATES off of it.....

Here is the "Full and Correct" 16-Race Schedule of "Confirmed" Races for 2005:

The Schedule was published in the Indy Star today....

Mar. 6 -- Homestead
Mar. 19 (Sat.) -- Phoenix
April 3 -- Possible St. Petersburg
April 30 -- Motegi
May 29 -- Indy 500
June 11 (Sat.) -- Texas
June 25 (Sat.) -- Richmond
July 3 -- Kansas
July 16 (Sat.) -- Nashville

July 24 - Milwaukee (How could I forget the Milwaukee Mile?)

July 31 - Michigan (might be twin 200-milers)
Aug. 14 -- Kentucky

Aug. 21 -- Pike's Peak (I left this off, too)

Aug 28 -- Sears Point
Sept. 11 -- Chicagoland
Sept. 25 -- Watkins Glen (3.4 mi. GP Circuit!)
Oct. 16 -- Fontana

Now THAT is the correct schedule......

esorniloc · 3 Aug 2004, 18:34 (Ref:1055389)

What is the difference between Sears Point and Infineon Raceway? Are they the same place and if so, why 2 names?

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