IndyCar CEO Randy Bernard released the 2013 schedule live last night on Speed’s Wind Tunnel.  Unlike last year, the schedule for the 2013 season is much more finalized than in 2012.  Bernard specifically stated that no race dates would be announced that had not paid the sanctioning fee.  The released schedule includes 16 events, 19 races, and 2 new venues.

It was the intention of Bernard to have 19 races on the schedule for 2013.  While he achieved his goal, it comes with the caveat of double-header weekends at Belle Isle in Detroit, Toronto, and Reliant Park in Houston.  At each of the events there will be 2 full-length points and money paying races.  Both will be televised live, one race being on Saturday and one on Sunday.  To differentiate the races from one another, one race will feature a European style standing start, and the other will feature the typical rolling starts.  The lineup process of the races has not yet been determined.  Those traveling to the double-header weekends certainly get extra bang for their buck getting to see 2 full IndyCar races in one weekend.

The other big news comes with the return of Pocono Raceway after a 24 year hiatus on July 7^th.  The 2.5 mile triangle located near Long Pond, PA will be 400 miles and is included in the return of the Triple Crown.  Any driver that can win the Indianapolis 500, the 400 mile race at Pocono, and the 500 mile season finale in Fontana will win a $1 million dollar bonus.  Any driver that wins 2 of the 3 races will receive a $250,000 bonus.  This is the first time since 1989 that the Triple Crown has been part of the schedule, which was the last time IndyCar ran at Pocono.

It is important to note that after the September 1 race at Baltimore, the series does not return to action until the October 5-6 races in Houston.  There is a rumored street-race in Providence, RI that was not announced as part of the official schedule.  However, if the race happens, it would be on August 11^th following the August 4^th race at Mid-Ohio and would not affect the 5-week gap.  It is believed that IndyCar is continuing to work on filling the gap with a race  in September.  Again, these are rumors and there is no indication of where the series may be in the negotiation process with the Providence group or other tracks.

The airport circuit in Edmonton was the only event that did not return to the schedule in 2013.  This leaves Canada with only 1 event, the double-header weekend in Toronto.  Bernard stated on Wind Tunnel that he expects there to be a 2^nd event in Canada in 2014.

The most glaring omissions to the schedule would include Road America, Michigan, and Phoenix, though those circuits are not off the table for the 2014 schedule.  Bernard is focused on creating profitable and successful events while returning the series as a whole to profitability.  Until the television viewership, attendance, and sanctioning fees line up more favorably, it will be difficult for these events to return and be viable.

ABC will televise 6 events starting with the Indianapolis 500 on May 26^th.  After Indy, ABC will televise the double-header races the next weekend at Belle Isle as well as the Texas race following Belle Isle.  NBC Sports Network will pickup the Milwaukee race which will be followed by Iowa and Pocono, both on ABC.  Grouping the ABC races together in the middle of the season, Bernard hopes momentum builds with continuity.  All other races will be shown on NBC Sports Network.

As the series continues to find its footing and grow, the 2013 schedule is a step in the right direction from the unpredictable and shortened 2012 season.  Most racing fans agree that 2012 provided the best IndyCar racing in decades, and with more races on tap for 2013, fans should be treated to more of the same great action.

March 24, 2013	Streets of St. Petersburg St. Petersburg, Fla.	1.8-mile street course	NBC Sports Network
April 7, 2013	Barber Motorsports Park Birmingham, Ala.	2.38-mile road course	NBC Sports Network
April 21, 2013	Streets of Long Beach Long Beach, Calif.	1.968-mile street course	NBC Sports Network
May 5, 2013	Streets of Sao Paulo Sao Paulo, Brazil	2.6-mile street course	NBC Sports Network
May 26, 2013	Indianapolis Motor Speedway Indianapolis, Ind.	2.5-mile oval	ABC
June 1, 2013	Streets of Belle Isle Detroit, Mich.	2.07-mile street course	ABC
June 2, 2013	Streets of Belle Isle Detroit, Mich.	2.07-mile street course	ABC
June 8, 2013 (*)	Texas Motor Speedway Fort Worth, Texas	1.5-mile oval	ABC
June 15, 2013	The Milwaukee Mile Milwaukee, Wis.	1-mile oval	NBC Sports Network
June 23, 2013	Iowa Speedway Newton, Iowa	.875-mile oval	ABC
July 7, 2013	Pocono Raceway Long Pond, Pa.	2.5-mile oval	ABC
July 13, 2013	Streets of Toronto Toronto, Ontario	1.75-mile street course	NBC Sports Network
July 14, 2013	Streets of Toronto Toronto, Ontario	1.75-mile street course	NBC Sports Network
August 4, 2013	Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course Lexington, Ohio	2.258-mile road course	NBC Sports Network
August 25, 2013	Raceway at Sonoma Sonoma, Calif.	2.303-mile road course	NBC Sports Network
September 1, 2013	Streets of Baltimore Baltimore, Md.	2.04-mile street course	NBC Sports Network
October 5, 2013	Reliant Park Houston, Texas	1.7-mile street course	NBC Sports Network
October 6, 2013	Reliant Park Houston, Texas	1.7-mile street course	NBC Sports Network
October 19, 2013 (*)	Auto Club Speedway Fontana, Calif.	2-mile oval	NBC Sports Network

(*) Denotes night race

Ross (@therossbynum)