What Was Your Favorite CART/Champ Car Season and IndyCar Season??

This post will take you back to the day in the review of each of the CART/Champ Car seasons including the IndyRacing League when it first started in 1996. The basic information will be the schedule, champion, rookie of the year, and Indy 500 winner. Lets start with the 1979 CART Season the first season under the name Championship Auto Racing Teams aka CART.

1979 CART Season:

Champion: Rick Mears

Rookie of the Year:  Bill Alsup

Indianapolis 500 Winner: Rick Mears

Schedule:

1. Phoenix
2. Atlanta
3. Atlanta
4. Indianapolis
5. Trenton
6. Trenton
7. Michigan
8. Michigan
9. Watkins Glen
10. Trenton
11. Ontario
12. Michigan
13. Atlanta

1980 CART Season

Champion: Johnny Rutherford

Rookie of the Year: Dennis Firestone

Indianapolis 500 Winner: Johnny Rutherford

Schedule:

1. Ontario
2. Indianapolis
3. Milwaukee
4. Pocono
5. Mid Ohio
6. Michigan
7. Watkins Glen
8. Milwaukee
9. Ontario
10. Michigan
11. Mexico City
12. Phoenix

1981 CART Season

Champion: Rick Mears

Rookie of the Year: Bob Laizer

Indianapolis 500 Winner: Wasn’t on the Schedule

Schedule:

1. Phoenix
2. Milwukee
3. Atlanta
4. Atlanta
5. Michigan
6. Riverside
7. Milwaukee
8. Michigan
9. Watkins Glen
10. Mexico City
11. Phoenix

1982 CART Season

Champion: Rick Mears

Rookie of the Year: Bobby Rahal

Indianapolis 500 Winner: Wasn’t on the schedule

Schedule:

1. Phoenix
2. Atlanta
3. Milwaukee
4. Cleveland
5. Michigan
6. Milwaukee
7. Pocono
8. Riverside
9. Road America
10. Michigan
11. Phoenix

1983 CART Season

Champion: Al Unser

Rookie of the Year: Teo Fabi

Indianapolis 500 Winner: Tom Sneva

Schedule:

1. Atlanta
2. Indianapolis
3. Milwaukee
4. Cleveland
5. Michigan
6. Road America
7. Pocono
8. Riverside
9. Mid Ohio
10. Michigan
11. Caesars Palace
12. Laguna Seca
13. Phoenix

1984 CART Season

Champion: Mario Andretti

Rookie of the Year: Roberto Guerrero

Indianapolis 500 Winner: Rick Mears

Schedule:

1. Long Beach
2. Phoenix
3. Indianapolis
4. Milwaukee
5. Portland
6. Meadowlands
7. Cleveland
8. Michigan
9. Road America
10. Pocono
11. Mid Ohio
12. Sanair
13. Michigan
14. Phoenix
15. Laguna Seca
16. Caesars Palace

1985 CART Season

Champion: Al Unser

Rookie of the Year: Arie Luyendyk

Indianapolis 500 Winner: Danny Sullivan

Schedule:

1. Long Beach
2. Indianapolis
3. Milwaukee
4. Portland
5. Meadowlands
6. Cleveland
7. Michigan
8. Road America
9. Pocono
10. Mid Ohio
11. Sanair
12. Michigan
13. Laguna Seca
14. Phoenix
15. Beatrice Challenge

1986 CART Season

Champion: Bobby Rahal

Rookie of the Year: Chip Robinson

Indianapolis 500 Winner: Bobby Rahal

Schedule:

1. Phoenix
2. Long Beach
3. Indianapolis
4. Milwaukee
5. Portland
6. Meadowlands
7. Cleveland
8. Toronto
9. Michigan
10. Pocono
11. Mid Ohio
12. Sanair
13. Michigan
14. Road America
15. Laguna Seca
16. Phoenix
17. Miami

1987 CART Season

Champion: Bobby Rahal

Rookie of the Year: Fabrizio Barbazza

Indianapolis 500 Winner: Al Unser

Schedule:

1. Long Beach
2. Phoenix
3. Indianapolis
4. Milwaukee
5. Portland
6. Meadowlands
7. Cleveland
8. Toronto
9. Michigan
10. Pocono
11. Road America
12. Mid Ohio
13. Nazareth
14. Miami

1988 CART Season

Champion: Danny Sullivan

Rookie of the Year: John Jones

Indianapolis 500 Winner: Rick Mears

Schedule:

1. Phoenix
2. Long Beach
3. Indianapolis
4. Milwaukee
5. Portland
6. Cleveland
7. Toronto
8. Meadowlands
9. Michigan
10. Pocono
11. Mid Ohio
12. Road America
13. Nazareth
14. Laguna Seca
15. Miami

1989 CART Season

Champion: Emerson Fittapaldi

Rookie of the Year: Bernard Jourdain

Indianapolis 500 Winner: Emerson Fittapaldi

Schedule:

1. Phoenix
2. Long Beach
3. Indianapolis
4. Milwaukee
5. Detroit
6. Portland
7. Cleveland
8. Meadowlands
9. Toronto
10. Michigan
11. Pocono
12. Mid Ohio
13. Road America
14. Nazareth
15. Laguna Seca

1990 CART Season

Champion: Al Unser, Jr

Rookie of the Year: Eddie Cheever

Indianapolis 500 Winner: Arie Luyendyk

Schedule:

1. Phoenix
2. Long Beach
3. Indianapolis
4. Milwaukee
5. Detroit
6. Portland
7. Cleveland
8. Meadowlands
9. Toronto
10. Michigan
11. Denver
12. Vancouver
13. Mid Ohio
14. Road America
15. Nazareth
16. Laguna Seca

1991 CART Season

Champion: Michael Andretti

Rookie of the Year: Jeff Andretti

Indianapolis 500 Winner: Rick Mears

Schedule:

1. Surfers Paradise
2. Long Beach
3. Phoenix
4. Indianapolis
5. Milwaukee
6. Detroit
7. Portland
8. Cleveland
9. Meadowlands
10. Toronto
11. Michigan
12. Denver
13. Vancouver
14. Mid Ohio
15. Road America
16. Nazareth
17. Laguna Seca

1992 CART Season

Champion: Bobby Rahal

Rookie of the Year: Stefan Johansson

Indianapolis 500 Winner: Al Unser Jr

Schedule:

1. Surfers Paradise
2. Phoenix
3. Long Beach
4. Indianapolis
5. Detroit
6. Portland
7. Milwaukee
8. Loudon
9. Toronto
10. Michigan
11. Cleveland
12. Road America
13. Vancouver
14. Mid Ohio
15. Nazareth
16. Laguna Seca

1993 CART Season

Champion: Nigel Mansell

Rookie of the Year: Nigel Mansell

Indianapolis 500 Winner: Emerson Fittapaldi

Schedule:

1. Surfers Paradise
2. Phoenix
3. Long Beach
4. Indianapolis
5. Milwaukee
6. Detroit
7. Portland
8. Cleveland
9. Toronto
10. Michigan
11. Loudon
12. Road America
13. Vancouver
14. Mid Ohio
15. Nazareth
16. Laguna Seca

1994 CART Season

Champion: Al Unser Jr

Rookie of the Year: Jacques Villeneuve

Indianapolis 500 Winner: Al Unser Jr

Schedule:

1. Surfers Paradise
2. Phoenix
3. Long Beach
4. Indianapolis
5. Milwaukee
6. Detroit
7. Portland
8. Cleveland
9. Toronto
10. Michigan
11. Mid Ohio
12. Loudon
13. Vancouver
14. Road America
15. Nazareth
16. Laguna Seca

1995 CART Season

Champion: Jacques Villeneuve

Rookie of the Year: Gil de Ferran

Indianapolis 500 Winner: Jacques Villeneuve

Schedule:

1. Miami
2. Surfers Paradise
3. Phoenix
4. Long Beach
5. Nazareth
6. Indianapolis
7. Milwaukee
8. Detroit
9. Portland
10. Road America
11. Toronto
12. Cleveland
13. Michigan
14. Mid Ohio
15. Loudon
16. Vancouver
17. Laguna Seca

1996 CART Season (IRL SPLITS)

Champion: Jimmy Vasser

Rookie of the Year: Alex Zanardi

Indianapolis 500 Winner: Wasn’t on the Schedule

Schedule:

1. Homestead
2. Rio de Janeiro
3. Surfers Paradise
4. Long Beach
5. Nazareth
6. Michigan
7. Milwaukee
8. Detroit
9. Portland
10. Cleveland
11. Toronto
12. Michigan
13. Mid Ohio
14. Road America
15. Vancouver
16. Laguna Seca

1997 CART Season

Champion: Alex Zanardi

Rookie of the Year Patrick Carpentier

Indianapolis 500 Winner: Wasn’t on the Schedule

Schedule:

1. Homestead
2. Surfers Paradise
3. Long Beach
4. Nazareth
5. Rio de Janeiro
6. Gateway
7. Milwaukee
8. Detroit
9. Portland
10. Cleveland
11. Toronto
12. Michigan
13. Mid Ohio
14. Road America
15. Vancouver
16. Laguna Seca
17. California

1998 CART Season

Champion: Alex Zanardi

Rookie of the Year: Tony Kanaan

Indianapolis 500 Winner: Wasn’t on the Schedule

Schedule:

1. Homestead
2. Motegi
3. Long Beach
4. Nazareth
5. Rio de Janeiro
6. Gateway
7. Milwaukee
8. Detroit
9. Portland
10. Cleveland
11. Toronto
12. Michigan
13. Mid OHio
14. Road America
15. Vancouver
16. Laguna Seca
17. Houston
18. Surfers Paradise
19. California

1999 CART Season

Champion: Juan Pablo Montoya

Rookie of the Year: Juan Pablo Montoya

Indianapolis 500 Winner: Wasn’t on the Schedule

Schedule:

1. Homestead
2. Motegi
3. Long Beach
4. Nazareth
5. Rio de Janeiro
6. Gateway
7. Milwaukee
8. Portland
9. Cleveland
10. Road America
11. Toronto
12. Michigan
13. Detroit
14. Mid Ohio
15. Chicago Motor
16. Vancouver
17. Laguna Seca
18. Houston
19. Surfers Paradise
20. California

2000 CART Season

Champion: Gil de Ferran

Rookie of the Year: Kenny Brack

Indianapolis 500 Winner: Wasn’t on the Schedule

Schedule:

1. Homestead
2. Long Beach
3. Rio de Janeiro
4. Motegi
5. Nazareth
6. Milwaukee
7. Detroit
8. Portland
9. Cleveland
10. Toronto
11. Michigan
12. Chicago Motor
13. Mid Ohio
14. Road America
15. Vancouver
16. Laguna Seca
17. Gateway
18. Houston
19. Surfers Paradise
20. California

2001 CART Season

Champion: Gil de Ferran

Rookie of the Year: Scott Dixon

Indianapolis 500 Winner: Wasn’t on the Schedule

Schedule:

1. Mexico
2. Long Beach
3. Nazareth
4. Motegi
5. Milwaukee
6. Detroit
7. Portland
8. Cleveland
9. Toronto
10. Michigan
11. Chicago Motor
12. Mid Ohio
13. Road America
14. Vancouver
15. Euro Speedway
16. Rockingham (UK)
17. Houston
18. Laguna Seca
19. Surfers Paradise
20. California

2002 CART Season

Champion: Christano da Matta

Rookie of the Year: Mario Dominguez

Indianapolis 500 Winner: Wasn’t on the Schedule

Schedule:

1. Mexico
2. Long Beach
3. Motegi
4. Milwaukee
5. Laguna Seca
6. Portland
7. Chicago Motor
8. Toronto
9. Cleveland
10. Vancouver
11. Mid Ohio
12. Road America
13. Montreal
14. Denver
15. Rockingham (UK)
16. Miami
17. Surfers Paradise
18. California
19. Mexico City

2003 CART Season:

Champion: Paul Tracy

Rookie of the Year: Sebastien Bourdais

Indianapolis 500 Winner: Wasn’t on the Schedule

Schedule:

1. St. Petersburg
2. Mexico
3. Long Beach
4. Brands Hatch
5. Euro Speedway
6. Milwaukee
7. Lgauna Seca
8. Portland
9. Cleveland
10. Toronto
11. Vancouver
12. Road America
13. Mid Ohio
14. Montreal
15. Denver
16. Miami
17. Mexico City
18. Surfers Paradise

2004 CCWS Season

Champion: Sebestian Bourdais

Rookie of the Year: A.J. Allmendinger

Indianapolis 500 Winner: Wasn’t on the Schedule

Schedule:

1. Long Beach
2. Mexico
3. Milwaukee
4. Portland
5. Cleveland
6. Toronto
7. Vancouver
8. Road America
9. Denver
10. Montreal
11. Laguna Seca
12. Las Vegas
13. Surfers Paradise
14. Mexico City

2005 CCWS Season

Champion: Sebestien Bourdais

Rookie of the Year: Timo Glock

Indianapolis 500 Winner: Wasn’t on the Schedule

Schedule:

1. Long Beach
2. Mexico
3. Milwaukee
4. Portland
5. Cleveland
6. Toronto
7. Edmonton
8. San Jose
9. Denver
10. Montreal
11. Las Vegas
12. Surfers Paradise
13. Mexico City

2006 CCWS Season

Champion: Sebestian Bourdais

Rookie of the Year: Will Power

Indianapolis 500 Winner: Wasn’t on the Schedule

Schedule:

1. Long Beach
2. Reliant Park
3. Mexico
4. Milwaukee
5. Portland
6. Cleveland
7. Toronto
8. Edmonton
9. San Jose
10. Denver
11. Montreal
12. Road America
13. Surfers Paradise
14. Mexico City

2007 CCWS Season

Champion: Sebestien Bourdais

Rookie of the Year: Robert Doornbos

Indianapolis 500 Winner: Wasn’t on the Schedule

Schedule

1. Las Vegas SC
2. Long Beach
3. Reliant Park
4. Portland
5. Cleveland
6. Mont Tremblant
7. Toronto
8. Edmonton
9. San Jose
10. Road America
11. Zolder
12. Assen
13. Surfers Paradise
14. Mexico City

That wraps up the CART/Champ Car section of the post now its time for the IndyCar Section.

1996 IndyCar Season

Champion: Scott Sharp and Buzz Calkin

Rookie of the Year: Not AWARDED

Indianapolis 500 Winner: Buddy Laizer

Schedule:

1. Walt Disney
2. Phoenix
3. Indianapolis

1996-97 IndyCar Season

Champion: Tony Stewart

Rookie of the Year: NOT AWARDED

Indianapolis 500 Winner: Arie Luyendyk

Schedule

1. Loudon
2. Las Vegas
3. Walt Disney
4. Phoenix
5. Indianapolis
6. Texas
7. Pikes Peak
8. Charlotte
9. Loudon
10. Las Vegas

1998 IndyCar Season

Champion: Kenny Brack

Rookie of the Year: NOT AWARDED

Indianapolis 500 Winner: Eddie Cheever

Schedule:

1. Walt Disney
2. Phoenix
3. Indianapolis
4. Texas
5. Loudon
6. Dover
7. Charlotte
8. Pikes Peak
9. Atlanta
10. Texas
11. Las Vegas

1999 IndyCar Season

Champion: Greg Ray

Rookie of the Year: NOT AWARDED

Indianapolis 500 Winner: Kenny Brack

Schedule:

1. Walt Disney
2. Phoenix
3. Indianapolis
4. Texas
5. Pikes Peak
6. Atlanta
7. Dover
8. Pikes Peak
9. Las Vegas
10. Texas

2000 IndyCar Season

Champion: Buddy Laizer

Rookie of the Year: NOT AWARDED

Indianapolis 500 Winner: Juan Pablo Montoya

Schedule:

1. Walt Disney
2. Phoenix
3. Las Vegas
4. Indianapolis
5. Texas
6. Pikes Peak
7. Atlanta
8. Kentucky
9. Texas

2001 IndyCar Season

Champion: Sam Hornish Jr

Rookie of the Year: NOT AWARDED

Indianapolis 500 Winner: Helio Castroneves

Schedule:

1. Phoenix
2. Homestead
3. Atlanta
4. Indianapolis
5. Texas
6. Pikes Peak
7. Richmond
8. Kansas
9. Nashville
10. Kentucky
11. Gateway
12. Chicagoland
13. Texas

2002 IndyCar Season

Champion: Sam Hornish Jr

Rookie of the Year: NOT AWARDED

Indianapolis 500 Winner: Helio Castroneves

Schedule:

1. Homestead
2. Phoenix
3. California
4. Nazareth
5. Indianapolis
6. Texas
7. Pikes Peak
8. Richmond
9. Kansas
10. Nashville
11. Michigan
12. Kentucky
13. Gateway
14. Chicagoland
15. Texas

2003 IndyCar Season

Champion: Scott Dixon

Rookie of the Year: Dan Wheldon

Indianapolis 500 Winner: Gil de Ferran

Schedule:

1. Homestead
2. Phoenix
3. Motegi
4. Indianapolis
5. Texas
6. Pikes Peak
7. Richmond
8. Kansas
9. Nashville
10. Michigan
11. Gateway
12. Kentucky
13. Nazareth
14. Chicagoland
15. California
16. Texas

2004 IndyCar Season

Champion: Tony Kanaan

Rookie of the Year: Kouske Matsura

Indianapolis 500 Winner: Buddy Rice

Schedule:

1. Homestead
2. Phoenix
3. Motegi
4. Indianapolis
5. Texas
6. Richmond
7. Kansas
8. Nashville
9. Milwaukee
10. Michigan
11. Kentucky
12. Pikes Peak
13. Nazareth
14. Chicagoland
15. California
16. Texas

2005 IndyCar Season

Champion: Dan Wheldon

Rookie of the Year: Danica Patrick

Indianapolis 500 Winner: Dan Wheldon

Schedule:

1. Homestead
2. Phoenix
3. St. Petersburg
4. Motegi
5. Indianapolis
6. Texas
7. Richmond
8. Kansas
9. Nashville
10. Milwaukee
11. Michigan
12. Kentucky
13. Pikes Peak
14. Infineon
15. Chicagoland
16. Watkins Glen
17. California

2006 IndyCar Season

Champion: Sam Hornish Jr

Rookie of the Year: Marco Andretti

Indianapolis 500 Winner: Sam Hornish Jr

Schedule:

1. Homestead
2. St. Petersburg
3. Motegi
4. Indianapolis
5. Watkins Glen
6. Texas
7. Richmond
8. Kansas
9. Nashville
10. Milwaukee
11. Michigan
12. Kentucky
13. Infineon
14. Chicagoland

2007 IndyCar Season

Champion: Dario Franchitti

Rookie of the Year: Ryan Hunter Reay

Indianapolis 500 Winner: Dario Franchitti

Schedule:

1. Homestead
2. St. Petersburg
3. Motegi
4. Kansas
5. Indianapolis
6. Milwaukee
7. Texas
8. Iowa
9. Richmond
10. Watkins Glen
11. Nashville
12. Mid Ohio
13. Michigan
14. Kentucky
15. Infineon
16. Belle Isle
17. Chicagoland

2008 IndyCar Season

Champion: Scott Dixon

Rookie of the Year: Hideki Mutoh

Indianapolis 500 Winner: Scott Dixon

Schedule:

1. Homestead
2. St. Petersburg
3. Motegi
4. Long Beach
5. Kansas
6. Indianapolis
7. Milwaukee
8. Texas
9. Iowa
10. Richmond
11. Watkins Glen
12. Nashville
13. Mid Ohio
14. Edmonton
15. Kentucky
16. Infineon
17. Belle Islc
18. Chicagoland
19. Surfers Paradise

2009 IndyCar Season

Champion: Dario Franchitti

Rookie of the Year: Raphael Matos

Indianapolis 500 Winner: Helio Castroneves

Schedule:

1. St. Petersburg
2. Long Beach
3. Kansas
4. Indianapolis
5. Milwaukee
6. Texas
7. Iowa
8. Richmond
9. Watkins Glen
10. Toronto
11. Edmonton
12. Kentucky
13. Mid Ohio
14. Infineon
15. Chicagoland
16. Motegi
17. Homestead

2010 IndyCar Season

Champion: Dario Franchitti

Rookie of the Year: Alex Lloyd

Indianapolis 500 Winner: Dario Franchitti

Schedule:

1. Sao Paulo
2. St. Petersburg
3. Barber
4. Long Beach
5. Kansas
6. Indianapolis
7. Texas
8. Iowa
9. Watkins Glen
10. Toronto
11. Edmonton
12. Mid Ohio
13. Infineon
14. Chicagoland
15. Kentucky
16. Motegi
17. Homestead

Okay so that wraps up this season in review history in open wheel racing. Have a good day fans and readers of Triple League Racing,

Thanks

Kent

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

What I See Happening RE:2012 IndyCar Schedule

With the announcement for the 2012 IndyCar Schedule coming up in a few weeks, I am taking this opportunity to share with the readers what I think what tracks will be added/dropped.

Existing Contracts: The Indianapolis 500 has been signed already and will take place on May,27th on ABC. The city of Long Beach has a contract signed with IndyCar until 2015 with an option with the city to carry it through 2020.  Sao Paulo Indy 300 has a contract through 2019 with the city. St Petersburg has a contract through 2013 and the city of St. Petersburg is trying to extend it through 2017. Barber Motorsports Park is in its last year of its contract. The city of Baltimore signed there Labor Day Weekend race through 2014 w/ an option for through 2016.

Expired Contracts: The Iowa Speedway’s contract expired last Saturday night and CEO Randy Bernard has strong interest in returning possibly with a doubleheader format Saturday night/Sunday Afternoon. Mid Ohio Sports Car Course is in the last year of its contract this year, it is not likely that the series will return in 2012. Texas Motor Speedway, Las Vegas Motor Speedway, New Hampshire Motor Speedway, and Infineon Raceway (SMI) are the last year of there contracts. I expect all of these tracks to return because it is Bruton Smith and Eddie Gossage. Milwakee Mile had a 1 year contract with the league, Bernard has said he wants to return but there is not enough local support. He has expressed the idea of moving the race to right after Indy or during the Wisconsin State Fair. The egg shaped oval in Motegi will not return in 2012 this was announced in February, 2011. Kentucky Motor Speedway will return according to Randy Bernard and Bruton Smith. I see the Streets of Toronto returning in 2012. Edmonton City Centre Airport has a 3 year contract with IndyCar, but Bernard has said he needs to talk to the race promoter (Octane Motorsports Group). Also he said that it will be determined by how many people come to the Edmonton race in July.

ISC Tracks Returning:  Randy Bernard has expressed interest in going back to Chicagoland Speedway in Joilet,  Illinois and the new track president at Chicagoland wants to bring back IndyCar Racing. Phoenix International Raceway is a 50-50 in my opinion because IndyCar doesn’t get along with their track president. If this race happens it will be before the Daytona 500 and start the season. Discussions are still going on with the Michigan International Speedway, this would bring back the U.S. 500. If this race happens it will be during the 4th of July weekend or in late September, after the NASCAR Races (June and August). Rumor has said that the Auto Club Speedway (California) is in. Watkins Glen International Raceway should be returning, the track also has a new president and wants to bring back IndyCar Racing.

Champ Car Races Returning: The drivers have urged CEO  Randy Bernard to visit Road America and bring back as an endurance race. If this race happens it will replace Milwaukee according to Bernard, also it is likely it will be with ALMS during middle to late August.  Promoter Mike Lanigan has found a sponsor for his Houston street race at Reliant Park. The track is a 1.7 mile street course. Lanigan’s other race Cleveland, has been rumored in a doubleheader. The doubleheader would see a Friday night new 1.0 mile race and the traditional airport course on Sunday. The street circuit on the Belle Isle has been rumored in a revival and it is possible GM will have to cover all costs (Roger Penske). The street circuit in Surfers Paradise is rumored for a return possibly with the Australian V-8 Supercars in late October or November. Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca is rumored in return also, who would want to see Barnfart not allow a pass like Zanardi’s in the corkscrew (it won’t work!)

Others in the Mix: According to Curt Cavin’s Q&A Memphis Motorsports Park is a possibility. This track is owned by the Dover Motorsports Inc. (DMI) The track is just way to0 short. A road event then oval (Indy Style) in China is in the mix. According to Track Forum they were at the Milwaukee race but no contracts were signed.  According to IndyCar Garage a race on the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Road Course could be a season finale. A street race/airport race is rumored for Fort Lauderdale, Florida. This is Ryan Hunter Reay’s hometown so go figure. During the broadcast of the Sao Paulo Indy 300 on Versus, it was mentioned that a second race in Brazil will happen.  It will be in the fall and be a street course in Porto Alegre, Brazil. A Canadian oval owned and designed by Jeff Gordon is also in the mix

The Schedule:

1. Phoenix International Raceway March 4th, 2012 ??
2. Streets of St. Petersburg, Florida March 18th, 2012
3. Streets of Houston, Texas Marcfh 25th, 2012
4. Barber Motorsports Park April 8th, 2012
5. Streets of Long Beach, California April 15th, 2012
6. Streets of Sao Paulo, Brazil April 29th, 2012
7. Indianapolis Motor Speedway May 27th, 2012
8. Milwaukee Mile June 2nd, 2012??
9. Texas Motor Speedway June 9th, 2012
10. Iowa Speedway June 16th, 2012
11. Iowa Speedway June 17th, 2012
12. Chicagoland Speedway June 30th, 2012 ??
13. Streets of Toronto, Canada July 8th, 2012
14. Edmonton City Centre Airport July 22nd, 2012
15. New Hampshire Motor Speedway August 5th, 2012
16. Road America, Elkhart Lake, Wis August 19th, 2012 ??
17. Infineon Raceway August 26th, 2012
18. Streets of Baltimore, Maryland September 2nd, 2012
19. Streets of Porto Alegre, Brazil September 16th, 2o12
20. Kentucky Speedway October 6th, 2012
21. Auto Club Speedway October 14th, 2012 ??
22. Las Vegas Street Circuit October 20th, 2012 ??
23. Las Vegas Motor Speedway October 21st, 2012

So its about 15 confirmed races with 7 to 8 question marks.  Under the comments section please comment, make your own schedule with the information I have gave you. Have a good day Triple League Racing Readers and Fans

Thanks, Kent

Breaking News: The O2 Racing Technology Controversy

Things have gotten crazy in the Indycar world.  After qualifying in Milwaukee for the Indy Lights Race, the pole winning Sam Schmidt cars were stripped of their starting position and then re-instated a few minutes latter over an unspecified violation.   Allegedly this was not the first time that had happened and that certain teams may have violated the rules before and gotten off with simply a secret monetary fine.  Because of this the sponsors of O2 Racing Technology pulled out and the team, led by Mark Olson, withdrew, first from Milwaukee and then from the championship itself, saying they would re-enter when the integrity issues were solved.  That would have been the end of the story,except that yesterday Indycar announced that it had given the team and owner a 2 year suspension for “ to impede the conduct of the event by encouraging others to breach contracts with INDYCAR and withdraw from the David Hobbs 100.”  Mark Olson disputes the charge, saying that he and his team never attempted to get others to quit.   So in Indycar land, it’s OKAY to vote to delay the new car, it’s OKAY to vote to keep Firestone whatever the cost (and hurt Indycar’s negotiating position) and it’s OKAY for teams to veto aero kits, but if you question Indycar’s questionable officiating you get a two year ban?  Even NASCAR is not that draconian!

Davey Hamilton is leading the Indycar defenders against O2RT

Of course there are at least two sides to every story, and defending Indycar are Davey Hamilton, and surprisingly Robin Miller.  While they are defending Indycar it’s worth pointing out that Hamilton works for Indycar and owns a Lights team, and Miller is in love with Tony Cotman (race director of FIL and Randy Bernard, CEO of Indycar) so their objectivity is in serious doubt.  Hamilton critizied Mark Olson heavily during the Indycar radio broadcast on Friday.  Robin Miller mentioned it in his mailbag a couple weeks back and according to Cotman (as written by Robin) no cheating occurred at Indy, and at Milwaukee the camber was not illegal, simply not advised.  Of course if this is true, why did the Schmidt cars get sent to the back in the first place?

I side with Mark Olson and O2 Racing Tech for two main reasons.  Firstly, Indycar officiating is a complete joke and secondly other Indycar team owners have done a lot more damaging things and not gotten punished at all, so why the witch hunt against Olson?   It’s mostly rumor/insider information, but I’ve heard some pretty bad stories about FIL and cheating.  It feels like a fair number of people inside the paddock believe there’s some funny business going on in the FIL.  An especially interesting tidbit I heard on twitter is that one possible reason why Sam Schmidt FIL drivers don’t get good Indycar rides is that there is a belief by most that they win not due to talent, but illegal equipment.

Indycar officiating is pathetic. Dario is allowed to do things that would get almost any other driver a penalty

In Indycar it appears the rules are written in invisible ink.  If you hit something in someone else’s pit box, it’s a penalty, unless you happen to be the Scottish Douche (Dario) in which case, go right ahead and hit tires all you want.  Some drivers are allowed to jump the start as much as they want, while others can’t.  Barnhardt doesn’t want to wave off starts (although every now and then they do get waved off) because the teams asked him not to.  The “blocking/defending” rule along with contact penalties are enforced in a way that makes no sense and shows zero consistency.  These are just the first 4 examples that came to my mind.  We also know that Indycar hates to announce it’s penalties and almost never fines points or takes a win away.  Due to this, it would not surprise me at all if the allegations about cheating in Indy Lights were true.  Indycar officiating has no rhythm or reason, so why would it’s enforcement? If all you’re going to get is a little, private, slap on the wrist, what team owner is not going to cheat?

Secondly, I don’t get how Mark Olson damaged the integrity of the sport any more than about a every other team owner already has.   Randy Bernard has said that he doesn’t want to control what the drivers say and that he’s “never” fined someone for what they’ve said, so what the f— is up here?  Speaking of damaging the sport, let’s look at what the other Indycar team owners have done?  They have tried to block the 2012 car, and then the aero kits.  How is that not damaging to the sport?  And if we want to talk about damage to the sport, how about the split?  If Indycar want’s to go down the NASCAR dictatorship route, then isn’t all of the driver whining damaging to the sport?  Yet Dario hasn’t been given a two year suspension, and neither has any other driver.  Since Indycar is handing out two year penalties for trying to disrupt Indycar, I am just waiting for the ban on the team owners who have twice tried to lead an insurrection against  the 2012 car.  Shockingly, I won’t be holding my breath on that.

To get supspended as long as O2RT, most of the time you have to fix a race or do drugs on a race weekend

Speaking of two year bans, that’s a harsh, harsh penalty.  In recent NASCAR history, a suspension of that length (or greater)  has only come from failing a drug test.  In F1, a “lifetime” ban has been given to Pat Simmons and Flavio Briatori for convincing one of their driver to bring out a caution flag on purpose by crashing.  Those types of incidents sound slightly worse than pulling out of a race, don’t you think?

These issues don’t make me feel particularly confident Tony Cotman.  I know Robin Miller has convinced many people he’s a saint, and I know a lot of people love him from his Champ Car days as well as the well designed Sao Paolo track, but I don’t know if I feel that much love for him.  This is the same guy who came up with the defending rule and defends it to the hilt (pun intended).  This is the guy who doesn’t get why fans don’t like the fuel knob.  And this is the guy who’s the Firestone Indy Lights series head of Race Control with all of this stuff going on.  Oh, and this is the guy overseeing the 2012 Indycar development.  The same program where there is concern someone (Honda or Chevy in engines, Dallara in aero kit, and Herta, Penske, and Ganassi in teams) has a huge unfair advantage heading into the next season.  With that hanging over Indycar they need someone without a sniff of impropriety leading the program, not the race director of Firestone Indy Lights when this stuff is going on.

O2RT... a team we won't see again

The Firestone Indy Lights are already an irrelevant racing series.  It has about 12-16 cars depending on the week (and who’s been suspended, I guess) and that’s pretty sad for the “development” series.  Having these cheating scandals floating around it just makes things worse, and the 2 year suspension for Mark Olson and O2RT is just the icing on the cake in terms of making FIL even less relevant and ruin the last shreds of it’s integrity.  This is Indycar at it’s worst, in full fledged Indy Failure League mode.  Honestly, one of the things I like about Indycar is that it’s not run like the “Beachfront Mob” (credit Johnny and the Duke on the old Live Fast Racing Podcast for that one) like NASCAR or an evil empire like F1, but with some of the issues with penalties in Indycar, it might be worse.  If NASCAR is the Beachfront Mafia, what is Indycar?  I like the term Brickyard Mafia, myself, and that’s what I’m going to run with on these types of stories.  Indycar officiating is a mess as it is and this incident just makes it worse.  With 2012 and a new car coming up next year Indycar needs to be at the top of it’s game, not perfecting it’s “Brickyard Mob” act by banning people who point out there problems.  In unrelated news, now I know where my Indycar Nation blogger invite went, or rather, why it never arrived.