[Purist]

I didn't want to derail another thread, but this has flitted in and out of my mind from time to time for a while now. I sometimes find the relative lengths for various Indy Car races (most all of them road races) to be a bit odd.

Some of them, I've specifically heard, are due to fuel windows, and trying to limit the chances of mileage runs, which goes out the window anyway with an ill-timed caution. (Honestly, they'd give a more effective impression of efficiency if they had slightly more fuel aboard, and made fewer stops as a result; it would also widen the fuel window, limiting the initial "problem".)

I also bring this up because, two road courses are being added that kind of blow things out due to their high average speeds. Unless there is a lot of caution, going just 200 miles or so at Road America or Watkins Glen is going to go by much quicker than the same distance at Mid Ohio, Barber, and especially, Sears Point.

2016 Race Lengths:
1. St. Petersburg, 110 laps (198 miles)
2. Phoenix, 250 laps (255.5 miles)
3. Long Beach, 80 laps (157.44 miles)
4. Barber, 90 laps (207 miles)
5. Indy Roval, 82 laps (199.998 miles)
6. Indianapolis, 200 laps (500 miles)
7. Belle Isle, 2x70 laps (2x164.5 miles)
8. Texas, 248 laps (368.28 miles)
9. Road America, N/A, *best guess* 50 laps (202.4 miles)
10. Iowa, 300 laps (262.5 miles)
11. Toronto, 85 laps (149.175 miles)
12. Mid Ohio, 90 laps (203.22 miles)
13. Pocono, 200 laps (500 miles)
14. Watkins Glen, 60 laps (204 miles)
15. Sears Point, 85 laps (202.725 miles)

I think you will agree that there are at least a couple of these that just seem kind of strange. Given the track type, nature, and average speed, something like this seems more sensible to me.

Proposed Race Lengths:
1. St. Petersburg, 95 laps (171 miles)
2. Phoenix, 250 laps (255.5 miles)
3. Long Beach, 85 laps (167.28 miles)
4. Barber, 88 laps (202.4 miles)
5. Indy Roval, 82 laps (199.998 miles), or 80 laps (202.72 miles) *using 2.534-mile layout*
6. Indianapolis, 200 laps (500 miles)
7. Belle Isle, 75 laps (176.25 miles)
8. Texas, 252 laps (374.22 miles)
9. Road America, 60 laps (242.88 miles)
10. Iowa, 300 laps (262.5 miles)
11. Toronto, 95 laps (166.725 miles)
12. Mid Ohio, 90 laps (203.22 miles)
13. Pocono, 200 laps (500 miles)
14. Watkins Glen, 70 laps (238 miles)
15. Sears Point, 76 laps (181.26 miles), or 81 laps (204.12 miles) *using 2.52-mile layout*

I hope I'm not totally alone in this train of thought, and this should give an idea of where I'm coming from/leaning.