2013 Race Schedule

[Indymarlin]

Based on Randy Bernard's comments in the ESPN article, here is a likely schedule based from previous info. The only way I can see a second oval like Michigan or Kentucky is if the track agrees to pay the full sanction fee, which I doubt they would want to do. Since Randy said, the schedule would likely start with St Petersburg, I can't see Austin making the schedule.

2013 Schedule
Mar St Petersburg
Mar Easter
Apr Birmingham
Apr Off
Apr Long Beach
Apr Off
May Sao Paulo, Brazil
May Off
May Indianapolis Pole Day
May Indianapolis 500
Jun Detroit, Belle Isle
Jun Texas
Jun Milwaukee
Jun Iowa
Jun Off
Jul Toronto
Jul Pocono
Jul Edmonton
Jul Off (Brickyard)
Aug Mid-Ohio
Aug Canada
Aug Off
Aug Sonoma
Sept Baltimore
Sept Off
Sept Fontana
Sept Off
Sept Fort Lauderdale
Oct Houston

[German oval fan]

Bernard said IndyCar is "intrigued" by a race in Germany but felt it was most important to establish the series in North America first and then go from there.

Gee, where does that come from?!?! I've never heard anything about a potential Indycar race in Germany from RB's mouth. This could get really interesting. I'm German and I would love to see a race here. However, I think, it doesn't make any financial sense. If (and that's a big if) they manage to have a race here I hope they'll only consider the Eurospeedway oval. We've got enough road course races and formula series over here. What we need is something not from this world...like an oval race

[Indymarlin]

Curt Cavin is taking the ESPN story a bit further in his story in Indystar.com:

Bernard said, one or two of oval tracks owned by International Speedway Corp. could be added. Likely in that group are Phoenix and Michigan.

http://www.indystar.com/article/2012...ggles-continue

Great to see Phoenix is still possible for 2013!!

Here is the updated possible schedule:

2013 Schedule
Mar St Petersburg
Mar Easter
Apr Birmingham
Apr Off
Apr Long Beach
Apr Phoenix
May Sao Paulo, Brazil
May Off
May Indianapolis Pole Day
May Indianapolis 500
Jun Detroit, Belle Isle
Jun Texas
Jun Milwaukee
Jun Iowa
Jun Off
Jul Toronto
Jul Pocono or Michigan
Jul Edmonton
Jul Off (Brickyard)
Aug Mid-Ohio
Aug Canada
Aug Off
Aug Sonoma
Sept Baltimore
Sept Off
Sept Fontana
Sept Off
Sept Fort Lauderdale
Oct Houston

[Grizzlor]

My guess is Pocono is the "one" with the second oval a Phoenix or MIS. Personally I'm still thinking Austin in March and no Fort Lauderdale.

I also liked Randy's position on the international races, "any international race agreement will require “huge” up-front money."

[aaron5572]

glad to hear that Randy is looking into Germany. That is a cool oval

I'm pretty sure Randy already said that Ft. Lauderdale would be 2014 at the earliest

[aaron5572]

Gee, where does that come from?!?! I've never heard anything about a potential Indycar race in Germany from RB's mouth. This could get really interesting. I'm German and I would love to see a race here. However, I think, it doesn't make any financial sense. If (and that's a big if) they manage to have a race here I hope they'll only consider the Eurospeedway oval. We've got enough road course races and formula series over here. What we need is something not from this world...like an oval race

He was indeed talking about EuroSpeedway

[Grizzlor]

He was indeed talking about EuroSpeedway

Incredibly optimistic to consider a race there. I just don't see how the track could pay the sanction fee, and make money. There would have to be TWO races over there, and that's very unlikely. Every single European Indy car event has failed after 1 or 2 years.

[Butters]

Incredibly optimistic to consider a race there. I just don't see how the track could pay the sanction fee, and make money. There would have to be TWO races over there, and that's very unlikely. Every single European Indy car event has failed after 1 or 2 years.

It's more like the series failed. Both races @ Eurospeedway can be considered as successfull. I attended to both. The 2001 crowd was better though.
TBH is don't know if they could afford the fee either, but there are points you might not have considered yet. Many of the series' sponsors are also present in Europe. DHL is a German company for example. I'm pretty sure it would be worth some bucks for them to have the cars running here too. Plus: There are Ovel Fans here. Many. But no races. I'm sure a (unified) IndyCar race would draw a big crowd.

Major issue imo is the investment needed für the SAFER.

[Indymarlin]

Here is a little more good confirmation on the future of the Sonoma race. This is Curt Cavin's response in his Indystar.com Q&A:

As for Sonoma race, track president Steve Page said he was negotiating with IndyCar to extend the race for two more years. That’s great news.

http://blogs.indystar.com/racingexpe...onoma-raceway/

[German oval fan]

It's more like the series failed. Both races @ Eurospeedway can be considered as successfull. I attended to both. The 2001 crowd was better though.

In 2001 there were more than 80000 people in the stands. If that doesn't make a race a financial success, nothing will.

[TimmyZ1]

Nothing major but the Plain Dealer's Elton Alexander was at Mid Ohio and spoke to Lanigan about the beloved Cleveland race. Lanigan said he was trying but its the same issue the race has always dealt with. Lack of a title sponsor.

[aaron5572]

Incredibly optimistic to consider a race there. I just don't see how the track could pay the sanction fee, and make money. There would have to be TWO races over there, and that's very unlikely. Every single European Indy car event has failed after 1 or 2 years.

you'd have to get a German sponsor like DHL to sponsor the race "DHL German Indy" or something like that

a European road race is suicidal....has to be an oval. Indy cars will never be "cooler" than F1 cars, so you need to sell the speed of the cars and the spectacular show that the DW12 can put on at ovals, create a once-a-year event, an oval Indy spectacular

[Grizzlor]

In 2001 there were more than 80000 people in the stands. If that doesn't make a race a financial success, nothing will.

For a $6 million dollar sanction, 80K is not going to get it done unless they gouge the heck out of the fans. The place was not full at all in 2003.

Nothing major but the Plain Dealer's Elton Alexander was at Mid Ohio and spoke to Lanigan about the beloved Cleveland race. Lanigan said he was trying but its the same issue the race has always dealt with. Lack of a title sponsor.

I loved Cleveland GP but I think it's time to forget it and move on.

you'd have to get a German sponsor like DHL to sponsor the race "DHL Indy Grand Prix" or something like that

a European road race is suicidal....has to be an oval. Indy cars will never be "cooler" than F1 cars, so you need to sell the speed of the cars and the spectacular show that the DW12 can put on at ovals

When CCWS ran at Brands Hatch and in Belgium/Holland, the fan reaction was extremely positive. They were shocked how accessible the drivers and teams were. A great departure from the Iron Curtain of F1's garages.

[BuddyCarSeries]

you'd have to get a German sponsor like DHL to sponsor the race "DHL German Indy" or something like that

a European road race is suicidal....has to be an oval. Indy cars will never be "cooler" than F1 cars, so you need to sell the speed of the cars and the spectacular show that the DW12 can put on at ovals, create a once-a-year event, an oval Indy spectacular

You could go to a road course that F1 hasn't been to in a long time or had never been to. There are a good bit of them in England, and around Europe.

[Fro]

When CCWS ran at Brands Hatch and in Belgium/Holland, the fan reaction was extremely positive. They were shocked how accessible the drivers and teams were. A great departure from the Iron Curtain of F1's garages.

Yeah, by all accounts those were fairly successful events, especially in Belgium/Holland.

The issue is you'd want to string 2-3 races in a row in Europe together to offset the shipping costs of everything.

[aaron5572]

Rockingham and EuroSpeedway, I don't think those events failed as much as CART began to decline when Penske took TG's money and left

[German oval fan]

For a $6 million dollar sanction, 80K is not going to get it done unless they gouge the heck out of the fans. The place was not full at all in 2003.

What did they expect??? They can barely put 80000 butts in the stands at the F1 races over here. Did they really think they can get >100000 people to go to an Indycar race? Eurospeedway isn't Indy. And neither is Rockingham or Brands Hatch. As much as I would love to see the Indycars again in Germany, I don't think it makes any sense to go that path again.

[Z28]

It's exciting to hear things happening for 2013, that's if you're inclined to believe what Randy says. He throws out the two ISC ovals like he's got something going but unless he has changed his stance on the deal zero ISC ovals think they can make a profit on an INDYCAR race. He is the one who came out saying no to Phoenix and MIS for 2013 because they don't work financially, so did he say he had made changes that now put them in play?

What any oval needs is a title sponsor. When I look back Chicagoland always had a title sponsor for their Indycar races and would fit in the August date either the second weekend when NASCAR is at Watkins Glen could be Saturday night or the last weekend on Sunday when they are at Bristol. I think it would depend on if you could get that race on ABC. You don't want the third weekend in August when NASCAR is at MIS, too close together. Homestead makes sense either at the end of the season in October a month or more before NASCAR ends their season there or sometime in the Spring to get an oval prior to Indy. Kansas would fit in September as they have their second NASCAR date in late October.

Michigan and Pocono both have the exact middle of July between their NASCAR weekends which is filled with the two Canadian races or September.

In all honesty, I'll believe ISC ovals are being added when the tracks are announcing they have brought back Indycar races. I will simply not take Randy on faith when it comes to the schedule.

Yeah, by all accounts those were fairly successful events, especially in Belgium/Holland.

The issue is you'd want to string 2-3 races in a row in Europe together to offset the shipping costs of everything.

That sounds great unless you consider how invisible the IICS is when it races outside the USA. Take a look right now through Sonoma and see how much news the series generates. Not how many posts here on TF, not from Curt Cavin and Robin Miller who have nothing else to spend their time on. But in the general sports and racing media. Here's an example, Hinch will be on Wind Tunnel, because there are no races, if he was in Europe for a month not going to be able to do that.

[dakinca]

Are we still expecting the schedule out by the time of the finale in Fontana?

[Mikemat5150]

Are we still expecting the schedule out by the time of the finale in Fontana?

I'm sure it'll be out. A lot of series put TBA on their schedules so perhaps we'll see one of those.

[interplanet]

I also liked Randy's position on the international races, "any international race agreement will require “huge” up-front money."

Unfortunately the quote was "organizers likely will be required to put up huge deposits or a letter of credit" not just an international race, which in turn is going to turn some tracks away. Most sanctioning bodies don't get paid till close to the race or even after, and usually do installments, again Randy's lack of Racing Business experience driving a wedge between tracks and Indycar

[aaron5572]

Unfortunately the quote was "organizers likely will be required to put up huge deposits or a letter of credit" not just an international race, which in turn is going to turn some tracks away. Most sanctioning bodies don't get paid till close to the race or even after, and usually do installments, again Randy's lack of Racing Business experience driving a wedge between tracks and Indycar

which sanctioning bodies, F1 always gets the $ up front

[TexManZero]

Are we still expecting the schedule out by the time of the finale in Fontana?

When it comes to this series, the schedule changes during the middle of the year.

[sean26]

I also liked Randy's position on the international races, "any international race agreement will require “huge” up-front money."

Indycar should of learned that YEARS ago with Hawaii and South Korea

[interplanet]

which sanctioning bodies, F1 always gets the $ up front

F1 is a different story. I am speaking of Nascar and ALMS, Indycars "competitors" when it comes to the business side of tracks.

[lizardfolk]

Doesn't Rockingham and Eurospeedway need safer barrier updates?

Beyond that Eurospeedway would be a dream come true for me. Been wishing for IndyCar to go back there since... well... since I started watching IRL over ChampCar

[kull_warrior]

I also liked Randy's position on the international races, "any international race agreement will require “huge” up-front money."

Indycar should of learned that YEARS ago with Hawaii and South Korea

Isn't Hawaii still part of the US?

[THE BEAR]

Bwahhhhhaaaaaaa...............


Just picked out a couple of numbers from this entirely absurd discussion:

$6 mm sanctioning fee.......

I will save you the headache...that's $300,000 PER CAR if they can get 20 cars together to run overseas.

Now, if they could find places that would pay a $300,000 sanctioning fee.....

Someone here said it best: People are talking like Randy has something more than casual discussions and wishes in his pocket. What is worse, we are going to get another one of those 'dreamy' schedules for 2013 which won't come together until the last minute and will contain events which won't actually happen.

Randy and the gang need to go back to the Board room with some crayons and practice spelling : C-R-E-D-I-B-I-L-I-T-Y

[irloyal]

I'm beginning to think Randy is toast. The old adage "Where there is smoke there is fire" is gonna apply to Randy pretty soon. There has been a lot of smoke swirling around him. Car owners, promotors, etc... Or maybe it's more like "His alligator mouth has written more checks than his canary azz can cash".

It's kinda too bad, because I think he had promise. He has some good ideas, he just hasn't been able to make the right connections for good advice. OTOH he's made some really bonehead decisions too. IF the schedule comes out and there are TBA's or IF the schedule is delayed I think he's got a real problem.

[sean26]

Isn't Hawaii still part of the US?

meaning races that require taking a plane to transport the cars to the track...