26 March 2006--Homestead/Miami Speedway, Homestead, Fla.(1.5-mile oval)
2 April 2006--Alfred Whitted Field, St. Petersburg, Fla.(1.8-mile street course)
22 April 2006--Twin Ring Motegi, Motegi, Japan(1.5-mile oval)
28 May 2006--Indianapolis Motor Speedway, Speedway, Ind.(2.5-mile oval)
4 June 2006--Watkins Glen Intl. Raceway, Chemung, NY(3.37-mile road course)
10 June 2006--Texas Motor Speedway, Ft. Worth, Tx.(1.5-mile oval)
24 June 2006--Richmond Intl. Raceway, Henrico Co., Va.(.75-mile oval)
2 July 2006--Kansas Speedway, Kansas City, Ks.(1.5-mile oval)
15 July 2006--Nashville Superspeedway, Lebanon, Tn.(1.33-mile oval)
23 July 2006--The Milwaukee Mile, W. Allis, Wisc.(1-mile oval)
30 July 2006--Michigan Intl. Speedway, Brooklyn, Mich.(2-mile oval)
13 Aug. 2006--Kentucky Speedway, Sparta, Ky.(1.5-mile oval)
27 Aug. 2006--Infineon Raceway, Sonoma, Ca.(2.4-mile road course)
10 Sept. 2006--Chicagoland Speedway, Joliet, Ill.(1.5-mile oval)
Why is the schedule stacked as it is? IRL President and COO Brian Barnhart explains it as follows. "The primary reasons for the compacted schedule are momentum and consistancy. Scheduling our races on a compacted timeframe will give us momentum right from the drop of the green flag in Miami (through the month of May), right through the heart of the season and into the championship points battle."
There are three main changes to the 2006 schedule...
1}Fontana, Pikes Peak and Phoenix were dropped from the schedule for differing reasons. Fontana couldn't be fitted into the schedule around the track's two NASCAR weekends; Pikes Peak was dropped due to the lack of a SAFER barrier on the outer-wall of the track; and Phoenix's abysmal attendance doomed it this year.
2}There are two segments where there are three consecutive race weekends. The first is in late May to early June(Indy-Watkins Glen-Texas) and the second is in mid-to-late July(Nashville-Milwaukee-Michigan).
3}For the first time in the IRL's history since 1997, Texas will not follow the "Greatest Spectacle in Racing". Instead, the teams will head to the Finger Lakes of NY to Watkins Glen, a prospect that has the Glen's president, Craig Rust, practically giddy with excitement. "Having the Indianapolis 500 and the Watkins Glen Indy Grand Prix on consecutive weekends will make for an exciting two weeks of racing. The history and heritage of open-wheel racing at both facilities is well-known, and these events (back-to-back) should really help create momentum for the rest of the season."
Chicagoland Speedway President Matthew Alexander also expressed happiness at the schedule, for the season finale is at the Joliet-area track for the first time since the venue was added to the schedule in 2001. "We're really excited about hosting the last race on the 2006 schedule. Each year, our IndyCar Series event have had (close finishes), including in 2002 when we had the closest finish in series history. Now, with the excitement of the final race of the season--culminating in the crowning of the 2006 champion--our IRL weekend will be an unparalleled, unforgettable weekend for our fans."
Also present were Andretti-Green Racing co-owner Kevin Savoree, Dreyer & Reinbold Racing co-owner Robbie Buhl, and Rahal-Letterman Racing vice president Scott Roembke. The three had differing opinions on the new schedule, but were positive on the whole. In addition, ESPN senior VP of programming David Berson was present, as all 14 races will be televised on ABC(7 total), ESPN(6 total) and ESPN-2(1, Richmond).
All I can say is....thank goodness they finally got their schedule out. No more waiting!
