Rumored 2009 IC Schedule

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Originally Posted by Toymaker

Where the hell is Cleveland? We put three times the number of butts in the seats as Mid-Ohio (without Ho*da) giving away 15-20,000 tickets) and it was always the #1 or 2 TV audience every year. What is the thinking behind this??

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Becoming condos most likely.

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Originally Posted by Osiris333

According to AR1:

1. St. Petersburg 1.78 Mile Street[/*:m:1mqgx03e]
2. Long Beach 1.97 Mile Street[/*:m:1mqgx03e]
3. Motegi, Japan Sat 1.549 Oval[/*:m:1mqgx03e]
4. Queensland, Au 2.795 Mi Street[/*:m:1mqgx03e]
5. Kansas City 1.5 M Oval[/*:m:1mqgx03e]
6. Indianapolis, IN 2.5 mile Oval[/*:m:1mqgx03e]
7. West Allis, WI 1.032 Mile Oval[/*:m:1mqgx03e]
8. Ft Worth, TX (Sat. Nite)[/*:m:1mqgx03e]
9. Newton, IA 0.875 Mile Oval[/*:m:1mqgx03e]
10. Richmond, VA (Sat. Night)[/*:m:1mqgx03e]
11. Watkins Glen 3.37 Mile RC[/*:m:1mqgx03e]
12. Lexington, OH 2.258 Mile RC[/*:m:1mqgx03e]
13. Toronto, CN 1.721 Mile Street[/*:m:1mqgx03e]
14. Edmonton CN 1.96 Mi Airport[/*:m:1mqgx03e]
15. Sparta, KY (Sat Nite) 1.5 Mile Oval[/*:m:1mqgx03e]
16. Sonoma, CA RC[/*:m:1mqgx03e]
17. Detroit, MI 2.096 Mi. RC[/*:m:1mqgx03e]
18. Joliet, Ill. 1.5 Mile Oval[/*:m:1mqgx03e]
19. TBA[/*:m:1mqgx03e]

I.

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I really don't like the balance of that schedule nor the fact it doesn't have a fall portion. Similar tracks come in bunches with the beginning and end of the season road/street centric with a large contingent of ovals in the middle. The opening being at St. Pete is also very low key. Miami may not be able to draw fans (for anything), but a season opening night race is a great idea.

Cleveland still has a chance to get on the schedule in 2010. Though that will probably be their final chance before the bulldozers come.

Rumors have it that Homestead will be the season ending race btw.

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Originally Posted by -Helix-

Cleveland still has a chance to get on the schedule in 2010. Though that will probably be their final chance before the bulldozers come.

Rumors have it that Homestead will be the season ending race btw.

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That's why they're walking away now. If Burke isn't going to be there in a couple of years, it really doesn't make sense to give it a date over other tracks.

I know Pikes Peak will not make the 2009 schedule but since I only live 7 miles from the track and the only thing that ICS took away was the one infield scoring pilon other than that everything else is their including the kellygreen bleachers. Maybe this track could make the 2011 or 12 schedule. I would think the IRL would like to have venue in the Rocky Mtn states.

For Cleveland, AGAIN, to have a race, there must be a promoter who desires several million dollars to risk organizing one. Promoters in the past there have come, lost and gone. How hard is that to understand?

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Originally Posted by ezhop7

I know Pikes Peak will not make the 2009 schedule but since I only live 7 miles from the track and the only thing that ICS took away was the one infield scoring pilon other than that everything else is their including the kellygreen bleachers. Maybe this track could make the 2011 or 12 schedule. I would think the IRL would like to have venue in the Rocky Mtn states.

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Dude Pikes Peak is in the middle of nowhere. Indycar needs to have a more urban focus, become the hot racing series of the younger crowd. Like UFC for racing or something.

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Originally Posted by Ken

the real scheduling question i have is.....and yes i'm posing it directly t you IC....but anyone feel free to chime in


How will/is TG going to make sure that the ICS doesn't fall victim to the same scheduleing problems as CART/CC and become a predomantly street coarse series...

now the easy answer is he just wont... well lets be honest....theres two factors at play here

1. the current ICS is closer to the old CART than 'the vision'

2. when an oval becomes no longer viable...homestead for example.... city goverments semm ready willing and able to pony up cash to get a race....

so how is TG and the IRL going to keep the IRL from becomeing 15 rc/sc v 5 ovals as the schedule progresses over the next 2 to 5 years

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can I reprepose this question today.....IC

Cleveland, Cleveland, Cleveland, that's all anyone wants to talk about. Don't get me wrong I liked that track as much or more than a lot of the other ones. But there are two things standing in it's way of being back on the schedule.

#1 is the probability of Burke not being there much longer. Why go there just to have your track/airport torn down in a year or two.

#2 is the fact that no one goes there. Did you see the crowd at Mid-Ohio? I have no idea what the numbers were, but it sure looks to be quite a bit more than Cleveland in the last few years.

So why give up a venue that is well attended for one that isn't, and probably won't be around much longer

Ken,

1. I agree. There are more road courses on the schedule.

2. I disagree. After the disasters in San Jose and Las Vegas, I do not believe that cities are just chomping at the bit to get races. I do not believe there are many promoters out there who will chance it, either. Because of increased expenses and fewer seats, those races make less than a permanent facility can make.

I won't be too surprised at the schedule when it's announced today. All the forum talk about Cleveland, Houston, Portland, Road America and other previous CC sites are peeing into the wind. Those were all financial losers and aren't high up on the list. I agree that Homestead should be the next oval to go, but with SMI and ISC owning bunches of ovals out there, the deals for dates could be made without us even understanding why.