Three months ago I tried to piece together the 2015 Verizon IndyCar Series schedule. Since then a lot of news has broke including a new race and location for IndyCar.
To get the ball rolling with what we know. If there are international races they are going to be in Dubai and Brasilia in February and early-March.
The first open test at Barber Motorsports Park will be Monday March 16th and Tuesday the 17th.
St. Petersburg will be March 27-29th.
The news broke yesterday that IndyCar will be heading to the Bayou for the inaugural Grand Prix of Louisiana at NOLA Motorsports Park in Avondale, Louisiana, just outside New Orleans, April 10-12th.
Long Beach will be the following weekend on April 17-19th.
The Grand Prix of Indianapolis will be May 9th.
The Indianapolis 500 will be May 24th.
Belle Isle is going to return after Indianapolis, May 29-31st.
Texas returns the Saturday June 6th.
As for what has yet to be confirmed.
Barber should be April 24-26th, seeing how New Orleans will be the week prior to Long Beach and the NASCAR race at Talladega is May 3rd.
The Toronto turmoil continues as Texas will be the first weekend in June after it appeared that was the date Toronto was shooting for as the city hosts the Pan-American Games in July. The rumors are the race could move to Mosport but the problem is Mosport hosts IMSA July 12th, the weekend before Toronto was hosted this year. Possibly Toronto will slot in the weekend after Texas.
The NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race at Iowa is scheduled for Friday June 19, 2015. This year, IndyCar ran the Saturday night after Trucks. If that is the case for 2015, the short track will move back to June for IndyCar.
Houston has a recognizable title sponsor in Shell and despite difficulty moving the race to an earlier date with more bearable weather, I can't see the race not returning in 2015 due to Shell's involvement.
Pocono has one year left on their deal but the track does not want the race to return on fourth of July weekend in hopes that moving the race will help the event's attendance.
Mid-Ohio has been the first weekend in August for quite sometime. I don't see that changing.
Milwaukee should be back in 2015 with the race likely to take place August 22-23rd.
Sonoma should be back the weekend after Milwaukee, August 28-30th.
Fontana wants to return in 2015 but they don't want to be Labor Day weekend as the weather is less than ideal.
With NASCAR coverage returning to NBCSN in 2015 and NASCAR having released their schedule for 2015 on Tuesday, it gives us a glimpse of what IndyCar's schedule will look like.
NBCSN will be broadcasting the Kentucky NASCAR race on Saturday July 11th on NBCSN, opening the door for an IndyCar race on Sunday the 12th.
NBCSN will then show a Cup race the next five consecutive Sundays before the Saturday night race at Bristol on August 22nd and then an off weekend at the end of August. Darlington returns to Labor Day weekend and will run Sunday night, September 6th on NBC.
Here is what I see happening:
Sometime in February: Dubai
Either March 1st or 8th: Brasilia
March 16-17th: Barber Test
March 29th: St. Petersburg
April 12th: New Orleans
April 19th: Long Beach
April 26th: Barber
May 9th: Grand Prix of Indianapolis
May 24th: Indianapolis 500
May 30-31st: Belle Isle
June 6th: Texas
June 13-14th: Toronto
June 20th: Iowa
June 26-27th: Houston
July 12: Pocono
August 2nd: Mid-Ohio
August 23rd: Milwaukee
August 30th: Sonoma
September 5th: Fontana
I think Toronto will get squeezed in June. Remember, Toronto in June is only a one year thing as it should move back to July come 2016. The weeks off we had this year in June shift to July as Toronto and Iowa move. I think Houston is going to be a night race in 2015 before finding a better date in terms of weather for 2016. Along with two weeks off in July, the series would also have two weeks off in August. Same as Houston, I think Fontana stays as the season finale on Labor Day weekend before finding a more suitable date. Keep an eye out next week for a post where those races should try to land.
Pocono moves back a week and since NASCAR races that Saturday night at Kentucky it avoids a television conflict. Mid-Ohio on the other hand might be in a difficult spot as NASCAR is at Pocono that day and NBCSN will have coverage of that race (Can you say hello CNBC for IndyCar?). Milwaukee would be run the day after NASCAR's night race at Bristol and Sonoma runs on a NASCAR off-weekend.
With possibly only one race in July in 2015, I am hopeful there is a race that is going to be added but I highly doubt it. Although, Simon Pagenaud tested at Chicagoland on August 7th. I don't see that test as being anything other than a private Schmidt Peterson Hamilton Motorsports test, not some type of litmus test to see if IndyCar has an oval package that would make it possible to race there. If they were to run a Chicagoland, a July night race would make the most sense as NASCAR runs on all but one Sunday in July.
With the season ending this Saturday night, I do not envision the 2015 schedule being released before we close out 2014. Even though there won't be a race for sometime, at least we have something to look forward to this autumn.
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