IndyCar to run 2 races at Texas

[DanicaFan]

Well, the big announcement is that next year in June 9-11, 2011 is that the series will run 2 twin races that day, June 1th at Texas Motor Speedway. Each race being 275 km long and the winner of each race will get half the total of points you can get in a normal race.

[JagtechOhio]

And only one race weekend at Texas next year. Hope they have a few more ovals lined up to add to the schedule.

[DanicaFan]

It will be the Twin 275's. Each race will be 171 miles/114 laps.

Im personally not all that excited about it. I say leave it the way it is, 1 race.

[JagtechOhio]

They got it wrong, and Texas wasn't the venue that needed a gimmick. I agree with you.

If you catch a yellow in the first stint, everyone will run the whole race trying to save fuel and make it on one stop. With 18-20 laps total under yellow, you could do it ...unless you were racing hard, that is.

That's why they should have been 200 miles instead of 171. And both races should pay full points.

[Teretonga]

Originally Posted by JagtechOhio

They got it wrong, and Texas wasn't the venue that needed a gimmick. I agree with you.

If you catch a yellow in the first stint, everyone will run the whole race trying to save fuel and make it on one stop. With 18-20 laps total under yellow, you could do it ...unless you were racing hard, that is.

That's why they should have been 200 miles instead of 171. And both races should pay full points.

Absolutely agree.
A race is a race. If you are going to run two races in a weekend they both carry points just like a 200 mile race....
Besides, anything less than 200 miles around Texas is over in a blink of an eye.

[DanicaFan]

To me its nothing but a gimmick or publicity stunt. It's a cheap way of trying to add a race to the schedule. Why dont he just take all 18 races and divide them in half so they can say we run a 36 race schedule like NASCAR.

Sorry Mr. Bernard, you can cut it however you want, call it whatever you want, but its still 1 track, 1 venue, and 1 race.

[JagtechOhio]

There might be some cosmetic surgery required...

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/4...-us-your-twins

[DanicaFan]

Thanks for that article Jag.

[Jonerz]

I'm all for two races in one weekend, a throwback to the late sixties, early seventies - cool. However, like the article Jag provided says, it is approached in all the wrong ways. Texas isn't the venue in need of it certainly (Saturday night is the night to race there, especially in late spring/early summer - its no August but it is mean hot during the day). Finally, twin races should be convenient for teams and spectators (read TV viewers) and this plan appears to be neither.

Chris

[Yannick]

Well, the idea of twin races is OK, but why at Texas? The event there had already found its winning formula. There is no need to change it.

On top of that, I do not like the idea of IndyCars having a sprint race and a feature race because that would mean competitors would hold themselves back during the sprint race, influencing TV spectators to switch off.

[NaBUru38]

What I like about Argentine tin-top series is that, no matter how many races they have in a weekend, the feature race winner is the weekend winner and gets the newspaper/magazine headlines on Monday. That's my complaint about this format.

Originally Posted by Yannick

I do not like the idea of IndyCars having a sprint race and a feature race because that would mean competitors would hold themselves back during the sprint race, influencing TV spectators to switch off.

How about a 400km (250mi) main race and then a 200km (125mi) return race?

[JagtechOhio]

Cheers DF and Chris, it's a shame they can't get stuff like this figured out.

They just don't seem to ask the right questions and find the right answers.

[Jonerz]

The regime in Indianapolis has been asking a lot of the right questions but in their research and due diligence they seem to come up with the wrong answers.

Chris

[JagtechOhio]

No question

[PabloTeK]

Wha... WHY?

The 1 race format works IRL/IndyCar/Whatever they're called this week. The last 550K was a good race indeed, just up the grid sizes somewhat and try and overlap a little more with F1 (i.e. engines) would be a good pair of starting points.

Oh wait, that involves common sense.

[fieldodreams79]

The IRL shouldn't run one race a Texas or like speedway, period. Now they are running two 1/2 races? Stupid, IMO.

Reverse the grid from finishing order from the first race, and I'll watch the first 20 laps of the second race, ONLY.

[Yannick]

With this double-header concept, they are messing with one of the classic IRL events, the race at Texas Motor Speedway.

From US open wheel history, there is only one circuit that I could come up with that would be a suitable track to tie in this double header concept with its history:
Brooklyn, Michigan - the former home of the "rival 500".
I could see the double-header races working there rather than Texas.
The saying goes "never change a winning team" or in this case "never change a winning event".

[Jacques Rabbit]

I say embrace change. Texas may have been successful, if a .3 television rating is successful.

This format isn't going to save the IRL, but it's something new, something interesting, something worth trying before we judge it. I like the idea of shorter races, personally. I don't want to waste hours and hours in front of the TV, and I think shorter races tend to lead to a bit more action just because you don't have the middle portion of "well, we'll just ride around, no doubt we'll get bunched up by a safety car later in the race and be able to advance." In a shorter race, you have to go and get yourself in a good position ASAP.

I'll wait for the details, and wait for the actual race, but I prefer this concept so much more to one big lengthy race. Two runs to the finish, two starts, etc, etc, etc.

Why do it at Texas, which has been more successful than some of the other ovals? Well, because no one else would promote it properly and make it a success.

[NaBUru38]

The Texas race will clash with the 24 Hours of Le Mans. No trips for Andretti, Franchitti or Wilson.

[mountainstar]

This announcement is like taking a piece of gum from me, breaking it in half and handing it back to me telling me I now I have 2 pieces of gum.

I know this type of math works in indianapolis, the rest of the country is wise to it.

[JagtechOhio]

There's a better joke in there somewhere...I don't quite have it yet.

How do you cut down on the number of racing fans walking around in Fort Worth?

Break the gum in half.

Looks like you've already had an eventful week anyway, with the sex change and the move to Paris. Good luck with all that.

[gttouring]

Yup Texas was the wrong venue for this as the racing is so crazy good there any way. A double at Milwaukee would be neat and make the race a full points and a bonus to a double winner. Eh freaking IRL and the blind leadership what is wrong with them