INDYCAR: Cleveland Considering Combo Oval/Road Race Event

IndyCar

INDYCAR: Cleveland Considering Combo Oval/Road Race Event

"How about an IndyCar doubleheader on an oval and a road course -- on the same weekend at the SAME TRACK?" reports SPEEDtv.com's Robin Miller.

Robin Miller | Posted May 17, 2009 Indianapolis, IN

It's been run at night, during the day, and now, possibly, both night and day in the same weekend, says Robin Miller. Brilliant. (LAT)

How about an IndyCar doubleheader on an oval and a road course -- on the same weekend at the SAME TRACK?

That's an idea currently being kicked around between promoter/car owner Mike Lanigan, IndyCar's John Lewis and the folks at Cleveland's Burke Lafefront Airport.

Lewis. the vice president of marketing and league development, was looking at putting Cleveland on the 2010 schedule as an oval instead of its traditional road course configuration. Lanigan wanted to stay with the old airport circuit that produced great racing in CART for three decades and Lewis is trying to wean the IRL off all the cookie-cutter 1.5-mile ovals.

So John Griffin, vice president of public relations for IndyCar, tossed in an idea: why not run the oval on Friday night, come back Saturday on the road course with an Indy Lights show, IndyCar qualifying and a fireworks show. Then have a road race on Sunday afternoon.

"I'm all for it, I think it's a great idea," said Lanigan, who promoted the Champ Car races at Cleveland in 2006 and 2007 and who co-owns the cars of Graham Rahal and Robert Doornbos with Carl Haas. "There's never been anything like it to my knowledge.

"There a lots of things to be addressed but we're taking a serious look at it."

Lewis has discussed a possible doubleheader with Honda, Tony George and Cleveland's Chuck Kosich.

"We think it's a good idea and we're all approaching the project with an open mind," said Lewis. "There are some challenges, would we have enough cars, engines, finding a date, how does it work with television.

"We all think it would be a cool event for the fans."

Cleveland, which hosted CART from 1982-2007, hasn't hosted a race the past two years but has received lots of support from fans to return.