[simple simon]

Here is the 2008 IRL schedule

Saturday, March 29 Homestead-Miami (Fla.) Speedway
Sunday, April 6 Streets of St. Petersburg, Fla.
Saturday, April 19 Twin Ring Motegi, Japan
Sunday, April 27 Kansas Speedway, Kansas City
Sunday, May 25 Indianapolis Motor Speedway
Sunday, June 1 The Milwaukee Mile
Saturday, June 7 Texas Motor Speedway, Fort Worth
Sunday, June 22 Iowa Speedway, Newton, Iowa
Saturday, June 28 Richmond (Va.) International Raceway
Sunday, July 6 Watkins Glen (N.Y.) International
Saturday, July 12 Nashville Superspeedway
Sunday, July 20 Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course
Saturday, August 9 Kentucky Speedway
Sunday, August 24 Infineon Raceway, Sonoma, Calif.
Sunday, August 31 Raceway at Belle Isle, Detroit
Sunday, September 7 Chicagoland Speedway

[Racer Duck]

The 2008 IndyCar Series season begins under the lights on March 29 at Homestead-Miami Speedway. The 16-race schedule, one of the most diverse in all of motorsports, features races on 11 ovals, three permanent road courses and two temporary street circuits, all broadcast worldwide through a comprehensive, long-term agreement with ABC Sports/ ESPN. The IMS Radio Network broadcast also is carried on XM Satellite Radio channel 144 "XM SportsNation and channel 145 "IndyCar Racing" and www.indycar.com.

[Bob Tanner]

Originally Posted by Racer Duck

The 2008 IndyCar Series season begins under the lights on March 29 at Homestead-Miami Speedway. The 16-race schedule, one of the most diverse in all of motorsports, features races on 11 ovals, three permanent road courses and two temporary street circuits, all broadcast worldwide through a comprehensive, long-term agreement with ABC Sports/ ESPN. The IMS Radio Network broadcast also is carried on XM Satellite Radio channel 144 "XM SportsNation and channel 145 "IndyCar Racing" and www.indycar.com.

If you read the 2004 article describing this agreement, good through 2009, IRL, ABC Sports And ESPN Extend Agreement :: IndyCar® Series, you will notice a complete lack of mention as to the financial terms of the IRL/ABC/ESPN deal. Unlike the announcement telling how much $ NA__AR was getting from NBC and FOX, this one is silent. Lots of words as to how ABC/ESPN wants to help IRL increase their TV ratings but nothing about the dollar.

This makes me wonder if the story saying that, unlike NASCAR, IRL has to PAY ABC/ESPN to carry their races? Another reason to assume that Robin Miller is right in his prediction that both CART and IRL will be completely gone in five years.

[Racer Duck]

Here's the new updated schedule which includes the Champ Car events that have been merged into the schedule. 19 races .. will be a busy season for the IRL folks.

March 29—GAINSCO Auto Insurance 300, Homestead, Fla.

April 6—Grand Prix of St. Petersburg, Fla.
April 19—Indy Japan 300, Motegi, Japan
April 20—Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach, Calif.*
April 27—RoadRunner Turbo 300, Kansas City, Kan.

May 25—Indianapolis 500

June 1—A.J. Foyt 225, West Allis, Wis.
June 7—Bombardier Learjet 550, Fort Worth, Texas
June 22—Iowa Corn 250, Newton
June 28—SunTrust Indy Challenge, Richmond, Va.

July 6—Camping World Grand Prix, Watkins Glen, N.Y.
July 12—Firestone Indy 200, Lebanon, Tenn.
July 20—Honda 200, Lexington, Ohio

Aug. 9—Meijer 300, Sparta, Ky.
Aug. 24—Grand Prix of Sonoma, Calif.
Aug. 31—Detroit Belle Isle Grand Prix

Sept. 7—Chicagoland 300, Joliet, Ill.

TBA—Indy 300, Surfers Paradise, Australia
TBA—Grand Prix of Edmonton, Alberta

— * Will be run by former Champ Car teams while IRL teams are in Japan. Points earned will count toward the IndyCar Series championship.

[layla17]

Thanks Racer Duck... I've been looking for the schedule. March 29 can't get here soon enough.

[NASCAR Gnome]

I for one am looking forward to this season especially with the merge. Being a lover of all different forms of motorsports racing, getting to watch these Indy cars run is a lot of fun! Unlike their F1 counterparts who run on every circuit EXCEPT ovals, to see open-wheel cars blasting through oval tracks is pretty neat.

[Phils20]

I'm pretty jacked up for this season to start! I will get home just in time to see it!