IRL Founder Tony George unveiled an "expanded" 12-race
schedule for 2001, and it "might keep growing," according to
Curt Cavin of the INDIANAPOLIS STAR. Next season will begin
March 18 at Phoenix Int'l Raceway and end September 30 with
a second race at TX Motor Speedway. George, on the
schedule: "We think 12 [races] is a good number (of dates),
but I think you could see 14 or 15 before it's all over."
George announced dates for six new venues, including races
in Miami, Richmond, IL and Nashville. Cavin notes that
"noticeably absent" from the schedule is a race at Walt
Disney World Speedway in Orlando. Meanwhile, George said
that four markets "remain possible" for 2001 -- Atlanta, Las
Vegas, Milwaukee and Germany (INDIANAPOLIS STAR, 6/19).
TRACKING DOWN SOME REAX: Nashville Superspeedway VP &
GM Cliff Hawks said of the addition of an IRL race, "I think
it takes our inaugural year to a new level" (Nashville
TENNESSEAN, 6/19). In Richmond, Rea McLeroy writes that
Richmond Int'l Raceway (RIR) "is breaking new ground again"
with an IRL race next season. McLeroy notes that the
inaugural race at RIR will be televised by ESPN (RICHMOND
TIMES-DISPATCH, 6/19). Meanwhile, Disney Sports VP Reggie
Williams said that he "wasn't shocked" by not retaining the
IRL race at Disney World Speedway: "It was a great run, but
it seems that we couldn't get a date that met everyone's
needs" (ORLANDO SENTINEL, 6/19).
