Indycar News & Rumors.

[broadrun96]

Interesting, looks like Indy is working on expansion of the schedule for 21. Roger and company were in Nashville today to discuss a street race around the stadium area.

https://racer.com/2020/08/25/indycar...e-street-race/

[S griffin]

Indycar street circuits never die, they just remain dormant for a while

[bjohnsonsmith]

Baltimore, Houston and SãoPaulo have gone. I doubt very much they will ever return.

[fieldodreams79]

Originally Posted by broadrun96

Interesting, looks like Indy is working on expansion of the schedule for 21. Roger and company were in Nashville today to discuss a street race around the stadium area.

https://racer.com/2020/08/25/indycar...e-street-race/

I'm sure the East Nashville Hipsters and Nashville Liberals are going to love it!!

And even though I'm not in favor of racing through parking lots, I know people in Nashville and may have to venture north for this.

[fieldodreams79]

Looking at some local articles, they are showing lengths of 1.5 and 1.7 for the Nashville street circuit, while RM states 2.1 with the paddock on the staduim pavement. Racer mentions the Cumberland and Music City Streets but I'd doubt they'd go across the river into downtown. I looked to find anything more on the actual layout and got nothing...

Maybe, just maybe, not too much of a high speed parking lot auto cross?

[S griffin]

The great thing about Indycar is they can have close racing on any circuit, ovals, street, road courses, even airport. The variety of circuits really adds to the series and it helps that American roads seem wider than they do in Europe

[bjohnsonsmith]

Originally Posted by S griffin

The great thing about Indycar is they can have close racing on any circuit, ovals, street, road courses, even airport. The variety of circuits really adds to the series and it helps that American roads seem wider than they do in Europe

I don't understand the relevance or what you mean by: "it helps that American roads seem wider than they do in Europe." They don't always have close racing, the 2018 Indy 500 was a good example of that.

[broadrun96]

Can have means there are opportunities for decent racing, see basically everything but Phoenix over the last 5 years with a few exceptions. Although with the old aero and the tight square corners of St Pete there were processional races there for a couple years as well.

As for street races, well go look at F1 with Baku and Monaco and compare that with any US road race. We think of St Pete and Long Beach being tight circuits but you can fit 2 cars most everywhere including on the high speed sections. You can't do that on most of either of those tracks so you only have to defend in a couple areas.

[bjohnsonsmith]

Originally Posted by broadrun96

Can have means there are opportunities for decent racing, see basically everything but Phoenix over the last 5 years with a few exceptions. Although with the old aero and the tight square corners of St Pete there were processional races there for a couple years as well.

As for street races, well go look at F1 with Baku and Monaco and compare that with any US road race. We think of St Pete and Long Beach being tight circuits but you can fit 2 cars most everywhere including on the high speed sections. You can't do that on most of either of those tracks so you only have to defend in a couple areas.

Baku is quite different from Monaco. Track width varies considerably and it's possible to go four wide, down the main start/finish straight.

[broadrun96]

And other places it's a car and half at most. It's on average smaller and tighter than similar US based tracks.

[bjohnsonsmith]

Originally Posted by broadrun96

And other places it's a car and half at most. It's on average smaller and tighter than similar US based tracks.

Yes, in the old quarter of the city.

[bjohnsonsmith]

IndyCar are trying to reschedule the double header at Mid-Ohio, for September 11 -13.

https://racer.com/2020/08/26/indycar...d-ohio-double/

[S griffin]

Hope that happens, you usually get a good spectacle there

[bjohnsonsmith]

No decision yet on Mid-Ohio for next weekend, though there is room on the calendar between the Oct. 2-3 Indy Harvest Grand Prix doubleheader at IMS and the Oct. 25 season finale at St. Pete.

https://racer.com/2020/09/04/indycar...ohio-decision/

[joeb]

Originally Posted by bjohnsonsmith

No decision yet on Mid-Ohio for next weekend, though there is room on the calendar between the Oct. 2-3 Indy Harvest Grand Prix doubleheader at IMS and the Oct. 25 season finale at St. Pete.

https://racer.com/2020/09/04/indycar...ohio-decision/

According to the IndyCar website it looks like this is happening now. Can't wait to see it!

[broadrun96]

Yup, confirmed by the promoters it's happening with the second race on NBC proper. Looks like this week prior will know if they can attend or not but Greene-Savoree have previously said no fans no race so you'd expect some time of attendance allowed.

[Yannick]

With Mid-Ohio now confirmed and it being one of championship points leader Scott Dixon's strongest tracks, that won't make it easy for his main title rivals. Could the title already be decided after next weekend when two races are being held?

[S griffin]

I’m just happy they are racing, regardless of who it will benefit. It’s one of the best in the US, certainly a great spectacle there

[bjohnsonsmith]

Originally Posted by broadrun96

Yup, confirmed by the promoters it's happening with the second race on NBC proper. Looks like this week prior will know if they can attend or not but Greene-Savoree have previously said no fans no race so you'd expect some time of attendance allowed.

That is excellent news.

[joeb]

Originally Posted by Yannick

With Mid-Ohio now confirmed and it being one of championship points leader Scott Dixon's strongest tracks, that won't make it easy for his main title rivals. Could the title already be decided after next weekend when two races are being held?

I'm not sure on the exact math, but regardless I don't think anyone is catching Dixon. Newgarden and OWard may beat him on track a few more times this year, but Dixon is still going to score good points. He has been so consistent and fast.

[bjohnsonsmith]

Originally Posted by joeb

I'm not sure on the exact math, but regardless I don't think anyone is catching Dixon. Newgarden and OWard may beat him on track a few more times this year, but Dixon is still going to score good points. He has been so consistent and fast.

Dixon has 416 points. Newgarden is 96 points behind Dixon and O'Ward is 119 behind Dixon, with 5 races left.

[TheMightyM]

In case you were hoping for a return to Fontana aka Auto Club Speedway, things just a bit more complicated: the track will be transformed into a half-mile short track beginning next season (!).


More here

[Lanky Turtle]

Originally Posted by TheMightyM

In case you were hoping for a return to Fontana aka Auto Club Speedway, things just a bit more complicated: the track will be transformed into a half-mile short track beginning next season (!).


More here

Talk about a surprise move. I don't understand the reasoning behind this, there are dozens of half mile tracks, hundreds of short tracks in the U.S. i'm sure, but Fontana was only one of two 2 mile tracks.

[bjohnsonsmith]

Originally Posted by TheMightyM

In case you were hoping for a return to Fontana aka Auto Club Speedway, things just a bit more complicated: the track will be transformed into a half-mile short track beginning next season (!).


More here

Turning it into a half-mile oval will free up a lot of real estate.

[NaBUru38]

What???

Sad to lose one of the best IndyCar racetracks. Too bad they struggle to get any crowds, even for Nascar Cup races.