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With IndyCar (and its predecessors) having quite a history in taking over events which Formula 1 has left behind in the Americas (such as Long Beach, Watkins Glen, the Caesar's Palace Grand Prix, the Mexican GP at Hermanos Rodriguez and even Montreal once), it should not be a surprise to anybody they now make an effort to take over the USGP event at their home turf in Speedway, Indiana.
To have the road course at the beginning of May should give some value back to the Month Of May after it had been trimmed down to solely two weeks of May a few years ago. There might even be some kind of a tradition developing for this event, unless of course, they run it only with 6 cars ;-) so the "United States Grand Prix of IndyCar" is welcomed very much by this spectator.
But to call the season's end by Labor Day, 3rd of September, is a hideous idea.
I loved to watch US open wheel races back in the 90s in October, when the 16 race F1 calendar was already over. That's usually the time when Laguna Seca was held. Formula 1 even took over the idea of a longer running season from IndyCar.
So why should IndyCar now give it up? Just because they want to try something different? There just is no point in cancelling dates of an established race such as Baltimore and calling off Fontana for the sake of making space in October will only create a slot in the calendar for Laguna Seca once IndyCar finds out they have shot themselves in the foot with their shortened schedule.
So if you want to have the Grand Prix of Monterey, CA, back (and maybe Motegi and Surfers Paradise, too), you should be all for shortening the 2014 calendar to the beginning of September because it won't work out and it will create space at the end of the season for years to come (!) which could be filled with those events then.
Maybe somebody should tell this to Bruton Smith, owner of Sonoma ...
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