More St Pete's rumours...

[Down F0rce]

Found this article. Apparantly, a yet un-named promotor, the city and the IRL have not signed a deal yet but it could happen in a soon. Possible announcement in a few weeks...?

http://sports.tbo.com/sports/MGBORS5Z0YD.html

[luke]

Yes there has been rumors. It looks very certain, esperlerly as there is a big gap fron Phoneix (March19)-
Motegi (April30). If the event was to go a head it would be on April the 3rd, Bridging that gap.

[BootsOntheSide]

Around the time CART will be hoping to hold a 2005 race. it seems strange that they'd have the first road race so early in the season, and so far away from the other two, but it would be a great addition to the series, even though the one race held there was no classic.

[Kicking-back]

It's one of the best street circuits in the USA and is a welcome addition to IndyCar.

[luke]

Yes it could be there version of Long beach.

[Down F0rce]

I'd quite like to see it. The gap beteen Phoenix and Motegi is reason enough alone to include it, but I'd really like to see a road course race and don't fancy waiting until next August!

[luke]

No, me neithe,r just think it's only a years time a way!...

[N I Tram]

Three road courses would be an ideal number for next year, and maybe 4 the year after. Snaring a course from CART would be good, as I'm sure the IRL race would be of a higher standard.

[GP Racer]

Originally posted by luke
Yes it could be there version of Long beach.

Yeah, I think your right on that one luke.

I was hoping that the IRL wasn't going to go in this direction, but since they apparently will be, St. Pete is one of the best street courses I've seen, and the city offers everything that LB could offer. So, I say grab it, forget LB, and make it a marqui event.

St. Pete has everything a race fan could want for a weekend. Beaches, clubs, bars, good resturants, shopping, which would keep my wife happy, and oh yeah, a decent race course!

[Team Owner]

One other little known fact is that the contract with Motegi is up next year so it would be better to already have a race scheduled in the spring of the year than to have to hustle to find one. It costs Honda a lot of money to stage the Motegi race and now that they have won a race at their track they might not be ready to spend so much money to keep a primarily American race series racing at their track. I wonder how long it will be to Honda announcing that they will enter Nascar racing against their rival Toyota and lessen their involvement with other series?
The IRL needs to secure other events just in case something like this happens IMO.

[Testure]

That's a good point... From what we hear about the engine manufacturers funding, the series isn't yet a point where it's self-sustaining. Adding 1 or more street courses might be a necessary "evil" (from the IRL point of view) to move towards financial stability.

[Team Owner]

Originally posted by Testure
Adding 1 or more street courses might be a necessary "evil" (from the IRL point of view) to move towards financial stability.

Your point is well taken and I believe the key reason for taking on street courses.

[rustyfan]

Latest news on St. Petersburg is that it's supposed to be announced on Thursday, according to this article at the SPEEDTV website;

St. Petersburg IndyCar Announcement Expected This Week

The Indy Racing League will announce this week its intention to hold a street race next season in St. Petersburg, Fla. The oft-rumored event will be held April 3, making it the first non-oval race in IRL IndyCar Series history. An announcement Thursday in St. Petersburg will unveil the Honda Grand Prix of St. Petersburg, which was a Champ Car World Series event in 2003.

The IRL previously announced two road-course events for 2005, marking the series' first venture into races outside its all-oval format. The IRL will race late in the season at Watkins Glen International and Infineon Raceway in Sonoma, Calif. The St. Petersburg race will increase the 2005 IRL schedule to 17 races.

The St. Pete event is backed by a group led by Barry Green, who has been out of racing since 2002, when he sold his interest in a CART team that later became Andretti Green Racing and joined the IRL. Green won the Indianapolis 500 in 1995 with Jacques Villeneuve.

The race is expected to use the same 1.8-mile circuit, which includes part of an airport, that was used previously by the Champ Car World Series. Paul Tracy won the 2003 race.

The IRL also is expected to hold a limited test next weekend on the road course at Homestead-Miami Speedway.

(Source)

I dearly hope it indeed is announced on Thursday - would be nice to have a non-oval race early on in the season as well

[blaarg]

Why doesn't the IRL try to obtain all CART/Champcar racetracks?

Infact, why doesn't the IRL call itself CARTII?

[rustyfan]

Originally posted by blaarg
Why doesn't the IRL try to obtain all CART/Champcar racetracks?

Infact, why doesn't the IRL call itself CARTII?

Sounds like someone's bitter Champ Car didn't bother to work out a new deal for St. Pete's.

[Down F0rce]

The commentators said it was a done deal. April 1st will be the date apparantly.

[Kicking-back]

April 3rd.

The 1st's a Friday.

[Tim Northcutt]

The Indy Star reported this on Sunday morning....

St. Pete is confirmed, and will be formally announced as the 17th race next season at a media event in St. Pete on Thursday....the race date will be April 3rd...

The "un-named promoter" also has been "named"....

Barry Green...the former owner of Team Green in CART... he is heading up the group.....

[luke]

Originally posted by Down F0rce
The commentators said it was a done deal. April 1st will be the date apparantly.

Yeah they did also yhey said there could be a 4 road events completing the targeted 18 races.

[Tim Northcutt]

To add another road course might be difficult....

where would it fit into the schedule for 2005???

Just curious....

[luke]

Just keep it at a nice 3 it would make them more special if they were a sucsess then expand to 4.