Re: Indycar 2018 Schedule. Portlands back Watkins Glen out
 

:deadhorse::deadhorse::deadhorse::29::29::29:

Re: Indycar 2018 Schedule. Portlands back Watkins Glen out
 

Sad to see such a great track and fan base as Watkins Glen lose a race from any sanctioning body.

Amen to having All Ovals again and definitely adding another 1 mile oval too!

Kentucky, Vegas, California, Richmond, Charlotte, Atlanta, a second Texas race, and the list goes on! Street racing normally sucks! Maybe Burke Lakefront Airport again!

Re: Indycar 2018 Schedule. Portlands back Watkins Glen out
 

According to Printup, the WGI pres, he wants to look at getting them back for 2019 or 2020. That Labor Day weekend isn't a good date for them. He wants something early summer or later in September. Right now the contract stipulates that Sonoma be the season finale. There is talks in moving one of the ovals to the season finale but I could also see Watkins Glen ending the season as well if they got a late September date.

This was a mutual agreement between both parties being that WGI was a late addition to a failed Boston race and the fact both want a better date for the race. Portland is an excellent addition being that it is an untapped region they want to get back into. Lot's of open wheel and sports car fans up there that used to be served by both a race there and in Vancouver, Canada.

Re: Indycar 2018 Schedule. Portlands back Watkins Glen out
 

They suck if you don't know how to watch them and what to watch for. Different strategy and skill at play other than blinding speed. Went to Toronto and had a blast. Plan on going to Detroit. In fact, I find few who actually attend them to come back complaining about the suck factor. They are usually in awe of how these cars handle on rough streets and the speeds they hit on them. While I concede they aren't the greatest of TV viewing they are anything but in person.

Once again with the ovals, get people there and we'll have a few more of them.

There are three things that are critical to digging this series out of the hole dug by the Grandson and none of them include an all oval series full of short track heroes or even more than 50% oval. You don't even need drivers with names you can pronounce.

1. Stability in the schedule or the majority of the schedule running at places people will attend. Milwaukee is dead Jim and probably not coming back.

2. More team owners. Next season sees the addition of Harding. Juncos is almost complete on running a full time campaign. Carlin has purchased equipment and it is thought he will run Chilton and maybe a second car with possibly Kimball or another driver. McLaren is looking into running Indy again next year with the possibility of a full time campaign. Belardi is looking to run the 500 next year and that could be a potential full time owner down the road. DRR is looking to expand beyond the 500.

In 2017, 12 of the 21 fulltime entries were spread among three teams. That's not healthy for the series, especially if one of those teams goes under or cuts back, as Ganassi is doing next year.

3. A TV contract, not a deal ahead of it's time that Tony George got us locked into, but a TV contract on one network that's willing to promote the series and show more than 4 races a year on it's main network.

The current Tony George deal ahead of it's time was written that only ABC could show on network while Versus, now NBCSN, can only show on there. NBC can't show races.

The only network that I see worthy of this deal? NBC. Screw ABC/ESPN, I don't care how long they've had the 500, they've been a horrible partner.

Re: Indycar 2018 Schedule. Portlands back Watkins Glen out
 

I think the TV deal (at least the NBCSN part) was one of Bernard's ideas, not Tony's...

Re: Indycar 2018 Schedule. Portlands back Watkins Glen out
 

The Versus(NBCSN) contract was signed in 2008 and ends at the end of 2018. Randy didn't take over until 2010. Tony was ousted in 2009.

Re: Indycar 2018 Schedule. Portlands back Watkins Glen out
 

It has been more than fifty years since the series was all ovals. Remember when they ran at IRP and Riverside back in the sixties? I too hate to see Watkins Glen go. I attended the race at Gateway, and while it wasn't a real barnburner, it wasn't bad and it was a complete sellout. Management promises to be better staffed next year, so I will probably give it another shot. I also would like to see Cleveland and Laguna Seca back on the schedule, as well as Milwaukee. Unbelievable how the crowd dropped off at the Milwaukee Mile.

Re: Indycar 2018 Schedule. Portlands back Watkins Glen out
 

I'm guessing no one else was really interested...at least most people have NBCSports now & they co-promote / at least aren't on the same time as July/August/Sept NA$KAR races...