This year and next

[mclaren2007]

Is there going to be any coverage on Free To Air TV of the remaining Indy Racing League races?? I know there will be Surfers, but I don't know of any others.

What's next years Calendar going to look like? CCWS had great tracks, and IRL has good Roads and Ovals but some crappy ovals (Texas, Nashville). Here's what I'd like to see (in no particular order):

1. Indianapolis, no doubt
2. Surfers
3. Long Beach
4. Phoenix
5. Houston
6. Milwaukee
7. The Glen
8. Infineon
9. Edmonton
10. Iowa
11. St Petersburg
12. Homestead Miami
13. Kansas
14. Richmond
15. Mid Ohio
16. Detroit
17. Chicagoland
18. Toronto
19. Cleveland
20. Mexico City
21. Las Vegas street circuit, the one that held the race in '07

[mattcat]

Originally Posted by mclaren2007

CCWS had great tracks, and IRL has good Roads and Ovals but some crappy ovals (Texas, Nashville).

What is wrong with Texas? Texas consistently produces some of the best races in the series. And no Elkhart Lake???

[Purist]

McLaren, there's already a "Your IRL Calendar" (or something like that) thread.

Matt, I'm pretty sure you get the same scenario at Texas that you do at the other 1.5-mile ovals when you get the cars lined up side-by-side at speed. What I mean is that once that situation is set up the guys are often stuck as MANY times neither driver can make a decisive move, and it gets rather static after they've been doing that for 20-30 laps.

As for actual "new" venues, Toronto seems likely and talks have been underway for some time now with Cleveland, Houston, and Mexico City.

[wills]

I would like to see Michigan and Laguna Seca added.

[drdisque]

When asking about TV coverage, be sure to post what country you live in.

[mattcat]

Originally Posted by Purist

Matt, I'm pretty sure you get the same scenario at Texas that you do at the other 1.5-mile ovals when you get the cars lined up side-by-side at speed. What I mean is that once that situation is set up the guys are often stuck as MANY times neither driver can make a decisive move, and it gets rather static after they've been doing that for 20-30 laps.

I don't think that's static at all. It is very exciting to me to see them running side by side, lap after lap, especially at a track like Texas. When they show shots from the on-board cameras, you can see just how close they are running, often times not leaving enough room for a cigarette paper between wheels. I thought the Texas race this year was very exciting, especially in the middle when two drivers got themselves in to a long term side by side battle (can't recall who, I think it was Castroneves and someone else).

However, it appears that I am in the minority holding this opinion, judging by the dismal attendance at Texas this year.

[Purist]

It's an issue of the cars being in the same relation to one another at a given point on the lap, every lap, lap after lap. Thus, you very quickly know who will be ahead at start/finish, or in the middle of 1 and 2, or at the end of the back straight on each lap (for as long as the battle ins't interrupted by pit stops or a tellow), which takes the unpredictability out of the battle. This is racing, NOT formation flying.

[johntt]

Theres free video and live timing on Indycar.com.