See Jorge Mondaca's column on the schedule.

Fontana Season ticket holders  are relaying renewal prices are being raised and The IRL's return as the reason given. The IRL track manager has said they want The IRL back. (even though it can only sell 20k bundled seats or less.)

RP has stated that he wants a second Michigan date as well as Belle Isle.

It would seem now that The IRL could make good on its threat for 16 races. It won't sell many seats at most but there could be some improvement at a couple.

Iowa will sell out its 40k seats if all are in place.

Kentucky's new time  may help but  40k people left that race this summer. There has to be another issue besides time and an expected festival environment.

Then there is Montreal which will be a bundled date with  The Busch series. 70k fans show up for the Busch race and get a free ticket to  The IRL date.

MD80891:

See Jorge Mondaca's column on the schedule.

Fontana Season ticket holders  are relaying renewal prices are being raised and The IRL's return as the reason given. The IRL track manager has said they want The IRL back. (even though it can only sell 20k bundled seats or less.)

RP has stated that he wants a second Michigan date as well as Belle Isle.

It would seem now that The IRL could make good on its threat for 16 races. It won't sell many seats at most but there could be some improvement at a couple.

Iowa will sell out its 40k seats if all are in place.

Kentucky's new time  may help but  40k people left that race this summer. There has to be another issue besides time and an expected festival environment.

Then there is Montreal which will be a bundled date with  The Busch series. 70k fans show up for the Busch race and get a free ticket to  The IRL date.

  They only have to add 2 races to get to 16.  And they aren't dropping any races.  Iowa is already added.  Now as much as you haters like to bash this cool little track it should be a great race at a great race track.  And you also like to bash the location.  And yet Ethanol and Iowa are poised to be a focal point in the next election.  Kerry has already been there.  The IRL is poised to take full advantage of this as the ONLY racing series running completely on a renewable resource.  As for Kentucky that's a mess.  a bunch of reasons for the drop in attendance and alot falls on the track.  Could be they are too caught up with the getting a Cup date.  And as for Fontana NASCAR is finding out that the LA market isn't what they thought it was.  Having trouble selling out their dates like they do everywhere else.  So why would you expect the IRL to do that great.  And in the end the IRL will have better attendance at all their ovals than CC has at any of there oval's in 07.  Oh wait you mean there aren't any ovals in CC anymore?  Welcome to the CC street festival series.

I have been pro ethanol for about 20 years years now. If you read as many as my posts across the internet as you claim. Then you know I think Nascar should switch to Ethanol as well.

I think Iowa will be a great  IRL venue. It's in the heart of their demographic and they are the only game in town. I do think what they will find out with a Busch date however is that they will be 15k-25k seats short of what they needed to build.

Now if you want to go back and check. That's the same thing as I said about Iowa when it was announced.

Regarding Fontana. That arguement is easy. The attendance for The Champ Car date never went below 50k. The IRL is 20k. That's 30k fewer fans.

Fontana wasn't The only event where this happened. It happened at Phoenix and It happened at Loudon.

At Nazareth it happened as well but you can also make a case that CART sowed the seeds. Michigan once the site of the best open wheel oval racing is now a ruin of its former self. CART did sow some seeds there but the split is the largest factor.

Now you can claim that 20k bundled and freebie tickets to an oval race is better than no oval race at all. However 50k more people attended Long Beach than IRL  Fontana.  30k more people attended San Jose than IRL Infinion. More people were at The Loews Cineplex than were at Kentucky.

Ultimately racing is for the fans in attendance.

Now would I like to see three or four ovals in the Champ Car schedule? You bet. I have said so repeatedly. However the folks that own the majority of ovals have elected to stay in bed with Tony George. To their own commercial detriment by the way.

That I can't help. It is what it is.

MD80891:

I have been pro ethanol for about 20 years years now. If you read as many as my posts across the internet as you claim. Then you know I think Nascar should switch to Ethanol as well.

I think Iowa will be a great  IRL venue. It's in the heart of their demographic and they are the only game in town. I do think what they will find out with a Busch date however is that they will be 15k-25k seats short of what they needed to build.

Now if you want to go back and check. That's the same thing as I said about Iowa when it was announced.

Regarding Fontana. That arguement is easy. The attendance for The Champ Car date never went below 50k. The IRL is 20k. That's 30k fewer fans.

Fontana wasn't The only event where this happened. It happened at Phoenix and It happened at Loudon.

At Nazareth it happened as well but you can also make a case that CART sowed the seeds. Michigan once the site of the best open wheel oval racing is now a ruin of its former self. CART did sow some seeds there but the split is the largest factor.

Now you can claim that 20k bundled and freebie tickets to an oval race is better than no oval race at all. However 50k more people attended Long Beach than IRL  Fontana.  30k more people attended San Jose than IRL Infinion. More people were at The Loews Cineplex than were at Kentucky.

Ultimately racing is for the fans in attendance.

Now would I like to see three or four ovals in the Champ Car schedule? You bet. I have said so repeatedly. However the folks that own the majority of ovals have elected to stay in bed with Tony George. To their own commercial detriment by the way.

That I can't help. It is what it is.

  Where have I claimed "If you read as many as my posts across the internet as you claim."?  I also wasn't directing the comment at you.  You know darn well there are tons of others here bashing the Iowa race.  And as far as your oval conspiracy how does CC not renewing with Milwaukee fit in?  Or a return to the oval in LV?  There are plenty of Ovals out there that are not ISC owned or "in bed with TG" as  you put it.  Fact is CC rather go street racing around the world.

 

The fifth Indy Japan 300 at Twin Ring Motegi will be held on Saturday, 

April 21, bringing the confirmed number of races to 12.

But the number 9 was funny while it lasted.

AGR owns the St. Pete race, maybe Danica can get a win there?

GoFaster:

And how does narrow-minded provincialism enhance the sport? I can hardly wait for the Iowa race and the rest of us in flyoverland will be going to the tractor pull too you snob.

How many of you does it take to pull a tractor? Sounds like a kind of odd way to be entertained?

So someone tell me. I've been out of touch lately and just stopped in to see what's going on with the IRL schedule.

What happened to the Montreal date? Seems that NASCAR and Norman, dropped the IRL on it's head.

Isn't this the race that the IRL was going to replace Champcar?