Texas moves to the week after Indy

[SarahFan]

NDIANAPOLIS, Wednesday, Aug. 26, 2009 - Indy Racing League officials today confirmed the date for the 2010 IndyCar Series event at Kentucky Speedway and announced changes to the dates for the 2010 IndyCar Series races held at Texas Motor Speedway and Twin Ring Motegi.

"We worked with our promoter partners to ensure they had race dates that fit their needs and worked for the series as well," said Terry Angstadt, president of the commercial division of the Indy Racing League, sanctioning body of the IndyCar Series. "Both Texas Motor Speedway and Twin Ring Motegi came to us in recent weeks looking to make adjustments based on various factors and we were happy to work with them to make the appropriate changes."

The Texas 550k IndyCar Series race will shift its 2010 date up a week to Saturday night, June 5, the weekend immediately follow the Indianapolis 500 to help Texas Motor Speedway keep the IndyCar Series and NASCAR Trucks doubleheader weekend intact.

"I have always been a proponent of that off week between Indy and us, but we hope the back-to-back races create even more momentum for the IndyCar Series and Texas Motor Speedway," Texas Motor Speedway president Eddie Gossage said. "It was important for us to keep this combination weekend together because it has been a tradition at Texas Motor Speedway since we opened in 1997. We looked at a variety of options, but felt this was the best for our fans and we are appreciative of the IRL's flexibility."

The Kentucky race, which was announced as a Labor Day weekend event, will be held on Saturday night, Sept. 4, while the Indy Japan 300 will be held on Sunday, Sept. 19.

"We think we can take this race and make it even better, so we were happy the holiday weekend date was available," said Kentucky Speedway general manager Mark Simendinger. "We're thrilled with the history we've had with the IndyCar Series and next season will be no different as our event begins the closing three-race stretch of the season. With the investment we've made and will make in amenities such as camping, we think our event will make an excellent destination weekend."

The Indy Japan 300 will shift one day later to help Twin Ring Motegi take advantage of a national holiday on Sept. 20.

The complete 2010 IndyCar Series schedule:

Date Location Venue
Sunday, March 14 Brazil TBA
Sunday, March 28 Streets of St. Petersburg, Fla. 1.8-mile street course
Sunday, April 11 Barber Motorsports Park 2.38-mile road course
Sunday, April 18 Streets of Long Beach, Calif. 1.968-mile street course
Saturday, May 1 Kansas Speedway 1.5-mile oval
Sunday, May 30 Indianapolis Motor Speedway 2.5-mile oval
Saturday, June 5* Texas Motor Speedway 1.5-mile oval
Sunday, June 20 Iowa Speedway .875-mile oval
Sunday, July 4Watkins Glen International 3.37-mile road course
Sunday, July 18 Streets of Toronto 1.721-mile street course
Sunday, July 25 Edmonton City Centre Airport 1.973-mile airport course
Sunday, Aug. 8 Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course 2.258-mile road course
Sunday, Aug. 22 Infineon Raceway 2.245-mile road course
Saturday, Aug. 28* Chicagoland Speedway 1.5-mile oval
Saturday, Sept. 4* Kentucky Speedway 1.5-mile oval
Sunday, Sept.19 Twin Ring Motegi 1.5-mile oval
Saturday, Oct. 2 Homestead-Miami Speedway 1.5-mile oval

* Denotes night race

Schedule Subject to Change

[booger]

Well, Eddie finally got his way and now has the weekend after Indy for his Texas track. Throw another tradition out the window and put one big fork in the Milwaukee Mile. They'll never get this date back as long as Eddie's on the scene and they couldn't draw flies when they had their July date. R.I.P. Milwaukee Mile.

[ykiki]

With their debts piling up, I thought the Milwaukee Mile already had a fork in it.

Too bad considering the history of having the Mile right after the I500. :(

[jimispeed]

The schedule looks pretty good IMO....

[tstran17_88]

Blame all the politicians in the Peoples Republic of Madison (WI) for the death of the Milwaukee Mile. They hate auto racing.

John Mernard & the Giuffre Brothers were willing to take over the track, but the State Fair Board wouldn't even listen to their offer and instead appointed their own hacks that have no clue what they are doing, nor any financial backing.

The board said they would forgive the balance due for the grandstands if they could get the IRL and NASCAR back....like that'll happen.

You don't piss off the Godfather (NASCAR) and then hope they come crawling back.

It was the state's plan all along to kill auto racing at the mile.

[BobbyC]

Too many cities think now auto racing is the "enemy" and would want to demolish tracks in their cities. This was the case in Birmingham (AL), where a half-mile was demolished by the city, and in Asheville (NC), where greenies shut down a track in order to promote a green-earth society. Both were top racing havens.

[Scheckterfan54]

Too many cities think now auto racing is the "enemy" and would want to demolish tracks in their cities. This was the case in Birmingham (AL), where a half-mile was demolished by the city, and in Asheville (NC), where greenies shut down a track in order to promote a green-earth society. Both were top racing havens.

I believe ICS will be staging a race in Birmingham next season. When they tested in march at the track, it was more heavily atteneded than some races. You may be correct that bham AL shut down that half mile, but there may be other reasons because the town is fully behind the IRL's upcoming race.

[Wilf]

Blame all the politicians in the Peoples Republic of Madison (WI) for the death of the Milwaukee Mile. They hate auto racing.

John Mernard & the Giuffre Brothers were willing to take over the track, but the State Fair Board wouldn't even listen to their offer and instead appointed their own hacks that have no clue what they are doing, nor any financial backing.

The board said they would forgive the balance due for the grandstands if they could get the IRL and NASCAR back....like that'll happen.

You don't piss off the Godfather (NASCAR) and then hope they come crawling back.

It was the state's plan all along to kill auto racing at the mile.

Are those the same Giuffre Brothers who owned GO Racing and who the state paid seven figures to return the promotion rights for the Milwaukee Mile back to the state because GO Racing was doing such a good job of promoting the track?

[Pat Wiatrowski]

Are those the same Giuffre Brothers who owned GO Racing and who the state paid seven figures to return the promotion rights for the Milwaukee Mile back to the state because GO Racing was doing such a good job of promoting the track?

Yes! And they were terrible, but then you already knew that.