Milwaukee to have a slot on 2014 IndyCar schedule (Update)

UPDATE The FIA has announced the 24 Hours will be held on June 14-15, which marks a return to its traditional mid-June date, and that an F1 race will again not take place on the same weekend as the most prestigious round of the World Endurance Championship. It would be lame for IndyCar to schedule a race on the same weekend as LeMans as it deprives top IndyCar drivers and teams from competing and thereby elevating their reputation.

10/15/13 The Milwaukee Mile will have a place on the 2014 IndyCar schedule, and on Wednesday, we’ll find out when the race will be. Both the race promoter and The Business Journal serving Greater Milwaukee have confirmed Milwaukee’s return.

Michael Andretti’s Andretti Sports Marketing group resuscitated the race after previous promoters hit financial issues through 2011. It came back to life in 2012 as the Milwaukee IndyFest and featured an uptick in corporate support this year, but flat attendance (roughly 25,000 fans) according to the report by The Business Journal.

The track has confirmed ASM will hold a press conference Wednesday morning to determine the date of next year’s race, and potentially further information regarding corporate support (read: title or presenting sponsor).

It’s run the Saturday before Father’s Day in June the last two years and while it could be held on that date again, there are potential complications.

Previously announced 2014 IndyCar races from May through July include the Indianapolis road course race (May 10), Indianapolis 500 (May 25), Detroit (May 31-June 1), Texas (June 7), Pocono (July 6) and Toronto (July 19-20).

If Milwaukee gets slotted in on the Saturday, June 14, that would be IndyCar’s sixth consecutive weekend of on-track activity. The possibility of a seventh straight, Iowa the following weekend, would occur if the two short ovals match their 2013 dates.

Houston is also projected to move to late June from various media reports (notably by NBCSN insider and RACER.com reporter Robin Miller). If that happens, one of the two June weekends (13-15; 20-22) would need to be an off weekend simply to give the series and crews a break.

Whatever Milwaukee’s date ends up being will have a two-pronged effect. If it stays as is in June, expect Iowa to move to allow for an off weekend before the likely move of Houston. If it switches, then Iowa could stay as is the week after.

All will be revealed regarding the full 2014 schedule on a joint schedule release and championship preview show, Thursday night at 8 p.m. ET on NBCSN.