IndyCar drops Milwaukee, to add Road America?
The IZOD IndyCar Series, which returned to the Milwaukee Mile in 2011 after a one-year absence, will be off the schedule in 2012, CEO Randy Bernard confirmed Thursday.
The Father's Day weekend event met with considerable fanfare from drivers and die-hard fans but lived up to the hype only in that it was an entertaining race.
The lack of momentum, mistakes of a rookie promoter, confusion and apathy in the marketplace and a race morning bout of bad weather all led to big disappointment and a substantial financial hit for the promoter.
In the hours after the race, Bernard had placed the odds of a 2012 race at the Mile at 50-50, and AB promotions, which rented the track from State Fair Park, said it was seriously considering an attempt to build on the first-year event.
Indianapolis-area attorney Chris McGrath, who headed AB Promotions, did not return a phone message Thursday or another one previously.
The uncertainty about Milwaukee only served to increase speculation about IndyCar racing at Road America in Elkhart Lake, a venue that like the Mile is also held in the highest regard by drivers.
Management had nothing to add Thursday, a representative said, to the long-held stand that the track would like to hold an IndyCar race if doing so made sense financially.
In other words, it needs a title sponsor, in the same way Milwaukee had.
Road America also might have to do some juggling with a schedule that already has the NASCAR Nationwide Series, AMA motorcycles and the SCCA June Sprints club event on its calendar for June.
IndyCar and Road America both plan to put out their 2012 schedule later this month. JSonline.com