2013 IndyCar schedule

[Purist]

The CART races at Riverside, and the first few years at Cleveland, were billed as "500's", though this meant kilometers for these road races. Riverside was 95 laps of the 3.3-mile Grand Prix Circuit. Cleveland was 125 laps of what was then thought to be a 2.485-mile airport circuit; both Cleveland layouts were later remeasured (in 1998), and the 1982-89 course was determined to be 2.369 miles around.

Apart from not being 500 miles, the other issue with having road races included in the "Triple Crown" is that there's really only one left (Long Beach) that has adequate value on its own to really be worth including. As a standalone, I would kind of like to see Long Beach run to 95 laps (300km), but there would be some real, practical difficulties running it in a "Triple Crown" and having it go to 158 laps (500km).

Even though it's been absent since 2001, the Michigan 500 would still stand out on the schedule. It's going to be much more work to create that apparent individuality with a race at the Glen or Elkhart Lake. When either of these was on the calendar in the past for IRL/CART, they were simply another road race in the championship; the stand-out factor was the track itself, rather than a race name or even the type of cars competing necessarily.

Also, there is more of a popular push for oval races, at least from the more vocal fans, so doing the old style "Triple Crown" to try and reinvigorate the speedway side of things makes sense on that front.

[NaBUru38]

Thanks, Purist! I'll add them to Wikipedia. Those races lasted from 2:40 to 3:05 (according to Racing Reference). That's a lot!

[Purist]

This is particularly for those on the other side of the pond (probably), but I was taking a brief look at the Populous site (the group that did the recent rework at Silverstone), and there's a small item (no info yet that I saw) that has something to do with the Milwaukee Mile. Does anybody know what the scoop there might be?

[Deleted]

Is it just me or am I the only one to see it through... they will never ever again organize another race with a distance of 500mil or more. Why, well because they think it would "damage" the integrity of the indy 500 and make it "less stand-out" or some crap. Why do you think the twin Texas races were 275km and not 275mil...

[nickyf1]

Originally Posted by Purist

How so?

I certainly don't consider one oval to be inherently more interesting than another purely based on length. And why would I?

I've also just never had that strong affinity specifically for short tracks that some have. If I find the track interesting with the type of cars I see on it, fine. If not, I'm not terribly likely to be enamored with the track.

Well, at the longer tracks you tend to always get the same kind of on-the-white-line flat out pack races, which don't interest me at all.

[NaBUru38]

Originally Posted by Chiana

Is it just me or am I the only one to see it through... they will never ever again organize another race with a distance of 500mil or more. Why, well because they think it would "damage" the integrity of the indy 500 and make it "less stand-out" or some crap.

Sure, and I agree with that policy. 400 miles / 200 laps are fine for Fontana and Michigan.

Originally Posted by Chiana

Why do you think the twin Texas races were 275km and not 275mil...

Because two 375 mile races would take four hours. I get tired even at lap 180.

[Purist]

NickyF1, your complaint about the larger tracks is a function of the cars though, not the tracks themselves.

As for the matter of management not wanting another 500-miler next to Indy itself, I don't care about their reservations. At the end of the day, I have memories of watching the Michigan 500, and I've found coverage of the old Pocono 500 (or Domino's Pizza 500 @ Pocono). As long as I have those echoes (so basically until dementia sets in, or until I die), I'm going to want those races to come back, no matter what anybody else says.

[nickyf1]

Originally Posted by Purist

NickyF1, your complaint about the larger tracks is a function of the cars though, not the tracks themselves.

Oh, certainly. But I don't see the kind of car that featured in CART coming back any time soon.

[MagVanisher]

I hope IndyCar can return to Japan next year or two... Either on Motegi, Suzuka, or a Tilke'd Fuji. (I hope someone would have the guts and money to reconfigure Fuji as a roval)

And an off-topic, I would like to see Volkswagen and Toyota providing engine for the teams... if Lotus can stick around for 2012 that is.

[bjohnsonsmith]

Originally Posted by nickyf1

Oh, certainly. But I don't see the kind of car that featured in CART coming back any time soon.

The DW12, despite its looks, is closer to the Reynards etc. than the previous Dallara creation, in that it uses ground effect as well as the wings to generate downforce. Come Indy it will be interesting to see how the car will be configured for superspeedway. The Reynards etc. ran small front and rear wings, with downforce in superspeedway configuration coming from the car.

[nickyf1]

From what I've seen, the rear wing is a simple flat element with no endplates. The rear wheel guards serve as the end plates. Looks quite interesting.

[NaBUru38]

Randy started to talk:

"We want to secure the great ones and cut a couple."

The article mentions 19 as the number of races. On the Canadian side, Vancouver, Calgary and Quebec City are "on the radar."

[Jonerz]

Vancouver seems unlikely to me. It tends to be an anti-car city and very willingly sacrificed the race to redevelop Concord Pacific Place for the 2010 Winter Olympics. I don't even know where they'd race in Vancouver.

Chris

[NaBUru38]

Randy's team certainly doesn't lack creativity.

[bjohnsonsmith]

Originally Posted by NaBUru38

Randy started to talk:
The article mentions 19 as the number of races. On the Canadian side, Vancouver, Calgary and Quebec City are "on the radar."

Quebec City; that would be interesting.

[NaBUru38]

Front wind for Road America (closeness of Milwaukee), tail wind for Fort Lauderdale.

[bjohnsonsmith]

Doesn't look like Texas is a done deal for next year.

http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/100310

[NaBUru38]

I wonder if randy is trying to have the season finale back at Las Vegas.

[bjohnsonsmith]

Originally Posted by NaBUru38

I wonder if randy is trying to have the season finale back at Las Vegas.

I hope not.

[mountainstar]

Originally Posted by NaBUru38

I wonder if randy is trying to have the season finale back at Las Vegas.

I don't think you realize how many people the irl ****ed off there last year.

[JohnSSC]

Good thing this year's schedule is written in sponge...time to focus on 2013.....

[NaBUru38]

Definitely not for 2013, but the Argentine Super TC2000 promoters have been discussing with IndyCar to bring the championship to the Buenos Aires Grand Prix. The fee is US$ 5 million. The question is: can they find sponsors?

[HJJ]

08/12/12 IndyCar eyeing New Orleans as it struggles to find 19 venues *IndyCar officials aren’t talking publicly about a new road course south of downtown New Orleans, but that could be the site of a spring race next season, perhaps even the first on the calendar.
NOLA Motorsports Park, which is officially located in Avondale, La., is in its first year and hosts its first major event, AMA Pro Racing, Oct. 5-7. It is a facility still growing, and at this point it lacks permanent grandstands. Temporary seating for 15,000 to 20,000 people will be in place for the upcoming motorcycle event.

When finished, NOLA’s complete circuit will be 5 miles in length, making it the longest in the U.S. But there are a variety of ways IndyCar could design a shorter course.

The track’s designer, Alan Wilson, also did Miller Motorsports Park in Utah and Barber Motorsports Park in Alabama. Tony Cotman has inspected the facility for IndyCar, and it meets most specifications.

M1 Powersports is promoting the motorcycle event; IndyCar likely would turn to a group such as Andretti Sports Marketing.

As for oval tracks for 2013, IndyCar is talking with Pocono (Pa.) Raceway and Michigan International Speedway about potential races. Both deals depend on finding a price point that suits all parties.

There are 15 events on this year’s schedule, the next being the Aug. 26 race at Sonoma (Calif.) Raceway. IndyCar CEO Randy Bernard said it’s important to have 19 races next season, and he’s already got a street race in Houston set for Oct. 6. IndyCar is pushing for doubleheaders at some non-ovals.

Bernard is interested in a spring race in New Orleans in an effort to capitalize on the excitement surrounding the city’s Feb. 3 Super Bowl. Indy Star

.

[FordCosworthPanoz]

NOLA gets a race and Blackhawk Farms doesn't? Blasphemy

[Purist]

It would have to be on the 2.75-mile North Course, because the South Course hasn't been built yet. Unfortunately, the place is flat as a pancake, and very open, since they've taken out all the trees in the area when they began construction, and will presumably do likewise when they clear the area for the South Course. Also, being an Alan Wilson circuit, there is NO infield. The only viewing will be from the outside of the circuit.

As to what we could expect from the racing there, it might not be terrible, but I highly doubt it will be anything special. I think the braking into Turn 1 will be enough to give some reasonable hope for passing, but it isn't an ultra hard braking zone. Turn 13 or so, on the back side of the track, looks like the heaviest braking zone after a good, high-speed run. The trouble there is, the esses of Turns 8-12 may well make getting side-by-side rather difficult until right before the braking zone itself.

For spectating, it will be hard to get a sense of speed, because having cleared so much space around the tarmac, there is no good frame of reference to judge just how quickly the cars are going.

Frankly, IndyCar has the best Alan Wilson track on its calendar already: Barber Motorsports Park. The other one of his original designs (that has been built) that particularly interests me is Calabogie Motorsports Park up in Canada.