2014 IndyCar Season Discussion

[dalejrgamer]

News, notes, race commentary, complaining, and Tony George hate goes here.

Full schedule:
Rnd Date Race name Track Location Television
1 March 30 United States Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg Streets of St. Petersburg St. Petersburg, Florida ABC
2 April 13 United States 40th Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach Streets of Long Beach Long Beach, California NBCSN
3 April 27 United States Honda Indy Grand Prix of Alabama Barber Motorsports Park Birmingham, Alabama NBCSN
4 May 10 United States Grand Prix of Indianapolis Indianapolis Motor Speedway — Road Course Speedway, Indiana ABC
5 May 25 United States 98th Indianapolis 500-Mile Race Indianapolis Motor Speedway — Oval Course Speedway, Indiana ABC
6 May 31 United States Chevrolet/Cadillac Grand Prix of Detroit Belle Isle Detroit, Michigan ABC
7 June 1
8 June 7 United States Firestone 600 Texas Motor Speedway Fort Worth, Texas NBCSN
9 June 28 United States Shell and Pennzoil Grand Prix of Houston Reliant Park Houston, Texas NBCSN
10 June 29
11 July 6 United States Pocono IndyCar 500 Fueled by Sunoco Pocono Raceway Long Pond, Pennsylvania NBCSN
12 July 12 United States Iowa Corn Indy 300 Iowa Speedway Newton, Iowa NBCSN
13 July 19 Canada Honda Indy Toronto Exhibition Place Toronto, Ontario NBCSN
14 July 20
15 August 3 United States Honda Indy 200 at Mid-Ohio Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course Lexington, Ohio NBCSN
16 August 17 United States ABC Supply Wisconsin 250[23] The Milwaukee Mile West Allis, Wisconsin NBCSN
17 August 24 United States GoPro Indy Grand Prix of Sonoma Sonoma Raceway Sonoma, California NBCSN
18 August 30 United States MAVTV 500 IndyCar World Championships Auto Club Speedway Fontana, California NBCSN

 

[DanAsher26]

Thread stuck.

Taking bets on how Will Power loses the championship this year. Come one, come all.

 

[flyersfan4888]

Indycars at Pocono!

Thought I'd never see the day.

 

[nascarfreak88]

Well at least they're coming back to ACS for the finale.

And one thing's that peeved me about IndyCar's schedule is its wad of 4 oval races in a row.

 

[Fisha695]

That race in Providence better be televised by ESPN and be called the "XGames 500" or something like that.

Also I'm gonna have to get me a job so I can hit up the Pocono race & the F1 NJGP.

 

[celticfang]

Providnece? I just hope Curt Schilling isn't involvd with the race. I want it televised too.

Pocono? HELL YES! Houston? Is that the same track used in the 90s? If so, please let it rain, I remember 98-2000, those were some crazy, crazy years. Loudon early/mid 90s deserves a spot. Loudon as it is today doesn't. Oh yeah, while I remember. Bring back Cleveland and Edmonton please

 

[MillsLayne]

Jeez, could they jam anymore street courses in the schedule?

 

[Deuce]

Providnece? I just hope Curt Schilling isn't involvd with the race. I want it televised too.

Pocono? HELL YES! Houston? Is that the same track used in the 90s? If so, please let it rain, I remember 98-2000, those were some crazy, crazy years. Loudon early/mid 90s deserves a spot. Loudon as it is today doesn't. Oh yeah, while I remember. Bring back Cleveland and Edmonton please

Houston is going to be the circuit at Reliant Park like Champ Car had in the 2000s. There's no way they could run downtown again since the light rail tracks were installed all over the place.

 

[dalejrgamer]

Houston is going to be the circuit at Reliant Park like Champ Car had in the 2000s. There's no way they could run downtown again since the light rail tracks were installed all over the place.

And, of course, we all know what happens when you build a temporary street circuit over railroad tracks.

 

[celticfang]

Indy goes X games?

 

[Frigus5]

Schedule looks awesome to me. Love seeing Pocono!

 

[MillsLayne]

Schedule looks awesome to me. Love seeing Pocono!

Pocono will be awesome. But all of the street courses? No.

 

[MattSRD28]

Doubleheaders? So half a race on Saturday, half a race on Sunday? Or one points paying race on Saturday and another on Sunday? How is this going to work, much less work well enough to be such a great idea that you're willing to do it multiple times during the season?

Also, Mr. Bernard, when you add 3 road/street courses and 1 oval track to the schedule, and then say increasing oval racing is your goal, you're contradicting yourself in a most amusing manner.

 

[Frigus5]

Also, Mr. Bernard, when you add 3 road/street courses and 1 oval track to the schedule, and then say increasing oval racing is your goal, you're contradicting yourself in a most amusing manner.

It took a heck of a lot of effort on Randy's part to even get one more oval track. Slowly but surely he's going to get the ovals back. He got Pocono. Who would have thought IndyCars would ever return to Pocono 3 or 4 years ago? Cut the man some slack. When only the street courses sell, he has to compensate. At least he added an oval. It's better than not adding one or even taking one away. The more races, the better I say.

 

[dalejrgamer]

Look at it this way, it's not that IndyCar doesn't want to add ovals, it's that they COULDN'T.

ISC have their heads so far up their rear-ends that it's not even funny, and SMI aren't any better, either. Combine that with the current economic climate and you'll see why they had to go towards the street course route. I don't like it too, but if that's where the money is, then so be it.

 

[Fisha695]

Doubleheaders? So half a race on Saturday, half a race on Sunday? Or one points paying race on Saturday and another on Sunday? How is this going to work, much less work well enough to be such a great idea that you're willing to do it multiple times during the season?

1 race on Saturday & 1 on Sunday. Both are full distance, points & money races.

Indy 500, Pocono (500?) & California 500 will make up the Triple Crown where if a driver can win all 3 of those races they will get a $1,000,000 bonus (if you win 2 out of 3 you only get $250,000). Fontana also moves back to mid October.

Also if I just heard what I think I heard then NBCSN will have the first part of the season & then 6 of the final 7 races will be on ABC/ESPN.

2014 is the last year of the current Firestone contract.

RSN will also be the broadcast partner for Canada.

EDIT: Pocono is also a 3 year deal.

 

[Orian Thompson]

Giving Vegas another shot would be nice...

 

[Fisha695]

Giving Vegas another shot would be nice...

I know there is a lot of hate on street races & I know it won't happen because the casinos would likely lose business but I would love to see a night race on the Strip.

 

[nascarfreak88]

Fisha, Pocono is scheduled for a 400 mile race.

Personally, I don't think I'm sold on the double header weekends. I guess its a testimate to how many races IndyCar can't schedule.

And I think the Triple Crown should consist of perhaps Long Beach, or even Milwaukee. Something more prestigious and glamorous than Pocono.

 

[moppenheimer]

Double headers are sort of odd...Either go to a multiple race per round format (ala GP2) or don't. Having it only on 3 occasions seems weird to me.