By Jim Tomlin, Times Staff Writer
Thursday, March 24, 2011
Grand Prix of St. Petersburg
Sunday, 12:30 p.m., Ch. 28
Streets of St. Petersburg
1.8-mile street course
Comment: Last year featured 10 lead changes, the most in the event's six years (there were nine in the 2005 inaugural) and the most of any street or road course all season.
Grand Prix of Alabama
April 10, 3 p.m., Versus
Barber Motorsports Park, Birmingham
2.38-mile road course
Comment: Helio Castroneves won the inaugural event last year and was quickest in this month's preseason testing at the track, edging Penske Racing teammate Will Power.
Long Beach Grand Prix
April 17, 3:30 p.m., Versus
Streets of Long Beach, Calif.
1.968-mile street course
Comment: Boca Raton native Ryan Hunter-Reay gave Andretti Autosport one of its two 2011 victories here; team owner Michael Andretti won twice at Long Beach as a driver.
Sao Paulo Indy 300
May 1, noon, Versus
Streets of Sao Paulo, Brazil
2.536-mile street course
Comment: Will Power won the inaugural event last year in IndyCar's first race in South America, spoiling the hopes of home fans who had seven Brazilian drivers to cheer for.
Indianapolis 500
May 29, noon, Ch. 28
Indianapolis Motor Speedway 2.5-mile oval
Comment: Dario Franchitti dominated last year, leading 155 of 200 laps for his second victory at the Brickyard to surpass his racing idol, Jim Clark, a fellow Scotsman who won Indy in 1965.
Firestone Twin 275s
June 11, 8 p.m., Versus
Texas Motor Speedway, Fort Worth
1.5-mile oval
Comment: It's a new format this year, with two 275-kilometer races replacing the traditional single 550k event. Both races will run on the same day and award half points.
Milwaukee 225
June 19, 3:30 p.m., Ch. 28
Milwaukee Mile, West Allis, Wis.
1-mile oval
Comment: The grand old circuit (the first auto race at the grounds was six years before the first one at Indy) returns after a one-year absence, but no longer directly follows the 500 as it did for years.
Iowa Corn Indy 250
June 25, 8 p.m., Versus
Iowa Speedway, Newton
0.875-mile oval
Comment: This race will run under the lights for the first time this year. Tony Kanaan gave Andretti Autosport its other 2011 win here — the only two events not won by Ganassi or Penske.
Indy Toronto
July 10, 2 p.m., Versus
Streets of Toronto
1.721-mile street course
Comment: Will Power's win here last year made him 3-for-4 on IndyCar street courses and gave Roger Penske his first Toronto victory since Paul Tracy in the CART series in 1993.
Edmonton Indy
July 24, 2 p.m., Versus
Edmonton City Centre Airport
1.973-mile airport course
Comment: Scott Dixon won last year but the race is mostly remembered for Helio Castroneves' reaction to being penalized for blocking. He grabbed a series official but later apologized.
Indy 200
Aug. 7, 2 p.m., Versus
Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course, Lexington
2.258-mile road course
Comment: Dario Franchitti outdueled Will Power to win last year, a crucial victory in the Ganassi driver's comeback which saw him overtake Power and win the championship.
New Hampshire race
Aug. 14, 3:30 p.m., Ch. 28
New Hampshire Motor Speedway, Loudon
1.058-mile oval
Comment: IndyCar returns to New England for the first time since 1998. How long ago was that? The last running was won by Tony Stewart.
Indy Grand Prix of Sonoma
Aug. 28, 4 p.m., Versus
Infineon Raceway, Sonoma, Calif.
2.303-mile road course
Comment: Last year's event saw a season-low two lead changes, as Will Power led all but two laps on his way to clinching the inaugural Mario Andretti Road Championship trophy.
Baltimore Grand Prix
Sept. 4, 2 p.m., Versus
Streets of Baltimore
2.4-mile street course
Comment: The inaugural event brings the series to Maryland for the first time. According to IndyCar's website, the course incorporates the Inner Harbor and Oriole Park at Camden Yards.
Indy Japan 300
Sept. 17, 11 p.m., Versus
Twin Ring Motegi, Motegi, Japan
1.5-mile oval
Comment: At press time, the series planned to run this event in Japan, which has been devastated by a recent earthquake and tsunami. The series announced last month that this will be the final running of the Motegi race, site of Danica Patrick's lone series victory in 2008.
Kentucky Indy 300
Oct. 2, 2 p.m., Versus
Kentucky Speedway, Sparta
1.5-mile oval
Comment: This race is moving the opposite direction of Iowa; it's becoming a day race after years as a night event.
IndyCar World Championships
Oct. 16, 3:30 p.m., Ch. 28
Las Vegas Motor Speedway
1.5-mile oval
Comment: The inaugural IndyCar race at Las Vegas will also be the series finale. Previous finale sites in recent seasons (Homestead, Chicagoland) are off the schedule. This is also the site of the much-discussed $5 million bonus offer to any non-regular.