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The 2005-07 layout did not use the 7A "Budweiser Bottleneck" wider exit to the hairpin turn that NASCAR uses.
I'd say that the (more or less) original configuration of Turn 7, used in 2005-07, was the best layout for it. It's that stupidly acute apex at the entry that leads to all those spear-jobs, punts, and spins. Opening it up with the old corner entry, and leaving the straighter corner exit, also just seems like the best solution for promoting good overtaking.
What I have for the track lengths that USAC and IRL/IndyCar have used is as follows:
1970- 2.520 miles
2005-07- 2.300 miles
2008-11- 2.303 miles
Current- 2.385 miles
No matter how you slice it, so long as they use the Turn 9 chicane and the truncated Turn 11, the racing is going to suffer significantly.
Just as a reference, I'd expect the current cars to lap, in Qualifying, in the 1:09s on the 2.520-mile layout.
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