2015 the end

[pkvracing12]

http://www.roadandtrack.com/voices/columnists/marshall-pruett/indycar-must-schedule-races-for-its-fans-and-not-to-avoid-the-nfl-racersynd?src=soc_fcbks

[Ed_Severson]

Two things ...

1. I had no idea Marshall was writing for R&T ... thought Racer was his only gig. Good for him.

2. He's absolutely right. The party line about ending the season by Labor Day is that IndyCar doesn't want to compete with the NFL.

This just in: you don't compete with the NFL. Stop worrying about it.

The 2014 schedule was a mess. The 2015 schedule, amazingly enough, is even worse. It's going to be a momumental disaster, and the enormous off-season serves absolutely no one.

[opinionated ow]

A long time ago when I gave a bugger (and on a long flight from somewhere to somewhere else) I came up with what I dreamt would be the perfect Indycar schedule. If I had Steve Jobs' fortune I'd make it happen something like this:

Florida Grand Prix, Sebring International Raceway
Indycar Copper World Classic, Phoenix International Raceway
Kansas 400, Kansas City Speedway
Utah 220, Miller Motorsport Park
Nashville Mini 500, Music City Motorplex
Long Beach Grand Prix, Long Beach
New England 300, New Hampshire International Speedway
Oklahoma 220, Hallett Motor Racing Circuit
Mid-Ohio 220, Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course
Indianapolis 500 Opening Practice, Indianapolis Motor Speedway
Indianapolis 500 Pole Day, Indianapolis Motor Speedway
Indianapolis 500 Bump Day, Indianapolis Motor Speedway
Indianapolis 500, Indianapolis Motor Speedway
Milwaukee 300, The Milwaukee Mile
New York 225, New York State Fairgrounds
Portland Grand Prix, Portland International Raceway
Cleveland Grand Prix, Burke Lakefront Airport
Gateway 250, Gateway International Raceway
Pocono 500, Pocono International Raceway
Richmond 300, Richmond International Raceway
Toronto Grand Prix, Exhibition Place Toronto
Edmonton Grand Prix, Edmonton City Centre Airport
US 500, Michigan International Speedway
Indiana 225, Indiana State Fairgrounds
Quebec Grand Prix, le Circuit Mont Tremblant
Laguna Seca 220, Laguna Seca
Road America 220, Road America
Illinois 225, DuQuoin State Fairgrounds
World 500 Rookie Orientation, Eurospeedway Lausitz
World 500, Eurospeedway Lausitz
Rockingham 300, Rockingham Motor Speedway
Memphis 300, Memphis Motorsport Park
Indy 300, Surfers Paradise
Japan 500, Motegi Twin Ring
Mexican Grand Prix, Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez
Road Atlanta 220, Road Atlanta
Central Florida 300, USA International Speedway
Indycar World Series 600, California Speedway

Although since then Indycar went to hideous spec cars, ruined all their goodwill, lost their audience, Edmonton City Centre Airport has been turned into housing and Surfers Paradise was emasculated by a bloody tram track and V8 Supercars. And yes I did put three dirt races in there-if you can make a NASCAR run on dirt, you could make an Indycar do it too

[Mary]

A long time ago when I gave a bugger (and on a long flight from somewhere to somewhere else) I came up with what I dreamt would be the perfect Indycar schedule. If I had Steve Jobs' fortune I'd make it happen something like this:

This must have been the flight from hell. I sleep like a baby on moving vehicles. I'm dozing if we sit on the runway a long time waiting for takeoff; the takeoff wakes me up, but I can be out again as soon as the plane levels off. I sleep on the subway going to work when I get a seat. Sometimes going to Atlantic City I'm out before we exit the Lincoln Tunnel.

As for the schedule, trim 14-15 races (for my taste get rid of races in NASCAR country, some of the ovals, dirt races, and sadly most foreign venues although I'd keep Surfers & most Canadian races).

Mary

[Andrew Longman]

I spent 25 years competing against and cleaning up behind BCG (and McKinsey, etc.) They get a lot of things right but too often get a few things monumentally wrong.

I did actually like that the massive gaps were taken out of the schedule, and I like the idea of a Labor Day race, but they really don't understand their fans/customers if they think they are competing against the NFL -- especially if they think dropping the green flag for their final race after 10pm Eastern is what they need to do to compete with the NFL.