Yay! Three More Years of Infine-Yawn!
IndyCar.com reports that Sonoma aka Sears Point aka Infineon has extended its deal with the league through 2011. While it serves an otherwise untouched market, it also serves up a big plate of boredom. As said, if you *MUST* be in that market, be at Laguna Seca, which has had exactly one more good pass than Sonoma in the years of IndyCar racing in Northern California. When you’re at Sonoma for three more years, you have to question if timed races are really that bad…
OK, perhaps I’m being a little harsh.
August 5th, 2008 at 8:31 pm
At least this means there’s an open dialogue between the IRL and Speedway Motorsports (Bruton). If it takes a boring race at Sonoma to get us Las Vegas and New Hampshire, then I’m willing to accept that. Yes, I’m being overly optimistic, but it’s the only thing keeping me from shaking my head at this news.
August 5th, 2008 at 10:43 pm
Did anyone else see that TV ad for this year’s Infineon race? I was taken aback. While the racing hasn’t been much to write home about (at least from perspective of a TV viewer), if it means they (SMI) aren’t totally done with helping the IRL out, I guess I’ll live with it.
August 6th, 2008 at 5:26 am
Yup. Saw the ad at the Infineon Raceway web site. But then, something caught my eye. The opportunity of a lifetime! A chance to make history!
“Infineon Raceway Looks to Make History By Breaking Twist Dance Record at 2008 IndyCar Event”
Read the rest here:
http://www.infineonraceway.com/multimedia/news/526835.html
Oh Boy.
August 6th, 2008 at 6:45 am
I am waiting to see if the track layout changes help the race. If it sucks as bad as it has in the past, I’d rather TiVo Yan can cook reruns!!!
August 6th, 2008 at 7:43 am
I was really hoping they’d dump Somoma and move up to Portland. It is a great track for viewing, because you can see all of it, but the racing there is atrocious in every series. It’s just a badly conceived design.
August 6th, 2008 at 12:49 pm
I echo the comments of Tyler, as this is a good sign that we could see New Hampshire and/or Vegas in the near future. My only concern is that I don’t see any more than 2 or 3 races at the absolute most being added in the next couple years. So unfortunately, they may have to remove a few other tracks if they want to add Cleveland, Portland, or Road America in addition to Vegas, New Hampshire, and Phoenix. I can live with removing an oval for an oval, but not removing an oval for a road/street course. I don’t want to lose any of the current ovals on the schedule, and I’d love to add Vegas, New Hampshire, Phoenix, and MICHIGAN.
August 6th, 2008 at 1:00 pm
OMG. Snorenoma? I guess the actual on-track product is consideration number 8 or 9 in the IRL’s decision-making process. If it were any more of a parade the drivers would be whipping candy at kids as they went by.