Andretti criticizes Toronto doubleheader

Andretti Autosport Owner Michael Andretti feels the new doubleheader format slated for Toronto's IndyCar event in July has the "potential to be hugely taxing on everyone involved, from drivers to tire changers, not to mention his team owner’s wallet," according to Jeff Pappone of the GLOBE & MAIL.

Andretti said, “Definitely going to be a challenge no question about it. It’s putting a big, big demand on the drivers, in my opinion, and the teams in a lot of ways, the guys that go over the (pit) wall and stuff. So, I can’t say I’m a huge fan of it."

The doubleheader “will see two full-length races," one on Saturday and one on Sunday, over the July 12-14 Honda Indy Toronto weekend. Pappone noted it is “thought that part of the reason Toronto got the nod for a two-in-one weekend was the series’ switch of its Canadian TV partner" this year from TSN to Rogers Sportsnet. With IndyCar's Edmonton race being “abandoned by the series, the Toronto doubleheader still gives IndyCar two events in Canada, while also creating some additional interest that will likely help Sportsnet attract viewers in its first year as an IndyCar broadcaster."

Andretti said of using doubleheaders to increase the number of races without increasing travel expenses, “I know as an owner — if I’m just going to talk strictly as an owner — there’s a huge expense to doing that, where they thought they’d actually be saving you money but in a lot of ways it’s going to cost us a lot of money. From that standpoint, I don’t think it was doing what they were hoping it would do." GLOBEANDMAIL.com