IndyCar to return to Milwaukee Mile in 2024. Texas off schedule for first time since 1997 season
By JENNA FRYER
AP Auto Racing Writer
IndyCar will return to the Milwaukee Mile next season and Texas Motor Speedway is off the calendar for the first time since 1997 as part of the 2024 schedule released Monday.
The 17-race schedule features two Saturday night races, a $1 million all-star race in Southern California, 12 races aired on NBC and a shift of the season finale from the Laguna Seca road course in California to the downtown city streets of Nashville.
Gone is the traditional stop at Texas Motor Speedway — the oval has been on the schedule since IndyCar’s first full season in 1997 — as well as a shared late-summer weekend with NASCAR on the road course at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. NASCAR is expected to return to the oval, and IndyCar will race the Indianapolis road course only once — in May ahead of the Indianapolis 500.
Roger Penske, owner of both IndyCar and Indianapolis Motor Speedway, indicated dropping Texas is likely for one year only and because of scheduling conflicts. NASCAR on Sunday completed its only Cup race of the year at Texas, a track that held two annual events for nearly two decades.
NASCAR is now eyeing a spring date — IndyCar ran at Texas this year on April 2 — and moving later in the year is difficult because NBC, the broadcast partner for both IndyCar and NASCAR, takes two weeks off from motorsports during the summer Olympics.
“We love to have the Texas event, but the television, with the Olympics, has really changed the scheduling for sports across all different aspects,” Penske said. “We couldn’t get together with Texas due to a NASCAR event. We’ll be back in Texas, hopefully in another year, but the Olympics really kind of threw a rock into all the scheduling of sports right now.”
IndyCar is still finalizing an exhibition race to be held in Argentina next season that was not part of Monday’s schedule announcement. Mark Miles, president and CEO of Penske Entertainment Corp., said Monday he expects IndyCar to race in Argentina next fall.
“There’s a lot of business points for us to work out, for us to fly down there. There’s a lot of logistics to wok out, a lot of inflation in Argentina right now that has to be hedged or managed,” Miles said. “Not a week goes by we aren’t trying to get this over the line.”
Milwaukee returns to the schedule for the first time since 2015 for a doubleheader held Labor Day weekend. The track first hosted IndyCar in 1939, and Rodger Ward (seven wins), Michael Andretti (five wins), Bobby Unser (four wins) Mario Andretti, A.J. Foyt, Gordon Johncock, Johnny Rutherford, Tom Sneva, Paul Tracy and Al Unser have won on the 1-mile oval.
Sebastien Bourdais won the final IndyCar race at the track in West Allis, Wisconsin.
“There is such a great tradition and history of IndyCar racing at the Milwaukee Mile, and we are excited to build on that legacy,” said Penske said. “We appreciate all the loyal and passionate IndyCar fans in Milwaukee and across the state of Wisconsin, and thanks to our partnership with the Wisconsin State Fair Park, we can’t wait to return to the Mile next season.”
The season begins March 10 on the downtown streets of St. Petersburg, Florida, and ends Sept. 15 on Nashville’s downtown streets.
IndyCar is coming off its most-watched season on record with an average Total Audience Delivery of 1.32 million viewers. It marked the third consecutive year of viewership growth across NBC Sports platforms, including a record audience streaming IndyCar on NBC’s streaming service, Peacock.
IndyCar next year will have two races streamed only: Toronto and the first race at Milwaukee. All practices and qualifying sessions will be streamed on Peacock.
“The upward trajectory of the series is reflected through the 2024 schedule,” said Miles. “With stops at premier and global entertainment districts, classic American road courses and thrilling, high-speed ovals, the 2024 season will be exhilarating and highly competitive from beginning to end.
“The growth of IndyCar is palpable. Combined with the efforts of our teams and partners, the 2024 championship will be the perfect showcase for our drivers as we continue to build on our reach and popularity.”
2024 INDYCAR SCHEDULE
Sunday, March 10 Streets of St. Petersburg, NBC, Peacock
Sunday, March 24 The Thermal Club $1 Million Challenge, NBC, Peacock
Sunday, April 21 Streets of Long Beach, USA Network, Peacock
Sunday, April 28 Barber Motorsports Park, NBC, Peacock
Saturday, May 11 Indianapolis Motor Speedway (road course), NBC, Peacock
Saturday, May 18 Indianapolis 500 Qualifying Day 1, NBC, Peacock
Sunday, May 19 Indianapolis 500 Qualifying Day 2, NBC, Peacock
Sunday, May 26 Indianapolis Motor Speedway (oval), NBC, Peacock
Sunday, June 2 Streets of Detroit, USA Network, Peacock
Sunday, June 9 Road America, NBC, Peacock
Sunday, June 23 WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca, USA Network, Peacock
Sunday, July 7 Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course, NBC, Peacock
Saturday, July 13 Iowa Speedway Race 1, NBC, Peacock
Sunday, July 14 Iowa Speedway Race 2, NBC, Peacock
Sunday, July 21 Streets of Toronto, Peacock
Saturday, Aug. 17 World Wide Technology Raceway, USA Network, Peacock
Sunday, Aug. 25 Portland International Raceway, USA Network, Peacock
Saturday, Aug. 31 Milwaukee Mile Race 1, Peacock
Sunday, Sept. 1 Milwaukee Mile Race 2, USA Network, Peacock
Sunday, Sept. 15 Streets of Nashville, NBC, Peacock
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