The 2009 IndyCar Series schedule:

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Originally Posted by indycool

Ken,



2. Yes, it's ovalcentric. As long as the Indianapolis 500 is on the schedule, that tips the scales. As Chuck and DD said, they'd prefer more ovals, just like there are some who'd prefer more road courses.

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I suggest it no longer is.....Nascar for example is ovalcentric...35 or so ovals and twice a season you come across a pleasant suprise of a road coarse


the IRL though...you need to check from week to week race to race to see if the next race is a lefty or righty


for me thats great...I like the diversity...always have.....there is an interesting thread on TF right now about what 5 road/street coarses would you pick to stay on the schedule.....My Answer: a better and more appropriate question is which 5 ovals....

so based on your answer IC....as long as IMS is on the schedule nothing else really matters...?

Ken,

Don't put words in my mouth. I did NOT say it's CART's fault. Read the post.

Yes, there's merit to your definition of "ovalcentric," that NASCAR is much more ovalcentric than the IRL. Very true.

As I said before, this is the never-ending war of words of oval preference vs. road course preference.

not putting words in your mouth....... Your the one who brought an orrellavant cart from 20 years ago into the discussion

And you continue to discount..... Nay ignore.... Antons entire reason for the creation of the irl

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Originally Posted by Ken

DD....IC...or anyone else....?

IYO is the IRL still 'Ovalcentric'?

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More Indycentric than oval centric IMO.

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Originally Posted by indycool

Ken,

1. Yes, there seems to be considerable consternation about Nashville not being there. I attended the Nashville race a couple of times and enjoyed myself. Oval people want Phoenix and Michigan, ironically, the same two tracks which had their second races taken away from them by CART in 1989. And I'm sure the IRL would run all three if it and the promoters and sponsors and TV could strike a bargain. That's the "biz" part that hasn't come together.

2. Yes, it's ovalcentric. As long as the Indianapolis 500 is on the schedule, that tips the scales. As Chuck and DD said, they'd prefer more ovals, just like there are some who'd prefer more road courses.

IMO, the whole exercise of the split and all the forums which have cropped up with this strange critter called the Internet has its roots in road racing fans vs. oval fans and vice versa. It's been going on WITHOUT the Internet for 35-40 years, at least. And it'll probably go on for another 35-40.

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Oval people want Phoenix? Which oval people besides IC, DD? I personally hate PIR. That natural terrain road course northwest of Surprise, AZ would be nice when the weather cools down.

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Originally Posted by weeflyonthewall

More Indycentric than oval centric IMO.



Oval people want Phoenix? Which oval people besides IC, DD? I personally hate PIR. That natural terrain road course northwest of Surprise, AZ would be nice when the weather cools down.

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I really liked PIR....different corners, mixed with the dogleg made for interesting racing...imo

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Originally Posted by Ken

And you continue to discount..... Nay ignore.... Antons entire reason for the creation of the irl

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Ken, remember, we learned recently, from Tony himself "When we sort of developed the idea for the Indy Racing League... we wanted it to be a diverse series, much like CART was at the time."

I'm still recovering from that one.

'We created it to be like what we already had.'

If that was the reason, then I'm still scratching my head about why we all went through this last 12 years.

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Originally Posted by Starter

The split had nothing to do with oval racing vs road racing. It was totally, completely, about who would control AOWR.

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Shhh!
;)

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Originally Posted by Starter

The split had nothing to do with oval racing vs road racing. It was totally, completley, about who would control AOWR.

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In your opinion. It that were the case why did the IRL offer a product that was so completely different that CART for the first 8 or 9 years? 100% ovals vs a street/road mix? It was only when it became apparent to absolutely everyone (except KK, JF & the CW crowd) that there was not enough fans, sponsors, teams or drivers for two OW series did the IRL start to add road/street circuits.

Yes, in the end it became about power because there could be only one (series). BIMO, it didn't start off that way.

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Originally Posted by downtowndeco

In your opinion. It that were the case why did the IRL offer a product that was so completely different that CART for the first 8 or 9 years? 100% ovals vs a street/road mix? It was only when it became apparent to absolutely everyone (except KK, JF & the CW crowd) that there was not enough fans, sponsors, teams or drivers for two OW series did the IRL start to add road/street circuits.

Yes, in the end it became about power because there could be only one (series). BIMO, it didn't start off that way.

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Being among those who felt the announcement of the IRL was a direct attack on my favorite series, I don't think there was any doubt from day one that there weren't enough fans for two series. It was a question of which series it would be, and one series felt American open wheel racing should be about ovals.

The split is over, but I still think things were better when the gearheads were running the show. Kind if like the difference between an American car, built by companies run by financial and marketing people, as compared to a European or Japanese car, built by companies run by engineers. The company management does influence the nature of the product.

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Originally Posted by downtowndeco

In your opinion. It that were the case why did the IRL offer a product that was so completely different that CART for the first 8 or 9 years? 100% ovals vs a street/road mix? It was only when it became apparent to absolutely everyone (except KK, JF & the CW crowd) that there was not enough fans, sponsors, teams or drivers for two OW series did the IRL start to add road/street circuits.

Yes, in the end it became about power because there could be only one (series). BIMO, it didn't start off that way.

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one of the funniest posts ever written on this or any other forum..

way to go DD...thanks for the chuckle