Surfer's and Cleveland races

[NickFalzone]

At first glance I figured they were totally off the table for '09, but some of today's reports (below) have suggested they're still to-be-determined. I honestly think Surfer's will come back, but won't be announced until after the season has started:

"Sonoma resumes the schedule after another off week, with a Saturday night race at Chicagoland and Belle Isle Park next up. The latter two swapped dates from this year. Ovals at Japan and Homestead conclude the calendar, but with two off-weekends in-between, that would be a likely landing place for Surfers Paradise if an agreement can be reached."

"Angstadt said that the IRL is continuing to work with Mi-Jack Promotions in the hopes of resurrecting the Cleveland Grand Prix for 2010. MJP also holds the rights to stage a race in Houston."

"We had a very good meeting with Mike Lanigan and his promotion company in Edmonton, and our interest in both markets is real," he said.

"Angstadt said that Surfers Paradise has been offered two potential dates for 2009; the most logical would be Sept. 27, one week after the IndyCar Series event at Motegi, Japan, which has been shifted to the fall after being run in the spring as a CART or IRL race since 1998."

[AussieV8]

"Angstadt said that Surfers Paradise has been offered two potential dates for 2009; the most logical would be Sept. 27, one week after the IndyCar Series event at Motegi, Japan, which has been shifted to the fall after being run in the spring as a CART or IRL race since 1998."

I doubt they will accept Sept 27. It's in between the two endurance races for the V8 Supercars (which have 3 100km points races at the Gold Coast Indy). Tony Cochrane (the chairman of V8 Supercars Australia, and sees himself as a bit of a Bernie Ecclestone) would probably not accept a date between the Phillip Island 500 (early September) and the Bathurst 1000 (second weekend in October).

Unlike the regular rounds of the V8 calendar, the endurance races are much bigger events for the V8 teams, with co drivers and bigger budgets. To try and squeeze a race right in the middle of that would not be popular to say the least.

[Hotlavaaaa]

Yeah, if the IRL thinks it can make all kinds of demands and expect the V8 Supercars to roll over and not put up a fight, they are probably mistaken. Surfers has become much more a V8 Supercar event than a CC event the past few years. A1GP will be in Surfers faster than TG can blink. Maybe the ALMS could replace the open wheel cars at Surfers. That could be fun to watch.

[jimispeed]

The current Indycars probably aren't quick enough to do much at Surfers anyways. It's a very tough track!!

What a shame if Indycar doesn't make Surfers happen!!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CRfLM5W4XcM

[BenRoethig]

Yeah, if the IRL thinks it can make all kinds of demands and expect the V8 Supercars to roll over and not put up a fight, they are probably mistaken. Surfers has become much more a V8 Supercar event than a CC event the past few years. A1GP will be in Surfers faster than TG can blink. Maybe the ALMS could replace the open wheel cars at Surfers. That could be fun to watch.

I think that's why they haven't announced yet. Look, they're not going to end the points championship in Australia. That means if they're going to do the race, it has to be an exhibition race for 2009 as well. If they're going to remain firm on October, the only way its going to get officially on the schedule is if we get a big race the first week of november at Fontana or Vegas.

[Chris R]

I think that's why they haven't announced yet. Look, they're not going to end the points championship in Australia. That means if they're going to do the race, it has to be an exhibition race for 2009 as well. If they're going to remain firm on October, the only way its going to get officially on the schedule is if we get a big race the first week of november at Fontana or Vegas.


Fair enough - it would not make sense to end the season over-seas.... It also may be worth considering making a 2 or 3 race "off-season" with no championship points but big purses or something else to get everybody to come.... If they aim for small but quality fields they should have lots of flexibility to make it really entertaining (perhaps it gives other big name drivers something to do in the off season, it allows new teams to test the waters without a big commitment etc... sort of like the old races in the Bahamas and the Tasman series etc..... They might also relax the tech regs a little for these races to try new bits..... that would be fun....

[NickFalzone]

On today's blog Curt Cavin also says Surfer's is likely back in 09:

Question: I see that Surfers is not on the 2009 schedule. They better add this great venue to schedule or the A1GP Series will sweep in and take and the race will be lost forever. (S. Levinson, Studio City, Calif.)

Answer: IRL officials say it's good money that the Aussies will be on board for 2009. We'll see.

[drewdawg727]

Why not put it at the end of February or beginning of March like they used to have back in the mid-90s for the CART Championship? It would be a great season opener rather than at the end.

[BenRoethig]

Why not put it at the end of February or beginning of March like they used to have back in the mid-90s for the CART Championship? It would be a great season opener rather than at the end.

It may be possible to do so, but you really don't want to open (or close) a domestic series on foreign soil, especially if there is a large time differential.

[indycool]

Agree, Ben.....and I think another factor is that the IRL isn't really all that hot about races outside North America. Back in the '80s, CART had global aspirations and its team sponsors were against it. If you don't sell XYZ widgets in Nairobi, why pay to sponsor a race car to race there?

[-Helix-]

Is having to ship everything half way around the world for another street festival infront of single weekend "fans" where IndyCar wouldn't even be the main event really worth it?

I was happy not to see it on the schedule. If only they could get rid of Motegi too so the teams wouldn't have to worry about leaving North America.