Rumored 2009 IC Schedule

**SarahFan** · 25th August 2008, 16:39

Originally Posted by racecraze

Im waiting for the actions in St.Petersburg, it'll always a very good location and the rally there adds more excitement

?

**nanders** · 25th August 2008, 17:05

Originally Posted by Chris R

Back to the 2009 schedule and future schedules - after watching today's races (F-1, Grand-Am, ALMS and IRL) - the IRL can loose Sonoma just fine - I always thought the track was a snoozer - but what really drove it home was watching both the Grand-AM and IRL cars and then contrasting them with the ALMS cars at Mosport - the track at Mosport just made the cars look good - Sonoma did not....

When Marty said Sonoma was picturesque, I was confused. It's way too dry, almost desert, mostly too hot and basically very average esthetically. It is the wine country however and folks from the Bay Area like to do those 1 day vacations there .... but isn't that really Napa? After spending 6 years in the area it made me really appreciate the mid-west allot more. Isn't Laguna Seca the place where Open Wheel cars should be racing on the west coast?

**SarahFan** · 25th August 2008, 17:53

Originally Posted by Starter

No, because Laguna is pretty much a one line, no passing race track for these type of cars too, just like Mid-O. It's really hard to find a track that permits good racing and passing these days.

how about Fontana?

**Chris R** · 25th August 2008, 18:27

Originally Posted by Starter

No, because Laguna is pretty much a one line, no passing race track for these type of cars too, just like Mid-O. It's really hard to find a track that permits good racing and passing these days.

This is the problem with trying to iron out a good schedule - the issue of finding good venues is tough - many of the "classic" tracks do not allow for good racing with modern cars. Perhaps they key is to change the cars and develop a car that allows for multiple "fast" lines around any given track....

Just seeing a part of the Mosport ALMS race, I am thinking that a faster road course might provide more passing opportunities - the GT-2 cars in particular were really going at it and they looked pretty fast doing it...

However, one of my big problems watching Sonoma was that the cars just didn't look fast there - there was nothing for the viewer to use as a reference point.... By contrast, the Mid-Ohio race might have lacked for passing as well - but the cars looked exciting and fast - especially the pat where they crest the hill... There were lots of landscape/terrain features that allowed the cars to look good - Sonoma is just barren and depressing (at least on Tv - I love the area myself....)

**indycool** · 25th August 2008, 22:15

Is there at least one poster here who hasn't found something wrong with any race track on earth mentioned?

**nigelred5** · 27th August 2008, 01:40

Originally Posted by indycool

Is there at least one poster here who hasn't found something wrong with any race track on earth mentioned?

Spa. no, sorry, they screwed that up too when they messed up the bus stop chicane. And that stuppid entrance to the new pits.. WTF??? I hope they painted that wall a different color for this year's race.

**SarahFan** · 29th August 2008, 02:35

Originally Posted by downtowndeco

Ratings up across the board almost 20%.

.

IRL 2008 TV Ratings
Ovals
Homestead .8
Motegi .23
Kansas .66
Indy 4.5
Milwaukee .6
Texas .8
Iowa 1.1
Richmond .9
Nashville .5
Kentucky .43

Average with Indy: 1.05
Average without Indy: .68

Street/Road Circuits
St Pete .4
(Long Beach .8)
Watkins Glen 1.0
Mid Ohio 1.3
Edmonton (can't find ratings)
Sonoma .41

Average: .78 (excluding Edmonton)