IndyCar
  • Peg It on GarageMonkey
INDYCAR: Iowa Targeted For Doubleheader In 2012
“This could be a way we maintain our balance of oval and road races,” said Randy Bernard. “I think it’s certainly worth taking a look at – especially Iowa.”
Robin Miller  |  Posted June 27, 2011   Indianapolis, IN
After Saturday night's exciting 250-lap race, it's easy to understand why IndyCar wants a doubleheader next year. (LAT)
Iowa Speedway draws one of the biggest, most loyal oval-track crowds on the IZOD INDYCAR series every year, not to mention hosting some of the best wheel-to-wheel racing of the season.

So INDYCAR CEO Randy Bernard is taking a serious look at something special in 2012 – a Saturday night/Sunday afternoon doubleheader.

“It’s a sellout, the track does a helluva job promoting us in the Heartland and their fans really get it so why not go from 40,000 to 80,000?” said Bernard, who re-introduced doubleheaders earlier this month at Texas Motor Speedway.

“I talked with Jerry Jauron (Iowa Speedway track president) and he loved the idea and now I want to talk to our owners, partners and networks about it.”

Dismal attendance at Kansas, Chicagoland and Homestead caused Bernard to pull the plug on those ISC tracks and a return to Milwaukee two weeks ago was a box office disaster, with less than 15,000 people showing up.

INDYCAR returns to ovals at Loudon, N.H. and Las Vegas later this season, two places that struggled in the early IRL days.

Texas, always the largest draw outside Indy, had its worst crowd ever earlier this month and Bernard is considering multiple doubleheaders at tracks that want INDYCAR like Iowa.

“This could be a way we maintain our balance of oval and road races,” he said. “I think it’s certainly worth taking a look at – especially Iowa.”

Asked what would happen if the Saturday night race got rained out, Bernard said he’d look at adding 100 miles to the Sunday show.

“As good as Saturday night’s race was, can you imagine how many people might come back and watch on Sunday?,’’ he said.

INDYCAR’s contract with Iowa expired on Saturday night.

PHOTOS: Click Here or on the image below to view INDYCAR: Iowa Race 2011.
robin_miller's avatar

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Robin Miller

MORE BY THIS AUTHOR
Advertising | Jobs | Feedback | FAQ | Terms of Use | NEW Privacy Policy | Ad Choices | Site Map
Fox Sports | FUEL TV | FX Network | National Geographic | IGN | AskMen
The Motor Sports Authority, SPEED and associated logos are registered trademarks of Speed Channel Inc.
All Rights Reserved © Speed Channel, Inc. 2013

All external links will open in a new browser window. SPEED.com does not endorse external sites.