Would this make you happy?

[call_me_andrew]

I tried to sit down and draw what a 2009 calender might look like. I didn't just pick tracks that I liked, I stuck with tracks that I knew would make money, I tried to please the road racing fans, I tried to please oval fans, I tried to please TG, and I tried to please Max Mosley (in a platonic way).

I know there are a lot of tracks that got left out. There's no Iowa, Road America, Mont Tremblant, Michigan, Fontana, Portland, Laguna Seca, or Cleveland. But it is a 50/50 mix of ovals and road courses (interesting enough, I wasn't trying for a 50/50 mix). I think this would be a realistic idea for a calender and I'm looking for opinions.

3/14 Miami O
3/22 St. Petersburg S
4/5 Long Beach S
4/12 Kansas City O
4/26 Motegi O
5/24 Indianapolis O
5/31 Milwaukee O
6/14 Eurospeedway Lausitz O
6/21 Estoril R
7/5 Watkins Glen R
7/12 Toronto S
7/25 Texas O
8/2 Edmonton R
8/9 Loudon O
8/15 Richmond O
8/23 Mid-Ohio R
8/30 Belle Isle S
9/6 Daytona R
9/13 Chicago O
9/20 Sears Point R
10/4 Surfers Paradise S
10/11 Phoenix O

O=Oval R=Road course S=Street course (if you didn't figure that out)

[BobGarage]

I
3/14 Miami O
3/22 St. Petersburg S
4/5 Long Beach S
4/12 Kansas City O
4/26 Motegi O
5/24 Indianapolis O
5/31 Milwaukee O
6/14 Eurospeedway Lausitz O
6/21 Estoril R
7/5 Watkins Glen R
7/12 Toronto S
7/25 Texas O
8/2 Edmonton R
8/9 Loudon O
8/15 Richmond O
8/23 Mid-Ohio R
8/30 Belle Isle S
9/6 Daytona R
9/13 Chicago O
9/20 Sears Point R
10/4 Surfers Paradise S
10/11 Phoenix O

O=Oval R=Road course S=Street course (if you didn't figure that out)

not bad, but i'd change Estoril for either Rockingham or Donington and drop Daytona. We don't need a third race in Florida and I'd have Road America instead.

[theblackflagger]

That's a good try at it. There are a few I wouldn't have included though. (Assuming you're trying to be realistic. I doubt any outside NA event with the exceptions of Motegi and Surfers. I also doubt any predominately NASCAR track like Daytona. So that leaves:

3/14 Miami O
3/22 St. Petersburg S
4/5 Long Beach S
4/12 Kansas City O
4/26 Motegi O
5/24 Indianapolis O
5/31 Milwaukee O
7/5 Watkins Glen R
7/12 Toronto S
7/25 Texas O
8/2 Edmonton R
8/9 Loudon O
8/15 Richmond O
8/23 Mid-Ohio R
8/30 Belle Isle S
9/13 Chicago O
10/4 Surfers Paradise S

What if we threw in Road America in the weekend between Belle Isle and Joliet and invite the ALMS to have a Labor Day Weekend Classic?

[Bob Riebe]

QUOTE=call_me_andrew;485095]I tried to sit down and draw what a 2009 calender might look like. I didn't just pick tracks that I liked, I stuck with tracks that I knew would make money, I tried to please the road racing fans, I tried to please oval fans, I tried to please TG, and I tried to please Max Mosley (in a platonic way).

I know there are a lot of tracks that got left out. There's no Iowa, Road America, Mont Tremblant, Michigan, Fontana, Portland, Laguna Seca, or Cleveland. But it is a 50/50 mix of ovals and road courses (interesting enough, I wasn't trying for a 50/50 mix). I think this would be a realistic idea for a calender and I'm looking for opinions.


4/5 Long Beach S
4/12 Kansas City O
4/26 Motegi O
5/24 Indianapolis O
5/31 Milwaukee O
6/14 Eurospeedway Lausitz O

7/5 Watkins Glen R

7/25 Texas O
8/9 Loudon O
8/15 Richmond O
8/23 Mid-Ohio R


9/13 Chicago O
9/20 Sears Point R
10/4 Surfers Paradise S
10/11 Phoenix O
[/QUOTE]
-----------------------------
THat would be better

[BenRoethig]

I tried to sit down and draw what a 2009 calender might look like. I didn't just pick tracks that I liked, I stuck with tracks that I knew would make money, I tried to please the road racing fans, I tried to please oval fans, I tried to please TG, and I tried to please Max Mosley (in a platonic way).

I know there are a lot of tracks that got left out. There's no Iowa, Road America, Mont Tremblant, Michigan, Fontana, Portland, Laguna Seca, or Cleveland. But it is a 50/50 mix of ovals and road courses (interesting enough, I wasn't trying for a 50/50 mix). I think this would be a realistic idea for a calender and I'm looking for opinions.

3/14 Miami O
3/22 St. Petersburg S
4/5 Long Beach S
4/12 Kansas City O
4/26 Motegi O
5/24 Indianapolis O
5/31 Milwaukee O
6/14 Eurospeedway Lausitz O
6/21 Estoril R
7/5 Watkins Glen R
7/12 Toronto S
7/25 Texas O
8/2 Edmonton R
8/9 Loudon O
8/15 Richmond O
8/23 Mid-Ohio R
8/30 Belle Isle S
9/6 Daytona R
9/13 Chicago O
9/20 Sears Point R
10/4 Surfers Paradise S
10/11 Phoenix O

O=Oval R=Road course S=Street course (if you didn't figure that out)

Get rid of the euro dates for RA and Michigan, New Hampshire for Dover, and the Daytona road course for Vegas.

[indycool]

Think Iowa is the only one you left out that will probably make the cut for '09, Andrew. Think Lausitz, Estoril, Daytona and Phoenix will be off the final board. Just IMO, of course.....we can speculate forever.

[ykiki]

How's the weather in KC around 4/12?

[xtlm]

the euro ovals prob wouldnt happen

and michigan needs tto be back (didnt they say it could be back)
or and fontana

[call_me_andrew]

not bad, but i'd change Estoril for either Rockingham or Donington and drop Daytona. We don't need a third race in Florida and I'd have Road America instead.

I did consider having a race at Rockingham, UK or Brands Hatch, but I decided against that. I believe the FIA specifies that a country cannot host two international races in less than six weeks. The British Grand Prix is in early July. I also wanted to put Motegi and Surfers back to back, but the same rule put the brakes on that.

Then I decided to go to somewhere Formula 1 no longer visits. My first chioce was Imola, but I didn't think 24 Hondas in Scuderia Ferrari's backyard would go over too well. I considered Österreichring, but I didn't think there would be enough demand for IndyCar amoung Austrians.

I thought Champ Car's European races drew well last year so I decided to go for it.

I thought a Labor Day race at Daytona would generate some interest. Daytona Beach in general has a very rich history of racing. The east coast doesn't seem all that interested in Long Beach and it would be nice to have a major race that doesn't rhyme with Mindy. And selecting Daytona for Labor Day was a show of restraint on my part. I originally wanted Pocono.

[Bob Riebe]

I did consider having a race at Rockingham, UK or Brands Hatch, but I decided against that. I believe the FIA specifies that a country cannot host two international races in less than six weeks. The British Grand Prix is in early July.

Not unless the FIA made a major rule change as USAC ran races in the UK one week apart.
Bob