2011 IZOD IndyCar Series schedule announced
IndyCar, IndyCar commentary — By Paul Dalbey on September 10, 2010 11:42 amThe IZOD IndyCar Series announced its mostly final schedule for the 2011 season today at the Milwaukee Mile. Highlights of the schedule include:
- Series opener returns to American soil as the St. Pete Grand Prix will run on March 27th
- The Sao Paulo, Brazil race, as rumored, will run on May 1st
- The 95th Indianapolis 500, marking the 100th anniversary of the race, will run on May 29th
- The Series will return to the historic Milwaukee Mile on Father’s Day weekend, June 19th
- The Series will debut on the streets of Baltimore over Labor Day weekend
- Kentucky Speedway will move from Labor Day weekend to the first weekend in October, racing there October 2nd
The season finale is still to be determined. This race is expected to be held at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway on October 15th or 16th. If details cannot be finalized with the Speedway and the City of Las Vegas, the Series may return to Auto Club Speedway in Fontana, California to conclude the season. Those details are expected in the coming weeks.
The schedule is comprised of 18 events at 17 venues. The balance between road and street courses against ovals has been maintained at nine races each if one considers the duel races at Texas Motor Speedway to be individual events. The season will start on four road courses followed by four ovals with the Indianapolis 500 being the season’s first oval race. Three more road courses will follow the event at Iowa Speedway before the Series returns to the oval at New Hampshire Motor Speedway for the first time since 1998. Two more road/street circuits will conclude the twisty portion of the schedule before the final three ovals wrap up the season.
The final schedule is as follows:
| March 27 | Streets of St. Petersburg | 1.8-mile street course |
| April 10 | Barber Motorsports Park | 2.3-mile road course |
| April 17 | Streets of Long Beach | 1.968-mile street course |
| May 1 | Streets of Sao Paulo | 2.536-mile street course |
| May 29 | Indianapolis Motor Speedway | 2.5-mile oval |
| June 11 | Texas Motor Speedway | 1.5-mile oval |
| June 19 | The Milwaukee Mile | 1-mile oval |
| June 25 | Iowa Speedway | .875-mile oval |
| July 10 | Streets of Toronto | 1.755-mile street course |
| July 24 | Edmonton City Centre Airport | 1.973-mile airport course |
| Aug. 7 | Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course | 2.258-mile road course |
| Aug. 14 | New Hampshire Motor Speedway | 1-mile oval |
| Aug. 28 | Infineon Raceway | 2.303-mile road course |
| Sept. 4 | Streets of Baltimore | 2-mile street course |
| Sept. 18 | Twin Ring Motegi | 1.5-mile oval |
| Oct. 2 | Kentucky Speedway | 1.5-mile oval |
| TBA | TBA | TBA |
Homestead will look like a Wednesday at Grant’s tomb this year. With the season finale for 2011 not yet determined, it would have made a lot more sense to keep that decision under wraps until October 3.
I think it was July 4 when south Florida ticket buyers got the heads-up. It would be nice to think that a Series effort is underway to promote the season finale, even if it is the last race at that venue.
Since Paul and Steph are getting some good access these days, I have a serious question that might be worth asking:
Where are teams going to go for oval testing next year? Will ISC tracks still be available as rentals, or can more difficulties like the cancelled session at Homestead be expected?
I can see Louden as one site, although a short season of good weather and a busy racing calender there impose some limitations. Kentucky is a second, so long as there has been no rain for several weeks. That leaves Indy and Texas as the primary options?
I’d think the availability of ISC tracks for that purpose is something team owners would want to know about. Thanks.
Andy, I assume that you mean where will the teams go for an open test? They did not have an oval open test this year and it would somewhat surprise me if they have one next year. However, if they do, there are plenty of warm-weather ovals that could be use. Texas, Charlotte, and Atlanta come to mind off the top of my head as SMI tracks. Vegas could also be used, as could Kentucky albeit a little later than the rest. I doubt NHMS would be available given the weather there pre-season, though it might be available for private testing during the season. Teams have been known to run at Milwaukee for private testing as well. I wouldn’t be surprised to see a handful of teams slip up to Milwaukee after returning from Brazil and prior to opening of festivities at Indianapolis.
If you want to call the rookie testing at Kansas in April of this year a private test, that’s up to you. But yes, private testing was the question, as was the Homestead test I mentioned. Conquest testing at Chicago last year being another example, I’m sure there are many others that we don’t often hear about.
Other than Texas and Kentucky, I haven’t heard about IndyCars testing on any of the tracks you mentioned. It’s a valid question and mat have a very simple answer, which is why I was suggesting you ask it.