Eddie Gossage Looks to Expand IRL Marriage
Texas Motor Speedway president Eddie Gossage is reported to be trying to entice IndyCar officials with a five-race package he believes will open up the series to regions as yet not encompassed.
According to ESPN, Gossage - who still laments the loss of a second round at TMS - is negotiating a five-race deal for Speedway Motorsports Inc tracks in Las Vegas and New Hampshire to join current IndyCar staples Texas, Kentucky and Infineon Raceway, and is pushing for the season finale to be moved to Vegas to tie-in with the series’ annual awards banquet.
“They would like to end the season in Las Vegas to go with their banquet while everyone was still in town,” Gossage is quoted as saying, “It could be a really big thing for IndyCar racing to wrap up their season that way.”
The IRL has ended its season at Chicagoland Speedway since 2005, but series PR VP John Griffin has admitted that Las Vegas is a viable alternative.
“We’re working on it,” Griffin said, “Right now, we have to come up with a plan for the Australia race that still allows us to end the year with the championship points event in the US, but it’s been great to work with Eddie as the point man on this with the way things have developed the last few weeks. We’re anxious to work out a deal, but we’re not sure we can get New Hampshire on the schedule for 2009.”
With some clamour to include various former Champ Car venues on the next schedule following this year’s merger of the two open-wheel series, Griffin is aware that there will probably be more applicants than opportunities next season, leading to the IRL having to consider lengthening its season beyond the current April-September window. This year’s addition of a race at Surfers Paradise in October will probably end up being a non-points exhibition event, ahead of full inclusion next year.
The Australian round may even have to forsake its traditional October slot to accommodate the series, while New Hampshire - if included - would probably have to slot in to a late-July to mid-August window when the series is at its busiest. Champ Car venues in Toronto, Cleveland, Portland and Road America are all also being touted as possible additions to the schedule.
“You would think [the IRL] would appreciate what we’re doing in Texas, Infineon and Kentucky and want to add two major speedways to that,” Gossage said, “The League is not served in the north-east and not served well out west, so it’s two good markets to deliver to them.”
Technorati Tags: Eddie Gossage, Texas Motor Speedway, Speedway Motorsports, IRL, IndyCar
Well the Indy car boys had better sort out the damn scedule, if they are to establish any faith in the re-building of AOW.
Going out on a limb…..I bet their mucking about with Surfers round costs them the race. It is entirely possible the Gold Coast organisers could drop Indy & let A1GP pick up the slack. Tony Cochran has been bitching about running the event as a stand alone Super V8 round for ages.
Way to go TG.King of the castle & he still can’t get his ducks in a row.I swear, if you lent TG a brothel, he would stuggle to organise an orgy.
Tony Cochran can bitch and moan all he cares to Peter, the 2009 A1GP schedule is out… and so is Australia.
KangarooLand isn’t on it.
As a 10+ year season ticket holder at TMS, much to Gossage’s chagrin, one of the best things to happen to TMS was losing an IRL date. Now there is 50% less a chance of the need to repave the track (to keep it smooth) and lose that 3rd groove we have seen on CUP weekends.
It would not bother me one bit to loss the lone IRL date at TMS so the track could go 10 or so more years without repaving.