Planet-IRL

Ask the Bloggers: Schedule

This week we will be debuting a few new features on Planet-IRL. The first of which will be this one; Ask the Bloggers.

Each week a question will be posed to the entire Planet-IRL staff and they will give their answers in a paragraph or two. Then you get to vote on whose you agree with most.

In addition I will try to use questions submitted by you. If you have a question for all of us be sure to email it to me(kohl@planet-irl.com) or send me a tweet(@planetirldotcom).

So, this weeks question is “Which Indycar track would you most like to see on the schedule? And which one do you want taken off?

Paul:

Track to be added: Phoenix.  This track always produced fantastic racing and is such a traditional IndyCar event.  Not only does it produce good racing but it also requires a lot of driver skill.  A close second would be Pocono.  Yes, I know it would require a lot of updates to the facility but the uniqueness of the track would make it worth it.  It is definitely not a cookie-cutter oval and deciding what turn(s) each driver wanted to focus on to set up their car would make it a very VERY interesting race.

Track to go: Edmonton. I don’t care if it is nice and wide for the IndyCar, the racing is awful. Flat-out awful.  Really I could have inserted any street course in this spot because I think they all stink but Edmonton was the worst of the bunch this year. Mid-Ohio was also difficult to swallow just because it followed such an exciting Kentucky race this year.

Dylan:

The track I would like to see added the most is Michigan International Speedway.  MIS is home to some of the greatest races in Open Wheel Racing history, and to be honest, I never got to see one open wheel race there.  However, this race had an affect on me, because after reading a major USA Today article on the final race there in 07, I started watching the series, but, I wasn’t able to watch MIS, so I started with Kentucky.  I want a race in my state, Michigan, and the choice is pretty clear, because it’s either here or Belle Isle.  The track that needs to be removed most is Barber.  Now I know we haven’t run there yet, but, it is not a good track.  Motorcycle racing fans hate that track, they even struggle to pass there.  To put it in perspective, motorcycle fans really love Mid-Ohio, and they put on good races there.  So, imagine what it will be like if Indycar runs there.  Worse, Barber has already said they will NOT widen the track, and that the only changes they’ll make will be to add run of area’s, and make it a little safer.  The only good news is with their history of not following through with promises, maybe they’ll actually make changes to the track, since they’ve pretty much promised not to, at least for the first year.

Matt:

Personally I would love to see Phoenix brought back.Open wheel cars have raced there for years and years,alot of history at that track.My Dad used to go since the 60’s and me since the 70’s.Has alot of sentimental value,all the biggest names have raced there and it’s just wrong that we haven’t seen the Indycars race there since 2005.How cool would an Indycar race be under the lights in Phoenix? We’ll probably never know!

As for race that should be taken off of the schedule my vote would be Mid-Ohio,the scenery is great but the race not so much.There’s not very much passing at all,I think the only excitement this year was the pass that Justin Wilson made on Ryan Briscoe.I’d be happy with any oval added to the schedule and one less street or road course,but we all know the opposite is what’s going to happen!

Kohl:

I think that of all the tracks in the US the one that most needs to be on the schedule is most definitely Michigan. What a great facility. It is, indeputibly, one of the best tracks in North America. I would also like to see the Mexico City road course on the schedule. And I, along with many, think that the venue that has to go is Infineon. It had a mediocre race this year but that was the best it has, or ever will, do.

Philip:

First off, since I’m barred from posting in the IRL section, might I be so bold as to point out my disgust with the layout of the 2010 schedule. 4 road/street circuits followed by 4 ovals, followed by 5 road/street/airport circuits, followed lastly by 4 ovals. How fricken stupid was the board that put this crap together? I mean seriously, give us a break in there somewhere. Oval, RC, oval oval, airport, street, oval… Wait, the guys putting this junk together tried to fit the square into the circle hole as children, we should expect as much.
I’d remove the Barber race. Barber is great for Rolex and ALMS, I don’t know but the IRL race just doesn’t hold my attention. Equally though, we can knock all the road courses because of the package IRL has to work with. I don’t think the airport and street circuits are quite as bad — That’s just me though, I got a few lugs loose.