2016 IndyCar Schedule
The pieces are falling in place for the 2016 Verizon IndyCar Series schedule and for the first time since reunification things are looking up. Road America is back after being announced on Saturday morning, which might have been the most positive morning in IndyCar history. Add on top of all that the fact that Road America and Milwaukee may be able to co-exist on the IndyCar schedule. While the ball is rolling in the right direction, let's take a moment to breathe and not greedy. Road America is a massive coup for IndyCar after nearly a decade since the top open-wheel series in North America thundered through Canada Corner. If that were the only addition to the 2016 IndyCar schedule than I would consider it a win (barring all the current races on the schedule remain).
However, more tracks are in play for joining the 2016 IndyCar schedule. Mexico City, Phoenix, Homestead, Richmond, maybe even Laguna Seca. For a series that two months ago didn't have any tracks lining-up to join, there appear to be a few at the door at least interested in having a conversation.
Let's start with the confirmed races.
March 13: St. Petersburg
April 17: Long Beach
May 14: Grand Prix of Indianapolis
May 29: Indianapolis 500
June 4-5: Belle Isle
June 26: Road America
September 4: Boston
St. Petersburg is moving up because Easter is March 27th and Sebring is March 19th. So right now there is a month between St. Petersburg and Long Beach. It would make sense for IndyCar's next race to be the weekend of April 2-3. Could that be where Homestead or Phoenix fall into the schedule? Both Homestead and Phoenix were traditionally held in late-March, early-April. Could both come back? I doubt both happen but one would be nice. The other question is if Homestead or Phoenix return, would they be Saturday night races or Sunday afternoon? Both have lights. IndyCar has never had a night race at Phoenix but had a few at Homestead.
The only problem with the weekend of April 2-3 is that is the same weekend as the Final Four of the NCAA Basketball Tournaments and the men's semifinals are held on Saturday night, which would be massive competition. Perhaps a Sunday afternoon race would be better but then you run the risk of going head-to-head with NASCAR, which would be at Martinsville. However, if Phoenix were to fall that weekend, the IndyCar race wouldn't start simultaneously with the NASCAR race.
Long Beach has there date and it appears Barber is set follow and close out the month of April. There would then be two week before the Grand Prix of Indianapolis. After this year, I would let the teams have those weeks off, as it appears they would be set for another five races in five-week stretch if Texas were to be the week after Belle Isle on June 11th. Then there would have to be a week off between Texas and Road America, which would be nice because June 19th is the 24 Hours of Le Mans and I am sure a few IndyCar drivers would love to give a go.
Here is what March-June could look like next year:
March 13: St. Petersburg
April 3: Homestead/Phoenix
April 17: Long Beach
April 24: Barber
May 14: Grand Prix of Indianapolis
May 29: Indianapolis 500
June 4-5: Belle Isle
June 11: Texas
June 26: Road America
Nine races over 16 weeks. That sounds much better than this year. The second half is where things start to get tricky though.
This year, IndyCar went to Milwaukee and Iowa on back-to-back weeks, back-to-back short track in the middle of the month and it was great. However, Toronto is going to move back to July after being pushed up to June in 2015 due to the Pan American Games. I think, for the sake of date equity (Mark Miles' favorite phrase), Milwaukee and Iowa should retain the same dates next year. If that were to be the case, then Milwaukee would be July 10th and Iowa would be July 16th. Where would Toronto fall? It could go July 3rd but that would create a four-week stretch of races. It could go July 24th but that would create a three-week stretch of races and would fall on Brickyard 400 weekend and IndyCar traditionally doesn't like to schedule a race the same weekend as a race at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. The Speedway could work to flip the Brickyard 400 with the second NASCAR weekend at Pocono but that would create the same problem we had this year with the Mid-Ohio IndyCar race and the Pocono NASCAR race: Someone is going to CNBC and it's IndyCar. Now, that didn't turn out to be so bad as the IndyCar race was broadcasted on NBCSN right after the Pocono NASCAR race and the ratings were the best IndyCar has ever had on NBCSN.
So if the Brickyard can be flipped with Pocono, Toronto on July 24th wouldn't be so bad. If the Brickyard can't be flipped then perhaps July 3rd would be the better date because it could be on NBCSN as NASCAR will be back to running on Saturday night at Daytona. July 24th makes more sense for Toronto as it would also give it a little space from the IMSA weekend at Mosport, which is scheduled for July 10th. It would be a four-week stretch of races but then IndyCar could have two weeks off before heading into August... which is a whole other stratosphere for headaches.
Next year is the 2016 Summer Olympic Games and NBC will be swamped and it's not just NBC and NBCSN! Every single NBC property will be swamped. Let's not forget that NBC already has NASCAR and the Premier League (
Four years ago, Mid-Ohio was shown on ABC and that's probably still possible but what about Pocono (which I pray returns in 2016)? If Pocono does return and has the same weekend as this year, it would be the same Sunday as the final day of the Olympics. Could Pocono be shown on ABC? Could ABC's schedule be the two Indianapolis races, Belle Isle, Mid-Ohio and Pocono? That would make the most sense because unless NBC creates an NBCSN2, I just can't see how the hell IndyCar can be on an NBC property from August 5-August 21.
If Sonoma remains at the end of August (which it should because Mark Miles love date equity, which is why Milwaukee and Fontana have been in three different months the last three year) then there would be three weeks of IndyCar action from Pocono-to-Sonoma-to-Boston on Labor Day weekend. I would assume the week after Boston would be a week off as that is the final race before NASCAR's Chase on Saturday night and the first Sunday of the NFL season is the next day.
Ending the season gets just a little trickier. Fontana wants to be later in the year. Is the weekend of September 17-18 late enough? I don't think so. The Road to Indy series and Pirelli World Challenge end their seasons at Laguna Seca this year. Could IndyCar squeeze their way into a Laguna Seca weekend next year on September 17-18? And if they do, would they race on Saturday September 17 or Sunday September 18? Part of me thinks Saturday would be a better date because IndyCar would avoid racing on an NFL Sunday and would avoid racing on the same day as the start of NASCAR's Chase in Chicago. Racing on Saturday could have a NASCAR Xfinity Series race as a lead-in and you'd be against college football but it's September college football. College football doesn't start getting good until the third weekend in October.
If Fontana does return and if Fontana is the season finale, would it be the Saturday after Laguna Seca? It can't be two weeks after Laguna Seca as Petit Le Mans is that Saturday and the top open-wheel series in North America and the top sports car series in North America should not have their season finales going head-to-head. Three weeks after Laguna Seca would be the Saturday night NASCAR race at Charlotte. Fontana could be the following Sunday afternoon but three weeks between the final two races could be too much. I think it makes the most sense to have Fontana be the Saturday after Laguna Seca as the teams would already be in California and an NASCAR Xfinity Series race could be a lead-in.
Here is what the 2016 Verizon IndyCar Series schedule could look like:
March 13: St. Petersburg
April 3: Homestead/Phoenix
April 17: Long Beach
April 24: Barber
May 14: Grand Prix of Indianapolis
May 29: Indianapolis 500
June 4-5: Belle Isle
June 11: Texas
June 26: Road America
July 3: Toronto (If the Brickyard 400 can't be flipped with NASCAR at Pocono)
July 10: Milwaukee
July 16: Iowa
July 24: Toronto (If the Brickyard 400 can be flipped with NASCAR at Pocono)
August 7: Mid-Ohio
August 21: Pocono
August 28: Sonoma
September 4: Boston
September 17: Laguna Seca
September 24: Fontana
Then there is the chance Mexico City starts the season on February 28th but I am a little more hesitant to add that because Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez has been linked to a Formula E race and I am not sure the track would add both series and have the races a month apart. I wouldn't mind if IndyCar returned to Mexico but IndyCar lacks Mexican drivers and they would need to one or two to help draw a crowd.
But even without Mexico City, IndyCar could be looking at a 19-race schedule from the middle of March until late-September. There could be seven ovals, six road courses and five street circuits. IndyCar would lose NOLA but it would pick up Road America and if IndyCar adds two from Phoenix, Homestead and Laguna Seca, the series could be looking at the best IndyCar schedule this millennium.
Winners From the Weekend
You know about what happened at the Grand Prix of Indianapolis but did you know....
Joey Logano swept the NASCAR weekend at Watkins Glen winning in Cup and the Grand National series. He is the first driver to accomplish that feat at Watkins Glen.
The #31 Action Express Corvette DP of Dane Cameron and Eric Curran won the IMSA race at Road America. Bruno Junqueira and Chris Cumming in the #11 RSR Racing Oreca won in PC after Conor Daly spun while leading on the final lap. The #911 Porsche of Nick Tandy and Patrick Pilet won in GTLM, their second consecutive victory. Ben Keating and Jeroen Bleekemolen won in GTD in the #33 Riley Viper.
The #25 D'station ADVAN Nissan GT-R of Daiki Sasaki and Michael Krumm won the Super GT race from Fuji. It is Sasaki's first career Super GT victory and Krumm's first Super GT victory since July 18, 2004 at Tokachi International Speedway. The #55 ARTA Honda CR-Z of Shinichi Takagi and Takashi Kobayashi won in the GT300 class.
Coming Up This Weekend
The 55th Knoxville Nationals.
NASCAR will be in Michigan.
The Grand National Series will be at Mid-Ohio.
MotoGP heads to Brno, Czech Republic.
