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MILLER: The Perfect IndyCar Schedule
It may not be possible until 2011, SPEED’s Robin Miller explains…
Robin Miller  |  Posted August 04, 2008   Indianapolis, Ind.

There seemed to be a lot more screams of disgust and anger than cheers after the Indy Racing League announced its 2009 schedule last week. Most of the talk concerned the tracks that didn't make the cut.

Longtime open wheel fans and many of the teams were bummed because Cleveland, Elkhart Lake and Phoenix weren't included while one of Bruton Smith's lieutenants was livid that Loudon was omitted and one IndyCar team predicted problems when learning Australia had no date.

But there are reasons only Toronto and Long Beach were added and the series didn't expand to 20-21 races.

First off, this tricky little thing called a contract dictated the majority of the 18-race lineup. Next year is the final one for the contracts with Kansas, Milwaukee, Texas, Richmond, Watkins Glen, Kentucky, Motegi, Detroit, Iowa, Miami and Mid-Ohio.

The IRL has multi-year deals in place with St. Petersburg, Edmonton, Long Beach, Sonoma, Chicago and Toronto. Oh yeah, and Indy.

So let's be realistic, and maybe a little optimistic, about what this thing could look like in 2010.

On the oval side, Milwaukee is a must because it still requires braking and driving (at least in the race) and it's the last bastion of tradition. The crowd made a little comeback this year despite a ridiculous 3:50 local starting time with no support races.

Even though it's insane racing, Texas is a big-city event and probably draws too many people to get gassed so say goodbye to Kansas City. Iowa and Richmond aren't major markets but they do put 40,000 paying customers in the seats who show up every year and really seem to enjoy the whole experience.

Tony George tried to go back to Phoenix International Raceway in '09 but was only offered an insulting Thursday night before the NASCAR weekend. So until PIR boss Brian Sperber has an attitude adjustment and the IRL gets a reasonable date, Phoenix is on hold.

Loudon, which drew 50,000 in CART's last year in 1995 but only a few thousand in the four years the IRL ran there, remains high on the IRL's list according to Terry Angstadt, vice president of the IRL's commercial division. It's another oval that would be perfect for Indy cars and requires more than full-throttle racing.

As long as Honda is calling the shots, Motegi, Japan will be on the schedule.

It seems like Michigan would be worth trying to jump start, although there's this lame theory there might be too many races within a close proximity. That seems to be the same argument made by those opposed to Cleveland.

But let's get real. Even in its depleted state earlier this decade, Cleveland still out-drew Detroit last year and, with one series, it might be able to get back to 40,000/50,000 on race day. There is no better racing than Burke Lakefront Airport and it damn sure belongs before Belle Isle, which was upgraded by Roger Penske but remains a terrible track for Indy cars.

Also, the majority of open wheel racing's fan base is in the midwest and there were always good crowds at Mid-Ohio/Michigan/Cleveland so embrace your audience.

An ALMS/IRL doubleheader at Elkhart Lake (like Long Beach and Mid-Ohio) is a no-brainer for the promoter, both series and would be a winner with the road racing faithful. Ditto for Cleveland.

Loyalists still hold out hope for Laguna Seca and possibly Portland but Barber Motorsports Park (Birmingham, Ala.) or Miller Motorsports Park (Toole, Utah) could be a possibility down the road and Mexico City is far and away the best road course in North America not being used.

And Las Vegas is the finest street circuit in mothballs.


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