2014 IndyCar schedule

[Birddog07]

The first motor race was in France in 1895 on public roads. Many of the earliest races were on streets before the first tracks starting popping up. Horse racing tracks like the Milwaukee Mile were first used, and in 1907 Brooklands opened as the first purpose-built tracks. After WWII, there were even some races held on old aerodromes. So by still racing in some streets and ovals, it is somewhat a homage to the earliest racing. This is why I have always enjoyed the small airport tracks of Cleavland and Edmonton too.

That list of tracks was very much an optimistic wish list, but I'd at least like to see all the boring street tracks replaced with better venues. I don't realistically seeing Toronto go (along with the obvious Long Beach, and Detroit which should be a staple), but the rest are nothing special and don't produce very good races. Road America, Laguna Seca, and Watkins Glenn are must have races in my opinion. Portland would be a very welcomed track too. It should be up to spec after the renovations they had done.

I wouldn't like to see a roval race either, but if they really want one, then Indy would work the best. Agreed on Austin, the F1 race there was nothing spectacular, but hardly any modern F1 races are. ALMS will be there later this month to give it another look for me.

[Purist]

This illuminates part of the picture. It doesn't look like Detroit is moving, for one.

http://www.autoweek.com/article/2013...ORTS/130919941

[bjohnsonsmith]

Originally Posted by Birddog07

The first motor race was in France in 1895 on public roads. Many of the earliest races were on streets before the first tracks starting popping up. Horse racing tracks like the Milwaukee Mile were first used, and in 1907 Brooklands opened as the first purpose-built tracks. After WWII, there were even some races held on old aerodromes. So by still racing in some streets and ovals, it is somewhat a homage to the earliest racing. This is why I have always enjoyed the small airport tracks of Cleavland and Edmonton too.

That list of tracks was very much an optimistic wish list, but I'd at least like to see all the boring street tracks replaced with better venues. I don't realistically seeing Toronto go (along with the obvious Long Beach, and Detroit which should be a staple), but the rest are nothing special and don't produce very good races. Road America, Laguna Seca, and Watkins Glenn are must have races in my opinion. Portland would be a very welcomed track too. It should be up to spec after the renovations they had done.

I wouldn't like to see a roval race either, but if they really want one, then Indy would work the best. Agreed on Austin, the F1 race there was nothing spectacular, but hardly any modern F1 races are. ALMS will be there later this month to give it another look for me.

Not wanting to go completely off topic but I stand corrected.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chicago_Times-Herald_race

I can't see how bringing back tracks like Laguna Seca and Portland could be nothing but beneficial to the series, after all these are tracks were staples in the '90s and produced some excellent races plus I think many a traditional AOWR would welcome them, I certainly would. Laguna Seca would also be a great addition towards the end of the season, as it was held in October.

Back on topic.

[Birddog07]

No problem. Laguna, Portland, and Road America are definatley classic road courses. Should always be on the schedule I think just like Long beach, Indy, Cleveland, Pocono, Phoenix, Milwaukee, Mid Ohio, Toronto, and Detroit.

That's 12 races I think should be raced every season. I would love to always see an even 20 races, but 17 is a good realistic number they seem to average. This year is 19, but three of the races are back to back at the same track, which I think are kind of dumb just to pad the schedule length, so it's really 16.

They're probably going to hold races at COTA and Indy Roval. COTA could work, but I really detest rovals and hope they don't have a race there. For the rest, I love the Texas night race, Watkins Glen really should return, Barber is a track I enjoy watching, as well as Infineon (but I would rather see Laguna if it comes to it).

[HJJ]

09/18/13 Will IndyCar’s 2014 schedule confirm the series' downward spiral? The IZOD IndyCar 2014 schedule will be one of contraction and disappointment. I try to be a cheerleader for the IZOD IndyCar series but the outlook for next year’s schedule just so dismal, unimpressive and artificially truncated.

Unless there is are some surprises coming on the schedule, expected on Sept. 25, it looks like a shorter season with less venues and more doubleheaders. Baltimore is gone, and rumors are that Sao Paulo might not happen too, which sucks. If the rumors of Houston and Auto Club Speedway moving into the heat of the summer are true those events won’t be long for this world either. Having the MavTV 500 taking place on Labor Day weekend and Houston in June or July because they don’t want to go head to head with the NFL just sounds insane to me. I can’t imagine sitting in aluminum stands in 95 degree heat to see a race.

So we’re looking at 15 weekends at 14 venues, which is only one more race weekend than Champ Car had in the years before that series folded. The IRL had 17 events pre-merger You can dress it up with some double headers if you want, but the series has regressed in its efforts to compact the schedule. I support the idea of international races, even a standalone series, but fifteen races over seven months is just sad.

Derrick Walker, IndyCar’s head of competition, held a Twitter Q&A with fans this afternoon, and so I asked him if there would be any new venues in 2014, and the answer confirmed what I’ve long feared. Nope.

Walker also ruled out returning to Mexico next year, confirmed that there is trouble with Brazil’s race that has nothing to do with date, and all but confirmed that IZOD is on their way out as title sponsor.

The only new event will probably be the Indy Road Course, as part of a weekend United Sports Car Racing event along with Indy Lights, Star Mazda and USF-2000 would be my guess. I’m not opposed to this idea, Bobby Rahal made a good case for it, but IndyCar cancels one, possibly two events, exiles two events to the heat of the summer and makes up for it by adding a double header at St.Pete, and road race at The Speedway? Really? That’s an improvement? Yeah, I can totally see where canceling popular races in big markets like Baltimore and holding outdoor events in 95 degree heat will bring more fans to IndyCar.

So with no new venues, maybe no Brazil, the least they could do is move Houston to April. Back when the Shell Grand Prix of Houston was a Champ Car event it went off the third weekend in April. The six-week long Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo in March would prohibit Houston for a date earlier than January. Looking at the arena’s event schedule April seems to be a much more reasonable time to race around the Reliant Center than midsummer.

So here we go, 15 events, all north American with four double headers for a grand total of 19 events. It’s a unimpressive schedule of last resort if you ask me. Forgoing established events like Baltimore and moving others into unfriendly weather in order to meet some artificial deadline just seems so unnecessary. If they can’t get an international series done, and there’s a good chance it won’t come off as planned, there will be a lot of unemployed crew members come the mid-September. Matt Schafer, Beyond The Flag

March 28/29 Honda Grand Prix of St. Petersburg, Streets of St. Petersburg*

April 6 Honda Grand Prix of Alabama. Barber Motorsport Park

April 13 Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach, Streets of Long Beach

April 26/27 Shell Grand Prix of Houston, Reliant Stadium

May 11 Grand Prix of Indianapolis, Indianapolis Motor Speedway Road Course

May 25 Indianapolis 500

May 30/ June 1 Chevrolet Duel at Detroit*

June 7 Texas Motor Speedway

June 21 Milwaukee Indyfest, The Milwaukee Mile

July 6 Pocono Indy 500, Pocono Raceway

July 19/20 Honda Grand Prix of Toronto*

July 27 Iowa Corn 250, Iowa Motor Speedway

August 3 Honda Indy 200, Mid-Ohio Sportscar Course

August 24 Go-Pro Grand Prix of Sonoma

August 29 MavTV 500, Auto Club Speedway

Bold dates are confirmed through public sources

* Denotes double header event

.

[Peat]

Yes Mark, the reason for IndyCar's decline is obviously because of NFL.

Straws are being clutched at 16th & Georgetown.

[NaBUru38]

That calendar looks realistic.

Still I don't like the idea of racing at the Indianapolis road course. And Texas Motor Speedway bosses won't like having Houston just 6 weeks before.

[bjohnsonsmith]

I don't like the season ending so early and if they must have a second race at Indy, have it later in season or even end it at Indy, two races in the month of May is overkill.

[Salamus]

Originally Posted by bjohnsonsmith

I don't like the season ending so early and if they must have a second race at Indy, have it later in season or even end it at Indy, two races in the month of May is overkill.

Three races in 7 days is overkill.

[bjohnsonsmith]

Who came up with this schedule?

March 28/29 Honda Grand Prix of St. Petersburg, Streets of St. Petersburg*

April 6 Honda Grand Prix of Alabama. Barber Motorsport Park

April 13 Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach, Streets of Long Beach

April 26/27 Shell Grand Prix of Houston, Reliant Stadium

May 11 Grand Prix of Indianapolis, Indianapolis Motor Speedway Road Course

May 25 Indianapolis 500

May 30/ June 1 Chevrolet Duel at Detroit*

June 7 Texas Motor Speedway

June 21 Milwaukee Indyfest, The Milwaukee Mile

July 6 Pocono Indy 500, Pocono Raceway

July 19/20 Honda Grand Prix of Toronto*

July 27 Iowa Corn 250, Iowa Motor Speedway

August 3 Honda Indy 200, Mid-Ohio Sportscar Course

August 24 Go-Pro Grand Prix of Sonoma

August 29 MavTV 500, Auto Club Speedway

[Peat]

Eurgh.

I just don't get this 'must capitalise on Indy500 momentum' thing. All they are doing is resigning thier main event to the history books only 5 days after it happens. Surely that's the time to be pedalling your champion around the TV chat shows etc?

As for the rest of the schedule..... no words. I think IndyCar need to move their offices, it's obvious that something is in the water supply/air conditioning system that turns seemingly intelligent human beings into dribbling idiots.

[Paradise City]

The Indy thing is the move of a desperate series willing to try anything to boost numbers who attend Indy and 'anything' seems to include further dividing figures that attend Indy. Figure that one out.

But I've no objection from a pure sporting angle to the calender.

[DS"]

What I find worse is that California gets two races within five days! According to Google maps, it's just a six hour drive from one track to the other. If I was living in California, I would skip one race and just go to the other. In my opinion, that potential schedule is a good device to kill off half of the californian market.

It's also nonsense to end the season on the last week of August. Formula One's season just gets fully underway by August. What is IndyCar going to do in the period from September 2014 - March 2015? Because I doubt that an international series will get off the ground. It's also nice from IndyCar that they won't take away any media attention from NASCAR during the chase.

[Salamus]

Originally Posted by bjohnsonsmith

Who came up with this schedule?

I found this article. http://beyondtheflag.com/2013/09/18/...e-lack-luster/

[bjohnsonsmith]

Originally Posted by DS"

What I find worse is that California gets two races within five days! According to Google maps, it's just a six hour drive from one track to the other. If I was living in California, I would skip one race and just go to the other. In my opinion, that potential schedule is a good device to kill off half of the californian market.

It's also nonsense to end the season on the last week of August. Formula One's season just gets fully underway by August. What is IndyCar going to do in the period from September 2014 - March 2015? Because I doubt that an international series will get off the ground. It's also nice from IndyCar that they won't take away any media attention from NASCAR during the chase.

I'm not worried about the two California races, one's in Northern California and the other's in Southern California; it's like chalk and cheese. What I am worried about is the long off season, seven months and if there's no international series then this is really going to hurt the smaller teams.

[bjohnsonsmith]

Originally Posted by Salamus

I found this article. http://beyondtheflag.com/2013/09/18/...e-lack-luster/

HJJ did post this article but not the link, so thanks.

So Derrick Walker calls 2014 transitional, that's one way of looking at it, just hope this transitional period doesn't become terminal because the way it's going the series is just lurching from one sticky situation to another, without a coherent plan.

[NaBUru38]

Originally Posted by bjohnsonsmith

I'm not worried about the two California races, one's in Northern California and the other's in Southern California; it's like chalk and cheese.

I think that many fans would go to the other race.

Now, we heard that the Fontana race could be held in mid June (late night I guess). That way, the full Triple Crown would be in mid season, and it wouldn't interfere with the championship fight.

And, Houston would be held in early May, and we know that Texas Motor Speedway bosses would be unhappy with that. So how about having the season finale at Texas?

[HJJ]

Originally Posted by bjohnsonsmith

HJJ did post this article but not the link, so thanks.

From that great site for speculation, Autoracing1. http://www.autoracing1.com/

[bjohnsonsmith]

Originally Posted by HJJ

From that great site for speculation, Autoracing1. http://www.autoracing1.com/

Can you post the entire article, as the site requires a login to read the whole thing?

[HJJ]

Originally Posted by bjohnsonsmith

Can you post the entire article, as the site requires a login to read the whole thing?

Sorry, I cannot. I have a friend who is a member and he sent me that part.

[Birddog07]

Originally Posted by NaBUru38

So how about having the season finale at Texas?

Under the lights. Can't think of a better way to finish it.

[bjohnsonsmith]

Originally Posted by Birddog07

Under the lights. Can't think of a better way to finish it.

What? If you want a night race in Houston have it at night in the summer, otherwise it's a gimmick.

[NaBUru38]

I meant to do Houston in late April, as rumoured, and the season finale at Texas Motor Speedway in September.

[bjohnsonsmith]

They should just leave things as they are and finish the season at Fontana in October.

[mountainstar]

Originally Posted by bjohnsonsmith

HJJ did post this article but not the link, so thanks.

So Derrick Walker calls 2014 transitional, that's one way of looking at it, just hope this transitional period doesn't become terminal because the way it's going the series is just lurching from one sticky situation to another, without a coherent plan.

What you see is contraction from poor finances and running out of musical chairs which forces them into accepting poor deals not to their advantage.

This is just a version of the USAC schedule in the late 1970's with doubleheaders and such tricks.

If this was a series people wanted to see they could write their own terms.