What Is IndyCar's Plan For An International Series?

One year from now, could IndyCar being preparing for the first race of their international winter series?

Though it is Mark Miles' plan for IndyCar's future, there are a lot of questions the series has to ask itself before pursuing international events.

For staters, where are they going? Are they running permanent facilities? Street courses? Any international ovals?

And who is paying for these races? 

For a decade either IndyCar or ChampCar were trying to expand to Asia. The Motegi race moved from CART to the IRL and after rebranding to ChampCar, the series tried repeatedly for races in South Korea and China. After the merger, Motegi stayed until 2011 and the series further pursued a race in China. After it appeared likely a street race in Qingdao would take place in 2012, the Qingdao mayor that succeeded the one who signed the deal with IndyCar pulled out with IndyCar receiving no buyout, no money whatsoever and another bruise to their reputation.

Who wants IndyCar? 

You'd think there is someone out there who sees the level of racing IndyCar produces and the talented field and wants them racing at their track. The problem with IndyCar is it's identity crisis. Is it an American series or an International series? Is it oval or road/street circuits?

It can keep pumping out the tagline Randy Bernard used "Fastest, most diverse drivers in the world" but who is that attracting?

IndyCar is diverse with ovals, road and street courses but it is in no means an American series and it can't be an American series to survive. IndyCar has talented drivers from all over currently in the series and many more interested. The problem is Formula One is promoted as the best because of it's name. Not because the racing is exciting, not because three-quarters of the grid could win any time out but because it's Formula One. That's all it is, a name. People in foreign nations that do not have a long racing tradition know the name and assume it must be the best. They have no concept of what good racing is. They do know what is the most lucrative and well-unknown series and that's all.

Where would IndyCar go?

Surfers Paradise has moved on from IndyCar. The track layout is shorter, the Queensland government (Australian state Surfers Paradise is located in) has cut back funding and the series is going to have to look elsewhere if they want to return down under.

I wouldn't rule out China but cash up-front this time. Motegi would be great but Honda funded that race, funded all the transportation of the equipment and I doubt they would be footing the bill again for Chevrolet teams.

What about India? The Indian Grand Prix isn't on the Formula One calendar in 2014 as they plan to move that race to the spring in 2015. Could IndyCar head to India in the fall? Maybe but the track has been having their own trouble with the government. Maybe not the best place for IndyCar to be heading.

Besides the Asia-Pacific, where else could IndyCar go? São Paulo is gone. The places that were reportedly interested in hosting a second Brazilian race are now distance memories and there are less Brazilians on the IndyCar grid more than ever (not to mention F1 but that's another story).

What about Europe? The one place that has not been brought up in hosting international events is Europe and that's a shame. You have three Frenchman, three or four Brits depending on if it's a road course, a Spaniard, Swiss and Italian on the grid. Not to mention young drivers such as Sam Bird are looking to IndyCar for their future. Sure, Formula One has a stranglehold on Europe but there has to be a fan base their and enough of a fan base for Luca Filippi to say at his first race weekend at Mid-Ohio, "In Italy, IndyCar is very popular, we have it on TV and we like it very much."

When does the international series take place?

If you are going to have a true, winter series, it has to be at least six or seven events in length. If they are just going to run two international races the month prior to the beginning of the North American season then why even bother to call it an international series? Mind as well just have them open the IndyCar season like Surfers Paradise once did.

The biggest thing an international series could do is keep people employed. Add two international races the month before the IndyCar season would keep people employed a month longer but consider this:

IndyCar season ends Labor day weekend. After six weeks off, start the international series, run a race in mid-October, a race or two in November and maybe a race in early December before a Christmas break. Then restart and run the final race or two in January. After that, maybe two or three weeks off before the North American IndyCar season starts in mid-February, after the Super Bowl and prior to the Daytona 500.

In theory, teams would need crew members nearly year round. In theory, layoffs would be minimal. Of course this all hinges on money. If the teams can make money on an international series, then layoffs can be avoided but who says teams won't lose money on international races? You would hope the teams would be able to make money but that is easier said than done.

Any international series won't run without a hitch from the get go but it is worth pursuing. Mark Miles has a long history of working with international promoters and sponsors when he was president of ATP. If there is anyone I would want monitoring start up international events, it would be Mark Miles.

The final question is, how long do we wait for international races?

Remember, IndyCar was suppose to get a new car in 2011 and didn't get it until 2012. Aerokits were suppose to come in 2012 but were postponed until 2013 and then 2014 and now 2015. Are international races something we are going to have to wait for until 2016? 2017? Maybe 2018? IndyCar has a history of saying we are doing X by date Y and usually date Y comes and goes with frustration.

International races aren't a bad idea for IndyCar but the series has to do them correctly and avoid delaying yet another plan.