2015 IndyCar schedule

[bjohnsonsmith]

It looks like Mosport might be in with a shout.

http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/115632

[bjohnsonsmith]

Originally Posted by JacobP

What happened with the Houston again?

A date for the race couldn't be agreed on.

http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/115629

[mythoughtsareracing]

Originally Posted by bjohnsonsmith

A date for the race couldn't be agreed on.

http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/115629

The real story...

The date for Houston sucks. It's mid-summer, meaning hot and humid. It's miserable for everyone: Drivers, teams, staff, fans, officials, et al.
They want another date, but NRG Park doesn't have any dates available because of other events in the spring, the largest being the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo in late March.

Lanigan is looking at another Houston location, Ellington Field, in hopes of securing a better date, and hopefully a more inspired course layout than the NRG Park layout.

[August]

Originally Posted by DS"

Actually, I think that as long as the domestic market is difficult for IndyCar, they should try to milk as much as possible from foreign markets. Then again, IndyCar's international marketing is inferior to CART's from back then.

Maybe IndyCar should go more international but keep the races in good time zones for the US audience. Races in Canada, Mexico, Brazil, maybe even some street circuit in Colombia because of the Colombian drivers. Australia/Japan might also work, night races for the US audience.

[Salamus]

Power will run the #1 in 2015. So Penske is using 1, 2, and 3. I'm sure Verizon are very happy.

[Biscuits In A Red Bull]

Originally Posted by August

maybe even some street circuit in Colombia because of the Colombian drivers

I personally feel that if they can organise one and get enough sponsorship for the event, than that would be a very wise move from Indycar. Montoya will be a title contender next season, Munoz is only going to get better, Huertas is good on his day (and a race winner) whilst Chaves will hopefully be able to get a seat and show the promise he did in Lights.

[Paradise City]

Going to South America makes sense in the way that going to Europe and Asia does not.

[August]

In some ways I think IndyCar should've gone to Mexico some years ago before F1. Now it might be too late as F1 is already going there. But as the USA's neighbor, it'd be an obvious country to expand into.

[bjohnsonsmith]

Originally Posted by August

In some ways I think IndyCar should've gone to Mexico some years ago before F1. Now it might be too late as F1 is already going there. But as the USA's neighbor, it'd be an obvious country to expand into.

I think you've got a point. The CCWS raced there and when the IRL merged they should have continued with Mexico.

[icemachine]

Originally Posted by bjohnsonsmith

I think you've got a point. The CCWS raced there and when the IRL merged they should have continued with Mexico.

I never understood why they dropped Monterrey or Mexico City, may not have been the greatest venues but crowds were decent, and didn't they have Carlos Slim's telco sponsoring one of those races?

[HighParker]

Originally Posted by rwintle

I am of course very curious about this too. That press statement really says nothing at all that wasn't already reported - IndyCar looked at the track, Green Savoree/Honda Indy Toronto have been discussing options. I guess it helps reassure the fans that things are underway.

I'm still confused by all of this. Are they talking about joining the July 12 United SportsCar weekend announced last month by IMSA? Would it be for 2015 only? Why are they suddenly talking about this now when they've had at least a two year warning about the Pan Am Games occupying Exhibition Place in July 2015?

[icemachine]

I'm guessing Green-Savoree were hoping to get the first weekend of June date, later in June doesn't go well in Toronto due to conflicts with Pride events.

Green-Savoree have put a lot of effort in the marketing and rebuilding of this race over the last 6 years since the lost race in the merger year, moving it out to CTMP will be another hard blow to their efforts

[NaBUru38]

If Gossage had allowed to move Texas to late June, Toronto could have been held in early June.

[Yannick]

Originally Posted by icemachine

I never understood why they dropped Monterrey or Mexico City, may not have been the greatest venues but crowds were decent, and didn't they have Carlos Slim's telco sponsoring one of those races?

Yes, they did have Telmex sponsorship. I never understood either why they got rid of so many ChampCar events after the merger.
The Australian race became a non-championship exhibition race because IRL CEO Tony George had a contract with Chicagoland for it to be the season finale and that was fixed to a September date whereas Surfers would have been in October.
Not soon after that, the season finale moved to Homestead where it was greeted with empty stands, and Chicagoland let its contract run out. IndyCar management surely regret this decision to let go of Surfers for 2009.

Unfortunately, the Series' situation with their prescribed date for season's end at Labor Day is roughly the same as it was back then. Yes, there is a new CEO now but surely, some long-standing member of the organisation must have learnt from the mistakes of the merger era. Like Brian Barnhart for example. Maybe he did even advise Mark Miles to think different about the pitfalls of the Labor Day ending? Such things rightfully go on behind closed doors and it's probably for the better we'll not find out.
Yet, it still is kind of sad that the Season Finale has remained one of the big problems for the last 5 years.

It's totally understandable that Fontana does not want a late August date. I've seen people on another message board state that Michigan International Speedway would be perfect for that date. It's just that it does not fit with the rest of that circuit's schedule.

On a less than serious note, what's the weather like on Labor Day at the Mickyard? ;-)

[Yannick]

I cannot edit my previous posting anymore but I needed to add some detail, so here it is as a reply:

Originally Posted by Yannick

Yes, they did have Telmex sponsorship. I never understood either why they got rid of so many ChampCar events after the merger.

I mean: why did they let go of Portland?

The Australian race became a non-championship exhibition race because IRL CEO Tony George had a contract with Chicagoland for it to be the season finale and that was fixed to a September date whereas Surfers would have been in October.
Not soon after that, the season finale moved to Homestead where it was greeted with empty stands, and Chicagoland let its contract run out. IndyCar management surely regret this decision to let go of Surfers for 2009.

Unfortunately, the Series' situation with their prescribed date for season's end at Labor Day is roughly the same as it was back then. Yes, there is a new CEO now but surely, some long-standing member of the organisation must have learnt from the mistakes of the merger era. Like Brian Barnhart for example. Maybe he did even advise Mark Miles to think different about the pitfalls of the Labor Day ending? Such things rightfully go on behind closed doors and it's probably for the better we'll not find out.
Yet, it still is kind of sad that the Season Finale has remained one of the big problems for the last 5 years.

It's totally understandable that Fontana does not want a late August date. I've seen people on another message board state that Michigan International Speedway would be perfect for that date. It's just that it does not fit with the rest of that circuit's schedule.

On a less than serious note, what's the weather like on Labor Day at the Mickyard? ;-)

Is it correct that the circuit IndyCar desires to be their season finale are a) a 500 mile race at a big oval, b) fuller stands than Fontana, c) preferrably a track with no ISC involvement or NASCAR scheduling conflict, d) have the race end no later than 10 pm Eastern Time e) temperatures not in excess of 100 F but still good weather?

There is one place in the world that fits all of those criteria: It is Eurospeedway Lausitz. (Surprise, surprise!)

[icemachine]

Originally Posted by Yannick

I cannot edit my previous posting anymore but I needed to add some detail, so here it is as a reply:

Is it correct that the circuit IndyCar desires to be their season finale are a) a 500 mile race at a big oval, b) fuller stands than Fontana, c) preferrably a track with no ISC involvement or NASCAR scheduling conflict, d) have the race end no later than 10 pm Eastern Time e) temperatures not in excess of 100 F but still good weather?

There is one place in the world that fits all of those criteria: It is Eurospeedway Lausitz. (Surprise, surprise!)

If you start at 4pm ET (1pm PT), that's what a 10 pm start time at Lausitz?
Can't really see that being acceptable either

[NaBUru38]

How about having the season finale at Texas?

[Yannick]

Originally Posted by icemachine

If you start at 4pm ET (1pm PT), that's what a 10 pm start time at Lausitz?
Can't really see that being acceptable either

Yes, indeed, it is not. If broadcasting the race Sunday morning throughout the US is an option, Eurospeedway would be possible. Like 8 am PT, 11 am ET, 16 pm local CET.

How many hours adrift of Pacific Time is Motegi? Maybe that might work, when they run the race in the morning during which it (hopefully) is late in the afternoon in the US?

[icemachine]

Originally Posted by Yannick

Yes, indeed, it is not. If broadcasting the race Sunday morning throughout the US is an option, Eurospeedway would be possible. Like 8 am PT, 11 am ET, 16 pm local CET.

How many hours adrift of Pacific Time is Motegi? Maybe that might work, when they run the race in the morning during which it (hopefully) is late in the afternoon in the US?

11 hours difference I believe from ET, 8 Pacific. So a 10am start in Japan puts it 9pm ET and 6pm PT, still wrapping up at midnight ET. Does Hawaii have a speedway?

[August]

Starting a race at Motegi at 10am would be crazy. For sure having the race on morning wouldn't be great for the spectators. Maybe some compromise can be done to make it better for the US TV audience, yet the purpose of an overseas race should be to offer a great viewing experience for the spectators to promote the series. I begin by assuming a 2pm start at Motegi. That'd be:

1am EDT /12am EST
10pm PDT /9pm EST
(No DST in Japan)

For Surfers Paradise, it'd be:

12am EDT /11pm EST
9pm PDT /8pm EST
(No DST in Queensland)

One must also remember that Sunday morning in Asia is Saturday evening in the USA, so a late-night race isn't such a big problem for the US TV audience. I think 11pm ET start would be fine so that'd be 12pm at Motegi and 1pm at Surfers Paradise.

As for a European race, I'm not sure there are European tracks with floodlights, so it'd have to be a 5pm CET / 11am ET / 8am PT start. Then again, with lights, a 7pm CET / 1pm ET / 10am PT start would be possible. But I'm not sure going to F1-obsessed Europe would make sense for IndyCar.

[Yannick]

Originally Posted by NaBUru38

How about having the season finale at Texas?

In fact, I had hoped that would be the outcome of the scheduling problems with Toronto but Curt Cavin reports TMS would remain in June.

[TheMightyM]

Robin Miller has a column out on the IndyCar schedule. Some highlights:

The reality of what's happened to Indy car racing during the past 25 years really hit home Saturday night in Fontana. It was kinda like a big fan club meeting, yet not nearly enough people to be called a crowd had gathered to watch the Verizon IndyCar Series championship decided and it had all the atmosphere of a glorified tire test.

It wasn't Auto Club Speedway's fault; they didn't want to be running on Labor Day weekend in 98-degree temperatures but that was the date mandated so the season could end in August. You know, the way the Boston Consulting Group planned it.

And

I said a few months ago IndyCar has to realize that, other than the Indianapolis 500, a good race-day crowd nowadays is 30,000 and, other than Long Beach, Barber and possibly the Grand Prix of Indianapolis, nobody else drew that many in 2014 by my count.

An IndyCar race is a tough sell right now so Miles needs to give the promoters a fighting chance. Choose a good, smart date and stay with it because consistency is a promoter's ally and IndyCar is running out of those.

[TheMightyM]

Curt Cavin of the Indianapolis Star offers up his projections of the 2015 IndyCar schedule here. Apparently Dubai is iffy.

[JacobP]

I still can't believe the 2014 season ended in August. The decision to end IndyCar seasons so early is one of the most moronic things to happen to IndyCar in the recent time. It's not way forward. It's way back into irrelevance even further. The cons at Boston Consulting Group are still laughing their ass off all the way to the bank at getting paid for providing this helpful "advise".

[Paradise City]

Indycar finished before the start of NASCAR's Chase. Peculiar feeling, certainly.