A fall Indy 400?

[Claus Hansen]

Arent some teams based in Indy area, making the race a kind a home race ? I think its a no brainer, put in ALMS, or Grand Am and AMA superbike, make and event out of it...

[nigelred5]

Yeah, that^. And especially considering that Indy ran F1, now runs motorcycles and pretty soon (I'm guessing) will run Grand Am cars, I really don't see the risk to the "good name" of the track by adding another race for the IRL. In fact, if the Grand Am race takes place, I'd be surprise to see the IRL not there that weekend for a road course race as well. It's just a question of whether they'll make it an EVENT or just another race.

I always assumed the Grand Am test was likely to feel out the possibility of a combined IRL/GA race weekend at the Brickyard. Certainly Grand Am could never draw enough of a weekend crowd alone to even pay the concession employees.

[Chamoo]

I think the Grand-AM's fell out of favor with IMS at some point, otherwise IMS would had been on their 2010 schedule.

I still feel ALMS would be a much better fit. The highest technologically advanced cars in North America fits right in with IMS, and they are simply more fun to watch.

[call_me_andrew]

Maybe IMS should host the SCCA runoffs.

[Jag_Warrior]

I think the Grand-AM's fell out of favor with IMS at some point, otherwise IMS would had been on their 2010 schedule.

I don't think that 2010 was ever in the cards. They just did the test a little over a month ago.

[Chamoo]

I don't think that 2010 was ever in the cards. They just did the test a little over a month ago.

I disagree. I think GA wanted to be on the road course badly at IMS in 2010. They wanted that track badly, and the sooner the better.

[Jag_Warrior]

I disagree. I think GA wanted to be on the road course badly at IMS in 2010. They wanted that track badly, and the sooner the better.

That's possible. And Grand Am may be in a "sooner the better" mode. I'm not a Grand Am insider so I don't know. But the G/A schedule was due to be released in early October (and it was), yet the IMS test didn't take place until September. I can't imagine that would have provided enough time to do anything other than put a TBA on the schedule.

Plus, here's what was said shortly after the Grand Am test at IMS:

Indianapolis – Do not assume that this week’s test of the infield road course at Indianapolis Motor Speedway means that holding a Rolex Grand-American Series race at the world’s most famous track is a done deal.
But also do not rule out the possibility of a sports car race at IMS.

“Right now, we are not looking at it,” IMS spokesman Ron Green said of racing Grand-Am cars at Indy. “But, we have had unofficial talks about it for years with Grand-Am. I think they’d like to come. This test opens the door to that possibility at least.”

Could happen, Green said. Perhaps as early as the centennial celebration at IMS in 2011. Perhaps with a true endurance race.

“The test served its purpose,” Green said. “It was a compatibility test.”

http://www.racintoday.com/archives/9583

When I heard about the test, I just never heard anyone from G/A say anything about 2010, and based on Green's comments, there's no reason why they should have. But like I said, I don't know.

[indyracefan]

I would be all for an autumn IndyCar race at IMS, and it wouldn't matter to me whether it was an oval race or a road-course race.

[DBell]

Maybe IMS should host the SCCA runoffs.

That would be the best racing the Speedway has seen this year. Imho.