INDYCAR has released the Indycar Series 2019 calendar featuring 17 rounds across the season. It has been a positive few months for Indycar in terms of the series momentum with the announcement of a new single partner television deal with NBC and rumours continuing to circulate around whether multiple F1 champions Fernando Alonso and McLaren will join the series in 2019.
The 2019 calendar features two key changes over the 2018 calendar. The key changes are that both ISM Speedway (Phoenix) and Sonoma Raceway are no longer on the calendar. Both slots are replaced however with Circuit of The Americas and Laguna Seca respectively which I think are both welcome additions to the calendar.
It will be the first time Indycar has visited Circuits of the Americas and as a facility designed for F1 it is a radical departure in the style of circuit compared to other Indycar Series road courses due to its FIA Grade 1 standard. Do you think the series will work successfully at COTA? Back in the champ car days they used to visit a host of FIA grade 1 circuits but it isn’t something we have seen any of outside of the Indy GP layout since reunification. Will Cota be compatible with Indycars focus on fan accessibility as a circuit designed with F1 exclusivity in mind? Other US series have raced and had successful events at the venue so I’m confident but I’m wondering what you think?
Other changes include the Indy GP of Alabama at Barber moving two weeks forward in the schedule to April 7th whilst Iowa Speedway’s event switches back to a Saturday evening night race, two weeks later than in 2018 occurring on July 20th 2019.
Indycar’s broadcast composition details were also reiterated. Next season eight of the races including the Indianapolis 500 will be available on NBC’s network television channel with the remaining nine broadcast on NBC Sports Network. Details on the exact scheduling and allocation of the individual events as well as further details on the NBC Sports Gold offering will be released at a later date.
The full 2019 schedule:
March 10 – St Petersburg Grand Prix (Street)
March 24 – Circuit of the Americas (Road Course)
April 7 – Barber Motorsports Park (Road Course)
April 14 – Long Beach Grand Prix (Street)
May 11th – Indy Grand Prix (Road Course)
May 26th – 103rd Indianapolis 500 (Oval)
June 1st – Detroit Grand Prix Race 1 (Street)
June 2nd – Detroit Grand Prix Race 2 (Street)
June 8th – Texas Motor Speedway (Oval)
June 23rd – Road America (Road Course)
July 14th – Streets of Toronto (Street)
July 20th – Iowa Speedway (Oval)
July 28th – Mid Ohio Sports-Car Course (Road Course)
Aug 18th – Pocono Raceway (Oval)
Aug 24th – Gateway Motorsports Park (Oval)
Sept 1st – Portland International Raceway (Road Course)
Sept 22nd – Weathertech Raceway Laguna Seca (Road Course)
So what do you think to the 2019 calendar? Positive moves by Indycar or not to your liking? Let us know below
Indy cars will do just fine at COTA. They may set a new benchmark for fan activity there. I’ve been to Indy cars races at Houston and much of the paddock area was open to the public. Now some are concerned they will use the short track configuration but I don’t believe that. I only seen the Aussie V8 Supercars use the short track. My greater concern is the weather-it could be very cold or very rainy or both in central Texas
COTA will be a great race for Indy cars. Unfortuantly for me I moved away to California and Sears Point was the closest track. Not that Laguna is that far tho.
This is welcome news. I think indycar will be very good at COTA. I’m hoping they do the full course, but if they do the short course then that will concentrate people in a smaller area. I don’t think they would get the attendance of an F1 race, but it will be interesting to watch how the cars can race each other. And…. no DRS, so some real incentive to actually race!
Indy Cars literally have a button called “push to pass”, I’m not really sure that’s any better than DRS.
Well, I actually like the push to pass a bit more than DRS. Reason is they only have a limited amount of time to use it. As well the effect is much less as normally a driver can defend against the PTP (as well as use it himself if necessary). It still has to be used strategically and not taken for granted.
Thanks for catching this Tom, this is great news for COTA and Indycar.
Need to add the Magic Mile in NH, get some northeast races!