2011 Schedule Official - IRL Dead

At a Friday morning press conference, IZOD IndyCar Series CEO, Randy Bernard, made official 16 of the 17 race weekends in 2011.

1. March 27 Streets of St. Petersburg 1.8-mile street course
2. April 10 Barber Motorsports Park 2.3-mile road course
3. April 17 Streets of Long Beach 1.968-mile street course
4. May 1 Streets of Sao Paulo 2.536-mile street course
5. May 29 Indianapolis Motor Speedway 2.5-mile oval
6. June 11 Texas Motor Speedway 1.5-mile oval (NIGHT)
7. June 19 The Milwaukee Mile 1-mile oval
8. June 25 Iowa Speedway .875-mile oval (NIGHT)
9. July 10 Streets of Toronto 1.755-mile street course
10. July 24 Edmonton City Centre Airport 1.973-mile airport course
11. Aug. 7 Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course 2.258-mile road course
12. Aug. 14 New Hampshire Motor Speedway 1-mile oval
13. Aug. 28 Infineon Raceway 2.303-mile road course
14. Sept. 4 Streets of Baltimore 2-mile street course
15. Sept. 18 Twin Ring Motegi 1.5-mile oval
16. Oct. 2 Kentucky Speedway 1.5-mile oval
17. Oct 16 TBA Oval

With the removal of Watkins Glen, Chicagoland, Homestead-Miami and Kansas, all ISC tracks, and the addition of Baltimore, New Hampshire, Milwaukee and a yet-to-be-determined oval to round out the season (Likely Las Vegas or California), the 2011 schedule will have the same ratio of road/street courses to ovals as it did in 2010, at 9 to 8.

Speaking on the IZOD IndyCar Series and ISC separation, Bernard said that each track was on a case by case basis and that they "Don't want to shut doors with ISC, we have to go with the places that we think are best for the Series and it's very important for us right now to be looking at the promoters that want to be aggressive marketing and activating IndyCar".

When asked if he was concerned holding the 2010 season finale at Homestead-Miami, a track not returning in 2011, Bernard commented "If I looked at the crowd last year, I don't think there will be much of a difference from last year, I don't know. But I have to look for whats in the best interest of the sport moving forward and I think it was important we announce the schedule and get it out to our team owners, our partners, our sponsors, everyone needs to know about it, so that's why we chose to do it."

Although they held a fantastic event just two weeks ago, Chicagoland won't be returning in 2011, but that doesn't mean IZOD IndyCar Series teams won't be heading back North on I65 in the future. "John Saunders [Chicagoland CEO] and I met at Chicagoland, and John and I said next year that he and I would get together with the track on trying to determine if there was any interest on going forward."

The return of Milwaukee to the 2011 schedule will also bring a new promoter and lower ticket prices.  Avocado Motorsports and BMG Event Productions have teamed up to create AB Promotions, LLC, who's only event is the IICS Fathers day race.  AB Promotions signed on to a  3-year deal with a 1-year option and will utilize a 3-tier ticket price system.  They're also in negotiations with the Road to Indy ladder system in hopes of landing a 4 race schedule stretched over just 2 days.

For tickets or to sign-up for a newsletter, visit MilwaukeeMile2011.com

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Founded in 1994 by the then Indianapolis Motor Speedway CEO, Tony George, and after 200 races under the banner, the Indy Racing League (IRL) moniker is coming to an end. 'IRL has a negative connotation since the Divorce" Bernard Said. Announced today at the Milwaukee Mile by the IZOD IndyCar Series CEO, Randy Bernard, the 'IRL' sanctioning body title will be replaced with 'Indycar' affective at the beginning of 2011.

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