In case you are new, back when everyone thought the legalization of sports gambling meant more people could end up watching IndyCar I thought the issue with motorsports is it needs more than betting on the outright race winner. People need something to watch within the race and head-to-head match ups between drivers provide that. It makes a battle for 12th possibly meaningful. It is also unpredictable. On paper, you might think Will Power will finish ahead of Marcus Ericsson at Belle Isle but all of a sudden Power has an issue and Ericsson is on the podium.
This league format not only provided head-to-head match ups but set up a full schedule throughout the entire season with consequences and a playoff format that ran counter to the actual championship.
Because of the size of the IndyCar grid, I split the drivers into two leagues. The top league was split into two conferences of eight entries. Every entry faces the other seven entries in its conference twice. The top four from each conference advance to the playoffs. The bottom entry from each conference is relegated. The top two from the second league are promoted.
With the background out of the way, let's get started on 2020!
What Do The Leagues Look Like?
The 14 entries that remained in the top league were the three Penske entries, the two Ganassi entries, the two Rahal Letterman Lanigan entries, the two Arrow McLaren SP entries, three Andretti entries (#27, #28 and #98), the #20 Ed Carpenter Racing entry and the #18 Dale Coyne Racing entry.
The promoted entries were the #19 Coyne and #14 A.J. Foyt Racing. The #19 Coyne entry has been changed to the #55 Coyne entry since Álex Palou has joined the team. Santino Ferrucci does get promoted into the top league because he will take over the #18 Coyne entry. Though the two AMSP cars have new drivers than the ones who drove last year and kept those entries up in the top-tier.
The conferences were determined by snaking the 16 entries based on entrant points and the conference will look like this:
Conference 1
#1 Penske
#9 Ganassi
#12 Penske
#30 RLLR
#15 RLLR
#19 Coyne
#20 ECR
#7 AMSP
Conference 2
#22 Penske
#27 Andretti
#10 Ganassi
#28 Andretti
#18 Coyne
#5 AMSP
#14 Foyt
#98 Andretti
With League One out of the way, let's get to the second league, because this is where changes occur and in a good way. League Two was six entries last year and this year it will be eight entries because Meyer Shank Racing will be full-time and Ganassi has expanded to three car with Marcus Ericsson.
The #8 Ganassi entry and #60 MSR entry join the relegated entries, the #21 Ed Carpenter Racing entry and the #26 Andretti entry. Despite all of Colton Herta's success, in head-to-head match ups the #88 Harding Steinbrenner Racing entry remains in League Two. The merger with the Andretti team does not effect that team's status. Both Carlin entries and the #4 Foyt entry rounds out League Two and it will look like this:
League Two
#88 AHSR
#21 ECR
#26 Andretti
#59 Carlin
#4 Foyt
#31 Carlin
#8 Ganassi
#60 MSR
What Other Changes Are There?
Last year, the regular season for League One was 14 weeks with the playoffs taking place over the final three weeks.
League Two's schedule was 15 weeks with each entry facing each other three times. With League Two expanding, the schedule will change to each entry facing each other twice, just like League One.
I was thinking, because while there was something to watch in each race, it was rather dull in the final three weeks. In week 15 last year, the Gateway race, we had the four quarterfinals and the final three match ups in League Two but there were eight entries not participating. At Portland, the only match ups were the semifinals and the final was the only match up at Laguna Seca.
I think we could do more and have more going on throughout the entry season.
Here is what will be the same in 2020:
The League One playoffs stay the same. The top four from each conference advance to the playoffs over the final three weeks.
The bottom team from each League One conference is automatically relegated. The top two from League Two are automatically promoted.
The new stuff will be this:
Fifth in each League One conference is guaranteed safety.
Sixth and seventh in each League One conference enter a relegation playoff. During week 15, sixth from Conference One faces seventh from Conference Two and vice versa and the winners from those match ups are guaranteed safety for the 2021 season. The losers face-off in week 16 and the winner that week is guaranteed safety.
In League Two, the third place team faces sixth place in week 15 and fourth place faces fifth place. The winners will advance to a matchup in week 16.
At week 17, we will have a playoff between the loser from week 16 in the League One relegation playoff against the winner from week 16 in the League Two promotion playoff. The winner in week 17 gets the final spot in League One for 2021.
It is a little more and it keeps more teams involved.
Schedule
League One:
Week One (St. Petersburg)
#1 Penske vs. #7 AMSP
#9 Ganassi vs. #20 ECR
#12 Penske vs. #55 Coyne
#30 RLLR vs. #15 RLLR
#22 Penske vs. #98 Andretti
#27 Andretti vs. #14 Foyt
#10 Ganassi vs. #5 AMSP
#28 Andretti vs. #18 Coyne
Week Two (Barber)
#1 Penske vs. #20 ECR
#9 Ganassi vs. #7 AMSP
#12 Penske vs. #15 RLLR
#30 RLLR vs. #55 Coyne
#22 Penske vs. #14 Foyt
#27 Andretti vs. #98 Andretti
#10 Ganassi vs. #18 Coyne
#28 Andretti vs. #5 AMSP
Week Three (Long Beach)
#1 Penske vs. #55 Coyne
#9 Ganassi vs. #15 RLLR
#12 Penske vs. #7 AMSP
#30 RLLR vs. #20 ECR
#22 Penske vs. #5 AMSP
#27 Andretti vs. #18 Coyne
#10 Ganassi vs. #98 Andretti
#28 Andretti vs. #14 Foyt
Week Four (Austin)
#1 Penske vs. #15 RLLR
#9 Ganassi vs. #12 Penske
#30 RLLR vs. #7 AMSP
#55 Coyne vs. #20 ECR
#22 Penske vs. #18 Coyne
#27 Andretti vs. #10 Ganassi
#28 Andretti vs. #98 Andretti
#5 AMSP vs. #14 Foyt
Week Five (Grand Prix of Indianapolis)
#1 Penske vs. #30 RLLR
#9 Ganassi vs. #55 Coyne
#12 Penske vs. #20 ECR
#15 RLLR vs. #7 AMSP
#22 Penske vs. #28 Andretti
#27 Andretti vs. #5 AMSP
#10 Ganassi vs. #14 Foyt
#18 Coyne vs. #98 Andretti
Week Six (Indianapolis 500)
#1 Penske vs. #12 Penske
#9 Ganassi vs. #30 RLLR
#15 RLLR vs. #20 ECR
#55 Coyne vs. #7 AMSP
#22 Penske vs. #10 Ganassi
#27 Andretti vs. #28 Andretti
#18 Coyne vs. #14 Foyt
#5 AMSP vs. #98 Andretti
Week Seven (Belle Isle I)
#1 Penske vs. #9 Ganassi
#12 Penske vs. #30 RLLR
#15 RLLR vs. #55 Coyne
#20 ECR vs. #7 AMSP
#22 Penske vs. #27 Andretti
#10 Ganassi vs. #28 Andretti
#18 Coyne vs. #5 AMSP
#14 Foyt vs. #98 Andretti
Week Eight (Belle Isle II)
#1 Penske vs. #7 AMSP
#9 Ganassi vs. #20 ECR
#12 Penske vs. #55 Coyne
#30 RLLR vs. #15 RLLR
#22 Penske vs. #98 Andretti
#27 Andretti vs. #14 Foyt
#10 Ganassi vs. #5 AMSP
#28 Andretti vs. #18 Coyne
Week Nine (Texas)
#1 Penske vs. #20 ECR
#9 Ganassi vs. #7 AMSP
#12 Penske vs. #15 RLLR
#30 RLLR vs. #55 Coyne
#22 Penske vs. #14 Foyt
#27 Andretti vs. #98 Andretti
#10 Ganassi vs. #18 Coyne
#28 Andretti vs. #5 AMSP
Week Ten (Road America)
#1 Penske vs. #55 Coyne
#9 Ganassi vs. #15 RLLR
#12 Penske vs. #7 AMSP
#30 RLLR vs. #20 ECR
#22 Penske vs. #5 AMSP
#27 Andretti vs. #18 Coyne
#10 Ganassi vs. #98 Andretti
#28 Andretti vs. #14 Foyt
Week Eleven (Richmond)
#1 Penske vs. #15 RLLR
#9 Ganassi vs. #12 Penske
#30 RLLR vs. #7 AMSP
#55 Coyne vs. #20 ECR
#22 Penske vs. #18 Coyne
#27 Andretti vs. #10 Ganassi
#28 Andretti vs. #98 Andretti
#5 AMSP vs. #14 Foyt
Week Twelve (Toronto)
#1 Penske vs. #30 RLLR
#9 Ganassi vs. #55 Coyne
#12 Penske vs. #20 ECR
#15 RLLR vs. #7 AMSP
#22 Penske vs. #28 Andretti
#27 Andretti vs. #5 AMSP
#10 Ganassi vs. #14 Foyt
#18 Coyne vs. #98 Andretti
Week Thirteen (Iowa)
#1 Penske vs. #12 Penske
#9 Ganassi vs. #30 RLLR
#15 RLLR vs. #20 ECR
#55 Coyne vs. #7 AMSP
#22 Penske vs. #10 Ganassi
#27 Andretti vs. #28 Andretti
#18 Coyne vs. #14 Foyt
#5 AMSP vs. #98 Andretti
Week Fourteen (Mid-Ohio)
#1 Penske vs. #9 Ganassi
#12 Penske vs. #30 RLLR
#15 RLLR vs. #55 Coyne
#20 ECR vs. #7 AMSP
#22 Penske vs. #27 Andretti
#10 Ganassi vs. #28 Andretti
#18 Coyne vs. #5 AMSP
#14 Foyt vs. #98 Andretti
Week One (St. Petersburg)
#88 AHSR vs. #60 MSR
#21 ECR vs. #8 CGR
#26 Andretti vs. #31 Carlin
#59 Carlin vs. #4 Foyt
Week Two (Barber)
#88 AHSR vs. #8 CGR
#21 ECR vs. #60 MSR
#26 Andretti vs. #4 Foyt
#59 Carlin vs. #31 Carlin
Week Three (Long Beach)
#88 AHSR vs. #31 Carlin
#21 ECR vs. #4 Foyt
#26 Andretti vs. #60 MSR
#59 Carlin vs. #8 CGR
Week Four (Austin)
#88 AHSR vs. #4 Foyt
#21 ECR vs. #26 Andretti
#59 Carlin vs. #60 MSR
#31 Carlin vs. #8 CGR
Week Five (Grand Prix of Indianapolis)
#88 AHSR vs. #59 Carlin
#21 ECR vs. #31 Carlin
#26 Andretti vs. #8 CGR
#4 Foyt vs. #60 MSR
Week Six (Indianapolis 500)
#88 AHSR vs. #26 Andretti
#21 ECR vs. #59 Carlin
#4 Foyt vs. #8 CGR
#31 Carlin vs. #60 MSR
Week Seven (Belle Isle I)
#88 AHSR vs. #21 ECR
#26 Andretti vs. #59 Carlin
#4 Foyt vs. #31 Carlin
#8 CGR vs. #60 MSR
Week Eight (Belle Isle II)
#88 AHSR vs. #60 MSR
#21 ECR vs. #8 CGR
#26 Andretti vs. #31 Carlin
#59 Carlin vs. #4 Foyt
Week Nine (Texas)
#88 AHSR vs. #8 CGR
#21 ECR vs. #60 MSR
#26 Andretti vs. #4 Foyt
#59 Carlin vs. #31 Carlin
Week Ten (Road America)
#88 AHSR vs. #31 Carlin
#21 ECR vs. #4 Foyt
#26 Andretti vs. #60 MSR
#59 Carlin vs. #8 CGR
Week Eleven (Richmond)
#88 AHSR vs. #4 Foyt
#21 ECR vs. #26 Andretti
#59 Carlin vs. #60 MSR
#31 Carlin vs. #8 CGR
Week Twelve (Toronto)
#88 AHSR vs. #59 Carlin
#21 ECR vs. #31 Carlin
#26 Andretti vs. #8 CGR
#4 Foyt vs. #60 MSR
Week Thirteen (Iowa)
#88 AHSR vs. #26 Andretti
#21 ECR vs. #59 Carlin
#4 Foyt vs. #8 CGR
#31 Carlin vs. #60 MSR
Week Fourteen (Mid-Ohio)
#88 AHSR vs. #21 ECR
#26 Andretti vs. #59 Carlin
#4 Foyt vs. #31 Carlin
#8 CGR vs. #60 MSR
Week 15 at Gateway will be the quarterfinals for the championship playoffs and the promotion/relegation playoffs. Week 16 at Portland will be the semifinals for the respective playoffs and the finale for each will be in week 17 at Laguna Seca.
The important thing with this is it is for fun. It is something different that runs concurrent with the actual season. What does it mean? Nothing and we have no idea what could happen. That is what makes it fun. There is nothing more to take from it other than what happens on the track and we have to wait for each race to find out what will happen next.
Like last season, I plan on have a few updates throughout the season to keep up to tabs with who is doing well and who isn't.
