One weekend, two races in two hemispheres
Eighteen IndyCar Series drivers will compete in the Indy Japan 300 at Twin Ring Motegi on April 19. Thanks to a 13-hour time difference between Japan and the east coast of the United States, that race begins at midnight.
Thirty-six hours later, at 4 p.m. ET on April 20, 20 drivers, including nine who have started the first two IndyCar Series races of the 2008 season, are expected to compete in the Grand Prix of Long Beach (Calif.), the final event of the Champ Car World Series.
“It's going to be a great weekend, and we're going to make the most of ensuring that both events come off in world-class fashion," said Indy Racing League CEO Tony George.
Drivers from both events will earn points towards the IndyCar Series championship, and both races will be televised in High Definition on ESPN2.
ESPN’s Jack Arute will literally travel the globe to cover both events.
"This actually started as a lark, like 'wouldn't it be funny to do both Motegi and Long Beach,'" said Arute, a regular member of ESPN's IndyCar Series coverage team. "But then we started looking into it and saw that it could be done.
"Fortunately, I can sleep on airplanes with no problem. But I've asked one of the teams to have a cot in their pit at Long Beach, just in case I need it. And lots of coffee."