HoneyBadger
I love short track racing (Taylor's Version)
I wasn't excited when Roger Penske bought IMS and IndyCar for a reason, and now I know why.
IndyCar 2021 schedule shakeup
- Thread starter HoneyBadger
- Start date
I wasn't excited when Roger Penske bought IMS and IndyCar for a reason, and now I know why.
FLRacingFan
Team Owner
All indications are this was an actual IndyCar decision, not one by Andersen Promotions. It’ll be interesting to hear why. The race was obviously a big part of the Carb Day attendance draw.
Kiante
Team Owner
Dunno, but let's be honest Andy. If Penske was not in charge, IndyCar probably would have gone belly up during the pandemic.
We'll see, I'm not happy about this move or the 2021 calendar. Hopefully, things can move in a better direction in the future. Not a good sign for oval racing either, however USF2000 and the Star Series will be at IRP.
FLRacingFan
Team Owner
racingfan7
Start and Park
Beyond disappointed in Penske at building this series. Very disappointed.
Literally every change he does has moved the needle backwards unless you like his makeshift road course in the infield 20 times a year.
Literally every change he does has moved the needle backwards unless you like his makeshift road course in the infield 20 times a year.
FLRacingFan
Team Owner
You are beyond disappointed less than one pandemic-affected year into ownership, taking over from owners who had exhausted all resources they had, with no lucrative TV deal and minimal oval support to speak of? Seems like a hasty judgment to make.
It will be at least four or five years onward from post-Brian France NASCAR before their vision starts to come into focus, and it will be the 10th year of IMSA when Jim France’s ultimate vision of post-merger American sports car racing is realized. Not sure what exactly can be achieved in such a short period of time with such poor financials.
racingfan7
Start and Park
Well yeah, it’s a hasty judgement. They axed the Freedom 100 it’s one of the best oval races of the year besides the big race. I’m not a huge road course guy.
I’m probably in the minority where I’ll go out of my way to watch an oval. A road course race or street race depends on what I’m doing.
I wouldn’t mind taking a trip to Portland for one of its races eventually but it’ll probably get axed at the rate we got.
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FLRacingFan
Team Owner
It sucks for sure. And FWIW, I think between practice and qualifying there's too much 500 on-track activity anyways and I wouldn't mind if a lot of it eventually went the way a lot of the Daytona 500 activities have, as sacrilegious as that sounds. But if they have to build in a postponement data for Pole Day or whatever it's better scheduled ahead of time than have Lights teams budget with their sponsors for their one big exposure event and then have it pulled out from under them at the last second and screw a lot of things up. If it's still gone in 2022 than yeah, good reason to be pissed honestly.
Portland just re-upped very recently, a month or two ago, and they have a good relationship with the Mayor and Parks & Rec there so it should be around through 2023 at least. But anything depending on municipal blessings can certainly change every few years as political turnover occurs.
racingfan7
Start and Park
I’ll praise the Indy Lights lack of Freedom 100 and any other oval for that matter if they can get 12+ cars at these road courses.
Mispeedway15
Team Owner
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I think that while road courses are definitely growing in popularity for the racing fan in America, the lack of oval racing in this series is still a major issue. These are badass fast cars, to see them on ovals is like watching fighter jets. But far too often they try to be basically an American F2 and I think it holds them back
racingfan7
Start and Park
Being realistic, I’d like to see Texas, IMS, Gateway with Pocono (500 miles), New Hampshire (Musket 200 Modified weekend paired with Indy would bring a nice crowd IMO), Richmond added. Iowa added with some decent ownership.
Gateway, New Hampshire, Richmond, Iowa are nice Indy Lights tracks if they ever decide to go oval again.
That’s 6 or 7 ovals (maybe a doubleheader somewhere). That’s about the right amount for this series. I’d like to see 6-7 oval races, 6-8 road courses, and 4-6 street/stadium/island course races.
Gateway, New Hampshire, Richmond, Iowa are nice Indy Lights tracks if they ever decide to go oval again.
That’s 6 or 7 ovals (maybe a doubleheader somewhere). That’s about the right amount for this series. I’d like to see 6-7 oval races, 6-8 road courses, and 4-6 street/stadium/island course races.