Six weeks ago, I started my thought process on the 2014 IndyCar schedule about what tracks will remain, what tracks will be added, what dates will be used, etc. Now we are getting closer and closer to schedule being released and according to Marshall Pruett, it may be ready in a months time, a record setting pace for IndyCar.
I've held firm on the one thing the 2014 schedule should be: A mirror image of 2013. IndyCar has struggled to retain every race from year to year, whether it be the IRL, ChampCar or the unified IndyCar that we have known and loved since 2008. Races have come and gone and they have left at a too frequent of a pace.
There are sixteen different tracks on the 2013 IndyCar schedule. There are twelve tracks that have hosted an IndyCar race since reunification that currently aren't on the schedule. Think about that. Since 2008, IndyCar has lost twelve races. You could make your own schedule with the tracks IndyCar has left since reunification and it wouldn't be a bad schedule.
You have nine ovals that have fallen by the waste side, six of them mile and a half ovals and I know many aren't a fan of them nor the pack racing they produced but with the change in the aero package they could return to the schedule and be much safer for the drivers and the fans in the stands and not all mile and a half tracks produced terrible racing. Motegi was pretty good because of the egg shape to the track and Kentucky is lower banked then most mile and a half tracks so the cars weren't carrying as high of speeds in the packs. Other ovals include Richmond and New Hampshire, one that produced really good racing and the other had a decent race in it's first IndyCar race in over a decade, only to not be renewed for a second year. And then there is Nashville. The one and a third mile concrete oval that took forever to rubber in and was one groove until about the end of the cool down lap after the checkered flag had be shown.
One road course, one temporary circuit and a street circuit are the twisty bits that have been lost. Watkins Glen produced good racing but they could never get the date right. Edmonton was alright but the city had different plans for the airport that was used to host the race and then there is Surfers Paradise. What can you say bad about Surfers? I am glad V8 SuperCars still use the track, though slightly reconfigured and it's a shame it's gone.
Moving on. The sixteen tracks on the 2013 schedule should be on the 2014 schedule. No more picking up events to cancel out the ones that were lost. Addition. That's what is needed. They need the schedule changes from 2013 to 2014 column to be in the green, not red. However, IndyCar might already be a race down. São Paulo appears to be on the chopping block according to reports from Brazil. If so, it's a good race and a tough market to lose and IndyCar is already down 1-0.
If there is any bright side two tracks, Road America and Circuit of the Americas in Austin have at least had discussions about IndyCar races being added to their respective schedules. But we have been talking about Road America returning to the IndyCar schedule for years now and have come no closer. Austin would likely be in the early part of the year, probably the first weekend in March where the Grand-Am weekend was this year but the main hurdle is keeping Texas Motor Speedway president Eddie Gossage happy and he's already unsatisfied Houston has a race four months after his. If IndyCar could add both, and keep Texas, they'd be up 2-1.
Road America brings it's own problems though. Milwaukee's future is uncertain (shocking right?) and a race at Road America, or even going back to Chicagoland Speedway could jeopardize, if not completely kill the Milwaukee Mile hosting IndyCar once and for all. Curt Cavin tweeted that Chicago has a "decent" shot of making the 2014 schedule. Could Chicago and Milwaukee coexist? They did for five seasons but it appears any new race in Chicago or Wisconsin kicks Milwaukee to the curb and going back to the 1-0 scoreline with São Paulo, IndyCar would still be down 2-1, unless Austin is added in which it is level at two all.
Then there is Fort Lauderdale. It's been quiet on the possibility of the street race in south Florida but Marshall Pruett wrote the possible race is not completely dead and Andretti Sports Marketing is still trying to get the race off the ground. However, the race might have to wait until 2015 unless funding is found in quick order for 2014. But assuming that race takes place in the wide open month of September IndyCar has cut themselves, they might have some more time. If it get's added, as does Road America or Chicago and Austin and IndyCar loses unfortunately São Paulo and Milwaukee, IndyCar would take a 3-2 lead on races added.
With all these road and street courses being added, you have to believe there are a few people cringing that more ovals aren't being added. As of today, there are no serious talks with ovals. We hear rumors about Phoenix but we don't see or hear anything to believe it's any closer to happening. Everyone would love to see Michigan added but nothing. Same with Kentucky, Richmond, New Hampshire and any other oval. I think IndyCar needs a few more ovals. If nine to ten ovals could get on the schedule, it would be a positive for the series. They already have (if everything holds at even par) six ovals, so the series is only three away from being at a good position with oval races.
Then there are doubleheaders. What once appeared to be a one-and-done year, doubleheaders now appear to not only to return to the 2014 schedule but expand to other places. Belle Isle and Toronto were a success and I can only imagine Houston will be the same. Green Savoree Racing Promotions had a successful weekend at Toronto and seeing how they promote St. Petersburg and own Mid-Own Sports Car Course, who's to say we won't see another doubleheader or two in 2014?
A problem with doubleheaders is once you give them to the fans, you can't take them back. What fan who bought a ticket to see two IndyCar races at Belle Isle is going to pay around the same amount to see one? Another problem is, if you expand and have doubleheaders at every race except the triple crown races and Long Beach because they draw a better Sunday crowd than most places do for three days, all of a sudden the IndyCar schedule will have twenty-eight races. Not that that's a bad thing but there is no way the teams could do that schedule on five engines, they can barely do nineteen on five engines, it would be much more wear and tear and costs would increase. But more races because of doubleheaders could mean more revenue for the series, more revenue for the networks and said revenue would take care of the costs and could make IndyCar more appealing to sponsors, bringing even more money in. The ladder is the ideal scenario but before more doubleheaders are added and proven successful, you can't start spending money you don't have.
Another problem with doubleheaders is they have only been gear to street races. Some, including James Hinchcliffe, want to know why have a doubleheader at Toronto and not Iowa? He has a good point and doubleheaders could expand to oval races as well but will we see that happen? No oval has expressed interest in doing a doubleheader. The Firestone Twin 225's weren't necessarily doubleheaders as they were two halves of a race with half points awarded at the end of each but other than that one attempt in 2011, there has been no public interest expressed by a track to host an IndyCar doubleheader.
If anything, IndyCar should look to V8 Supercars as inspiration for running doubleheaders. The V8 Supercars only have fourteen race weekends, two less than IndyCar, but run doubleheaders, triple headers and even quadruple headers. In fourteen race weekends they run thirty-eight races. THAT'S TWO MORE THAN NASCAR SPRINT CUP! Some how they have made it work. Granted their format is different. For example, at Austin and Pukekohe Park Raceway in New Zealand they ran quadruple headers but ran four, 100 km races. For Townsville they ran a doubleheader and two, 200 km races. A fortnight ago when they raced at Queensland Raceway they ran a triple header, with a 120 km race on Saturday and two 100 km races on Sunday.
What we know: Indianapolis, Pocono, Long Beach, Belle Isle, Barber, Toronto, Houston, Baltimore, St. Petersburg and São Paulo all have contracts but, as we know, São Paulo is on the fence and looks to be leaning to the wrong side. It seems likely Mid-Ohio, Iowa, Texas, Sonoma and Fontana will return but you have to keep an eye out for Texas because God forbid Austin ends up on the schedule and Eddie Gossage decides to take his ball and go home and Fontana because even though the race drew close to thirty thousand last year, after drawing less than ten thousand the last time IndyCar was at the track, it's on the fence until further notice.
Indianapolis will be May 25th. Long Beach is promoting the 2014 race as April 13th. Pocono has a contract for the Sunday of 4th of July weekend, so expect that race to be July 6th next year. Should the schedule hold serve in 2014, it would like something like this:
St. Petersburg: March 23rd. Barber: April 6th. Long Beach: April 13th. São Paulo: May 4th*. Indianapolis: May 25th. Belle Isle: May 31-June 1st. Texas: June 7th. Milwaukee: June 14th**. Iowa: June 22nd***. Pocono: July 6th. Toronto: July 12-13th****. Mid-Ohio: August 3rd. Sonoma: August 24th. Baltimore: August 31st*****. Houston: October 4-5th. Fontana: October 18th.
As you can see, a few events are followed by asterisks for the following reasons:
*- If São Paulo happens.
**- If Milwaukee happens and, if IndyCar were to do a weeknight race, say the Wednesday or Thursday night after the MLB All-Star Game, Milwaukee would be a leading candidate. It would actually make a nice doubleheader with the ARCA Midwest Tour race, which drew the likes of Kyle Busch, Matt Kenseth, Johnny Sauter, Joe Nemechek and David Ragan to name a few. But when has IndyCar ever taken initiative and gone outside the box on scheduling?
***- Same as Milwaukee, Iowa would be a leading candidate for a weeknight race. However, Iowa's schedule with a NASCAR national touring division race each month from June through September has diluted the racing market and make it tough for any movement of race dates. Things have to change at Iowa.
****- Toronto would be the same weekend as the World Cup Final, which drew 15,545,000 viewers on ABC in 2010 and another 8,821,000 viewers of the Spanish broadcast. IndyCar would have to be absolutely stupid to schedule a race against the World Cup Final. Not to forget to mention the 2010 rating was up six percent from 2006 and I only expect it to go up in 2014. But, as I said prior, the race should only happen on July 13 if it's lead-in programming to the World Cup Final broadcast and the Toronto paddock should host a World Cup viewing party after the race to try and draw more spectators.
*****- Baltimore will not be Labor Day weekend. Ohio State and Navy will play a college football game that weekend and that game has been scheduled since 2010. But the grand prix should take place and they are looking at dates in August.
So taking that into account, here is a modified schedule.
St. Petersburg: March 23rd. Barber: April 6th. Long Beach: April 13th. São Paulo: May 4th. Indianapolis: May 25th. Belle Isle: May 31-June 1st. Texas: June 7th. Milwaukee: June 14th. Iowa: June 22nd. Pocono: July 6th. Toronto: July 12-13th. Mid-Ohio: August 3rd. Baltimore: August 17th. Sonoma: August 24th. Houston: October 4-5th. Fontana: October 18th.
Moving the Baltimore date increases the massive gap that is September on the IndyCar schedule. Mark Miles has expressed interest in ending the season by Labor Day but I just can't see that happening next year. Could a race move to fill the September void? Maybe but it could also be an option if a new race jumps on the schedule. Road America has talked about going in September. Michigan was interested in a September date when China fell off the schedule last year and Fort Lauderdale would be a likely candidate for a September date, should all ends get tied for 2014.
The other changes could be getting a race on NASCAR's July off-weekend. Chicagoland has hosted a Nationwide Series race that weekend the past two years with crowds that haven't been much, if any better, than the final few IndyCar races there. Could that be the possible landing spot for Chicagoland on the IndyCar schedule? I don't know. If São Paulo doesn't return, it opens the door for a Phoenix race either the weekend of April 26-27th or May 3-4th. The second NASCAR race at Phoenix was originally held in April before moving to after the Daytona 500 in late-February/early-March.
The possibility of Austin is interesting. The X Games will be held at Circuit of the Americas May 15-18th, the same weekend the V8 Supercars race was held at the track. Unless V8 Supercars are going to run with the X Games, I see them moving to another date and probably earlier in the year. Sports car unification opens up a date on the calendar. Grand-Am raced at Austin March 2nd this year. ALMS is going as an undercard to the FIA World Endurance Championship race September 21st. I would think USCR would race with WEC and would open the date in March. V8 Supercars have four years remaining on their contract. Could V8 Supercars partner with IndyCar in March? It seems like a great idea but nothing between IndyCar and Austin has been confirmed. Of course, V8 Supercars have their own schedule to work out before we can even consider Austin being in March. The opening round in Adelaide was held the same weekend as the Grand-Am race at Austin this year.
That covers almost all the bases for the 2014 IndyCar schedule. This next month is sure to be interesting.
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