Kansas moves to April and the Glen moves to July. It seems very odd that
the IRL is announcing dates like this. Don't most racing series
typically get all of the individual dates together and then announce the
entire calendar for the following year when everything is in place? What
gives with these multiple announcements? It seems quite odd to me. It
could just be a way of doing things differently, or something else.

http://www.speedtv.com/articles/auto/indycar/32675/

The IndyCar Series races at Kansas Speedway and Watkins Glen
International will have new dates in 2007, series officials announced.
The IndyCar Series’ stop at Kansas moves to April 29, while the Watkins
Glen event will move to the July 8 date previously occupied by Kansas. A
100-mile Indy Pro Series race will be held in conjunction with the
IndyCar Series event at Watkins Glen International.

“Moving these two races will maximize the potential of the 2007
schedule,” said Brian Barnhart, president and chief operating officer of
the Indy Racing League, the sanctioning body of the IndyCar Series “We’d
like to thank Jeff Boerger, Craig Rust and everyone at ISC for their
flexibility and their assistance in building our 2007 schedule.”

The IndyCar Series has raced at the 1.5-mile oval at Kansas Speedway
since 2001, and it is the site of three of the closest finishes in
series history. Officials with Kansas Speedway requested the date change
due to oppressive heat at recent events.

“Our race fans come first,” said Jeff Boerger, president of Kansas
Speedway. “They’ve really stuck with us over the past six years because
that’s how exciting IndyCar Series racing is. But moving this race
weekend to the springtime will make the weekend even more spectacular.
It will be cooler for fans, the drivers, the media and the staff.”

The shift of the 300-mile event at Kansas Speedway gives the IndyCar
Series an extra event prior to the Indianapolis 500 for the first time
since 2002.

“We’re excited to make this date change announcement in conjunction with
Kansas Speedway and pleased to assist Jeff and his staff respond to
their fan base’s desire for a race date offering cooler temperatures,”
Barnhart said. “Putting Kansas Speedway on the schedule right before the
Indianapolis 500 allows an already successful event to grow even more in
stature while offering the IndyCar Series a great platform heading in to
the month of May.”

With Kansas’ shift, the historic 3.37-mile road course at Watkins Glen
International will have its third date in as many years. Despite the
change, track officials hope to make the IndyCar Series event weekend a
mid-summer institution.

“The 4th of July weekend has always been one of our preferred choices
for the IndyCar Series weekend,” Watkins Glen International President
Craig Rust said. “We are thrilled to have worked with Kansas Speedway
and the Indy Racing League on this date change and hope that it will
become a tradition that our fans can enjoy with their families each year
surrounding the holiday weekend.”

Watkins Glen is already planning several fan activities throughout the
new July weekend including a large display of fireworks to celebrate
Independence Day.

“We are pleased to give Craig Rust and his staff at Watkins Glen
International a date they have long preferred and thank him for his
flexibility the past couple of years,” said Barnhart. “In just two
years, The Glen has quickly become an anticipated race on the IndyCar
Series schedule, and we look forward to building on not only the track
but the region’s open-wheel racing legacy.”

The IndyCar Series has previously announced seven events for 2007. The
remainder of the 2007 IndyCar Series schedule will be announced at a
later date.

April 1, St. Petersburg, Fla. (street course)
May 27, Indianapolis 500
June 3, Milwaukee Mile
June 9, Texas Motor Speedway
June 24, Iowa Speedway
July 14, Nashville Superspeedway
Aug. 11, Kentucky Speedway

--
Forty

“There are only three sports: bullfighting, motor racing, and
mountaineering; all the rest are merely games.” - Ernest Hemingway

forty wrote:


April 1, St. Petersburg, Fla. (street course)
May 27, Indianapolis 500
June 3, Milwaukee Mile
June 9, Texas Motor Speedway
June 24, Iowa Speedway
July 14, Nashville Superspeedway
Aug. 11, Kentucky Speedway

There are nine races confirmed and assuming they will all return, six
left to confirm for a total of fifteen-- one more than last year --
unless I missed something:

Homestead
Motegi
Richmond
Michigan
Sears Point
Chigago

Lenny wrote:
ones confirmed I do not see any that are ISC tracks. Motegi will likely
happen if Honda is involved and at least this year they can be assured
they will get a win at their own track. They also might not bother to
pay the big bucks to bring them over when there is no competition either.

The fact that Texas is confirmed and Sears Point isn't when they are
both owned by Speedway Motorsports makes me wonder if they are going
back to the point.

The other is that 4 of the 6 tracks are ISC tracks and none of those on
the confirmed list are ISC tracks. Would make one wonder why?

Mark B wrote:
The list they offered was a little lame and didn't reflect the two
confirmed races they just announced, which struck me as a little odd.
The complete list of confirmed races for next year is:

April 1, St. Petersburg, Fla. (street course)
April 29, Kansas Speedway
May 27, Indianapolis 500
June 3, Milwaukee Mile
June 9, Texas Motor Speedway
June 24, Iowa Speedway
July 8, Watkins Glen
July 14, Nashville Superspeedway
Aug. 11, Kentucky Speedway

Two ISC tracks are confirmed. Infineon is currently being negotiated and
while the parties publicly say they are optimistic, the race isn't
secure yet. I bet Motegi will still get a race since the IRL event is a
big one for that track and they need to justify that oval's existence
somehow.

The ISC tracks are a bit of a curiosity now that you point them out. I
wonder if they are being negotiated in more of a group fashion or if the
IRL is seeking to distance itself from ISC, although that doesn't really
seem to jive with the news about the potential addition of Daytona as a
testing facility. Hmmm.

--
Forty

“There are only three sports: bullfighting, motor racing, and
mountaineering; all the rest are merely games.” - Ernest Hemingway

forty wrote:
<snip>

April 1, St. Petersburg, Fla. (street course)
April 29, Kansas Speedway
May 27, Indianapolis 500
June 3, Milwaukee Mile
June 9, Texas Motor Speedway
June 24, Iowa Speedway
*June 30, Richmond International Raceway*
July 8, Watkins Glen
July 14, Nashville Superspeedway
Aug. 11, Kentucky Speedway

Richmond just announced.
http://www.motorsport.com/news/artic...=233304&FS=IRL

--
Forty

“There are only three sports: bullfighting, motor racing, and
mountaineering; all the rest are merely games.” - Ernest Hemingway