2015 IndyCar schedule

[Formulahistory]

My dream calender:

1. Adelaide
2. Motegi
3. Suzuka
4. Laguna Seca
5. Long Beach
6. Sonoma
7. Fontana
8. Indy-GP
9. Indy-500
10. St. Petersburg
11. Barber Motorsport Park
12. Detroit
13. Texas
14. Austin
15. Pocono
16. Iowa
17. Mid-Ohio
18. Milwaukee
19. Toronto
20. Montréal
21. Interlagos
22. Silverstone
23. Nürburgring

[HighParker]

According to Erik Tomas on Raceline Radio about 90 minutes ago, Charlie Johnstone has said the 2015 Pan Am games and Toronto Indy race will not interfere with each other, and he has been communicating with the Pan Am organizers for two years to ensure there are no problems.

[icemachine]

Originally Posted by HighParker

According to Erik Tomas on Raceline Radio about 90 minutes ago, Charlie Johnstone has said the 2015 Pan Am games and Toronto Indy race will not interfere with each other, and he has been communicating with the Pan Am organizers for two years to ensure there are no problems.

Excellent news, thanks HighParker

[bjohnsonsmith]

Originally Posted by HighParker

According to Erik Tomas on Raceline Radio about 90 minutes ago, Charlie Johnstone has said the 2015 Pan Am games and Toronto Indy race will not interfere with each other, and he has been communicating with the Pan Am organizers for two years to ensure there are no problems.

That's great. Toronto produces one of the best street races and I would hate to see this race dropped from the calendar.

[icemachine]

It's interesting that Johnstone has been able to confirm the non-conflict given that AFAIK, the race hasn't had its contract extended with Indycar yet

[BrentJackson]

Originally Posted by DS"

I know that the Toronto street course is a traditional venue for IndyCar, but wouldn't the Pan Am Games be a good excuse to move over to Mosport? It's not even 80km from Toronto and I'm sure that IndyCar can put up a good show there. Then again, loyalty is everything for IndyCar and it's probably not wise to screw over the guys running the Indy Toronto race.

Mosport would be dangerous for Indycars, not enough gravel traps or runoff in a few places. Would be a helluva race, but I don't think it'll get the nod. The race will almost certainly stay at Exhibition Place.

[rwintle]

Originally Posted by HighParker

According to Erik Tomas on Raceline Radio about 90 minutes ago, Charlie Johnstone has said the 2015 Pan Am games and Toronto Indy race will not interfere with each other, and he has been communicating with the Pan Am organizers for two years to ensure there are no problems.

Thanks for that. We have also heard the same thing directly from the HIT office (i.e., Charlie). Yes there will be a race in Toronto, and no it is not moving from July. The logistics will be interesting I imagine.

That said, icemachine's point is well taken - no announcement yet of a contract extension, but it must surely be in the works. Who knows, it may be done and HIT could be waiting for the right moment to announce it.

[rwintle]

Originally Posted by BrentJackson

Mosport would be dangerous for Indycars, not enough gravel traps or runoff in a few places. Would be a helluva race, but I don't think it'll get the nod. The race will almost certainly stay at Exhibition Place.

Agreed - and as I've said before, nobody in Toronto knows where Mosport is (believe me, I work in Toronto and go to CTMP/Mosport often). The Toronto IndyCar race relies on fans that can get there on public transit.

[The Happy Track Fan]

Originally Posted by BrentJackson

Mosport would be dangerous for Indycars, not enough gravel traps or runoff in a few places. Would be a helluva race, but I don't think it'll get the nod. The race will almost certainly stay at Exhibition Place.

Hey Brent. You have been around this game long enough. I expected more from you. You know how much work that Fellows and Fidani have pumped into Mosport to make it much safer, and they would certainly be willing to spend more if it meant getting an Indy Car Race.

[The Happy Track Fan]

Originally Posted by rwintle

Agreed - and as I've said before, nobody in Toronto knows where Mosport is (believe me, I work in Toronto and go to CTMP/Mosport often). The Toronto IndyCar race relies on fans that can get there on public transit.

Funny how 60,000 people mysteriously found the place for the NASCAR Trucks and Canadian Tire Series weekend last Labour Day. But, never let the truth get in the way of a good story.

Indy Car seems content to draw 20,000 fans per day to that S**thole down on Lakeshore, so long as the sponsors are happy and the City pays a good chunk of the bills. A bunch of small grandstands that aren't even remotely full of fans. They look full from side shots, but aerial shots show the true picture.

Sorry. I fail to see the attraction of a circuit that is bumpy as hell, brutally unsafe in it's own right, has walls and fencing that should have been replaced eons ago, and has a list of rules and regulations for the fans that would choke a horse. But, to each his own....

[The Happy Track Fan]

Originally Posted by rwintle

Agreed - and as I've said before, nobody in Toronto knows where Mosport is (believe me, I work in Toronto and go to CTMP/Mosport often). The Toronto IndyCar race relies on fans that can get there on public transit.

Crowd will be significantly bigger at Mosport the weekend before for the IMSA Tudor Sports Cars than for the Toronto Indy. I would be willing to bet the three day actual attendance at Mosport for that weekend will beat the three day attendance at Toronto.

For all going down to the Mistake by the Lake, enjoy the race. I sincerely mean that. If you enjoy it, then go and take it in. I just don't feel like getting hosed. I went for the last time in 2010, and I will not go back again so long as it is run the way it is currently run.

I am quite happy making the 6 hour jaunt down to Mid-Ohio two weeks later. NOW THAT IS A RACETRACK!!

[metoca]

How about a return to surfers paradise?

[Yannick]

Originally Posted by metoca

How about a return to surfers paradise?

In recent years, most of the schedule / venue related questions which fans have asked, have started with the words "how about a return to ... "

-Surfers Paradise
-Phoenix (is it even near the same, since NASCAR brought in a quicker asphalt?)
-Road America
-Laguna Seca (not my track of choice, to be honest)
-Michigan (see Phoenix)
-Burke Lakefront Airport, Cleveland, Ohio
-Portland, Oregon
-Baltimore
-Watkins Glen
-Sparta, Kentucky
-the Mickyard
-Chicagoland
-etc.

Even back in the ChampCar Series, people called for a return to Vancouver.

Only during the tenure of Randy Bernard as CEO of IndyCar, such returns actually did happen: out of the 4 venues which returned, 3 turned out to be successful enough to remain on the schedule until today: Pocono, Milwaukee and Fontana.

If the current leadership of Miles/Walker is serious with returning to venues, they'd better prove it now.

[rwintle]

Originally Posted by The Happy Track Fan

Funny how 60,000 people mysteriously found the place for the NASCAR Trucks and Canadian Tire Series weekend last Labour Day. But, never let the truth get in the way of a good story.

Point taken. I'm more used to Victoria Day and the ALMS weekends where attendance is sparser (approaching "nil" if Victoria Day is cold). Not sure what TUSC is going to look like... I suspect no more than the usual ALMS weekends, but we'll see. I'd forgotten about the trucks weekend.

Still, I stand by my point - IndyCar in Toronto relies on public transit. I severely doubt there is enough interest in the series that a reasonable crowd would show up were it moved to Mosport, much as I love that track (and I do).

As for the rest of your comments - we get it, you hate the Toronto IndyCar circuit. No need to dump on the rest of us who love the event. Concrete walls, bumpy track... bring it on.

[codename_47]

Is this thread even serious?

Toronto is a great race, one of the true highlights of the CART/Champcar and now Indycar season.
The run from turn 1 to turn 3 is fantastic and has led to so many dramatic moments over the years.
It's not a Detroit/Houston style bullring where the lack of passing leads to tempers flaring and all kinds of crazyness, it's a fast, flowing street track with genuine overtaking possibilities and you always get a great race out of Toronto
(or two, these days )

More than anyone I want to see true road courses like Road America, Laguna Seca, Portland, hell even Road Atlanta return to the schedule.
But sometimes, those damn street tracks get it right.
Denver was one, Toronto was another, fantastic events both, lets keep them please!
(Long Beach? pah! Not been a decent race there since they started turning left instead of right at turn 1!)

I am quite happy making the 6 hour jaunt down to Mid-Ohio two weeks later. NOW THAT IS A RACETRACK!!

Where you can't pass and the racing is generally dull unless fuel strategy comes into play.
YAWN!

[The Happy Track Fan]

Originally Posted by codename_47

Is this thread even serious?

Toronto is a great race, one of the true highlights of the CART/Champcar and now Indycar season.
The run from turn 1 to turn 3 is fantastic and has led to so many dramatic moments over the years.
It's not a Detroit/Houston style bullring where the lack of passing leads to tempers flaring and all kinds of crazyness, it's a fast, flowing street track with genuine overtaking possibilities and you always get a great race out of Toronto
(or two, these days )

More than anyone I want to see true road courses like Road America, Laguna Seca, Portland, hell even Road Atlanta return to the schedule.
But sometimes, those damn street tracks get it right.
Denver was one, Toronto was another, fantastic events both, lets keep them please!
(Long Beach? pah! Not been a decent race there since they started turning left instead of right at turn 1!)



Where you can't pass and the racing is generally dull unless fuel strategy comes into play.
YAWN!

Hey CodeName:

Have you ever been to either of these places to watch a race live? I am serious about this thread.

In person, Toronto is CRAP!! I won't go into details at Rwintle's request. All I know is that I have been to almost 100 race circuits of various types over the years, and for spectators, it is easily - by far and a way - the worse I have ever been too. And, for every good pass at the end of Lakeshore's Turn Three or the Princess gate Turn One, there are usually two failed attempts, often resulting in drivers destroying race cars and ending up with lap after lap behind the pace car with full course yellows. This is not racing, it's a SIDESHOW!!

When you go to Mid-Ohio and watch a race live, the Turn 4 at the end of the back straight is breathtaking to watch. And (because TV never shows you good battles back in the pack), you often get some great - CLEAN - passes at that turn. I would say during the span of a race, far more overtaking takes place overall at Turn 4 at Mid-Ohio as opposed to Turn 3 at Lakeshore in Toronto - without the resulting stupidity and tears the end up as a result of failed attempts. If you want to watch multi-car pile up's, go watch NASCAR at Talladega.

[Purist]

I've said it before and I'll say it again, I'd rather Toronto than see Mosport chicaned. I already HATE the paved run-off; it eliminates the pucker factor, just lets guys abuse the track limits, and they don't get the warning of losing control to let them know something is wrong, so they can power right on into the wall at full tilt. (If I'm close enough in those sections to see anything, even if I have a shade tree, if it's sunny, the convection off that pad is going to cook me from the bottom up; I go to road courses to be in a park, NOT a parking lot!)

Funny thing about urban street circuits is that, in many cases, they're now really the closest thing to what road racing used to be, especially when you look at the new F1 and F1-capable circuits. I mean, how much of old Spa had a "proper" verge? How much run-off do you get at the Nordschleife?

Only a few races at Toronto have really been that bad, like when Townsend Bell took out three people, in separate incidents, in 2002. Out of the 28 races held there to date, only three come to mind, and two of those are fairly recent. I blame that more on slipping driving standards, because there are now so many tracks where you can get away with more than ever, than on the Toronto circuit itself.

[codename_47]

OR maybe the series that used to race there had higher standards than the series that currently inhabits the track?

There are many different aspects to racing, the knockabout, survival aspect of Toronto is just another skill in the diverse skillset needed to be a truly great Indycar driver.

And no, my opinions on these tracks come from being a TV view.
Toronto is a lot of fun to watch.
Mid Ohio can be entertaining but only if the yellows fall in such a way to ruin the fuel saving that happens there.
You get a bit of F1 syndrome there, all the drivers running at 60%, backing off to save fuel.

[Purist]

The racing at Mid Ohio has been much better with the new car. Unfortunately, with the layout they've been using at Sears Point, not even the DW12 has been able to "save" the racing there.

As to driving standards, it's NOT just IndyCar where things have slipped. There have been some pretty atrocious/bizarre incidents in F1, Sportscars, CART, IndyCar, Touring Cars, GTs, etc in the last 10-15 years.

[TheMightyM]

Pocono drew well last year. It is not drawing well this year. As the Associated Press reports:

The future of IndyCar at Pocono Raceway is in jeopardy because of a dramatic attendance drop expected for Sunday's race.

IndyCar returned to Pocono last year after a 24-year absence for the first race of a three-year contract. Track CEO and President Brandon Igdalsky said this week he planned to speak with IndyCar CEO Mark Miles and other series executives about possibly dumping the final year of the contract.

[Paradise City]

Do people not turn up at the track on the day though?

[bjohnsonsmith]

Originally Posted by TheMightyM

Pocono drew well last year. It is not drawing well this year. As the Associated Press reports:

If Pocono don't release attendance figures, what's this based on? Quali is on Saturday and the race is on Sunday, it's not surprising attendance is down, the gates heven't opened.

[Yannick]

These are odd news to report at this point in time indeed. The event hasn't even started yet so it can only mean ticket pre-sales are below expectations. I guess most tickets get sold on race day so that is not saying much. But how about the suites? I guess a company would have to book them in advance, right?

I wonder what Randy Bernard would have said about these particular complaints by the Pocono promoter, given the fact that it was him who signed IndyCar to the track.

Here's wishing everybody a safe and successful race!

[TheMightyM]

I’m an economist by training, and it’s pretty easy to do econometric modeling these days. Pocono obviously has a very good idea of what percentage of tickets they sell in advance for their NASCAR dates. They also know how well the Indycar race did last year, and that includes knowledge of what percentage of tickets they sold in advance and whether that percentage is the same as for NASCAR. They also may have access to non-public data on attendance from one or both series.

And if Pocono has confidence in their modeling, then Igdalsky may well have very good reason to be concerned if advanced sales are substantially off versus last year.

[HighParker]

The 2015 race in Toronto will apparently be in June.
http://www.wheels.ca/news/honda-indy...day-live-blog/

... in 2015, because of a conflict with the Pan Am Games that will kick off on July 10, the race will be held in June.
Exactly which weekend in June is the question.
“Everybody has been aware of this, and working on a solution, for three years,” Honda Indy president Charlie Johnstone said Friday. “We can’t push into August because there wouldn’t be enough time between the end of the games and the opening of the Exhbition to build the facility, hold the event, and tear it all down. Pushing back into June is our only option.”