Texas Motor Speedway president Eddie Gossage is reported to be trying to entice IndyCar officials with a five-race package he believes will open up the series to regions as yet not encompassed.
According to
espn.com, Gossage - who still laments the loss of a second round at TMS - is negotiating a five-race deal for Speedway Motorsports Inc tracks in Las Vegas and New Hampshire to join current IndyCar staples Texas, Kentucky and Infineon Raceway, and is pushing for the season finale to be moved to Vegas to tie-in with the series' annual awards banquet.
"They would like to end the season in Las Vegas to go with their banquet while everyone was still in town," Gossage is quoted as saying, "It could be a really big thing for IndyCar racing to wrap up their season that way."
The IRL has ended its season at Chicagoland Speedway since 2005, but series PR VP John Griffin has admitted that Las Vegas is a viable alternative.
"We're working on it," Griffin said, "Right now, we have to come up with a plan for the Australia race that still allows us to end the year with the championship points event in the US, but it's been great to work with Eddie as the point man on this with the way things have developed the last few weeks. We're anxious to work out a deal, but we're not sure we can get New Hampshire on the schedule for 2009."
With some clamour to include various former Champ Car venues on the next schedule following this year's merger of the two open-wheel series, Griffin is aware that there will probably be more applicants than opportunities next season, leading to the IRL having to consider lengthening its season beyond the current April-September window. This year's addition of a race at Surfers Paradise in October will probably end up being a non-points exhibition event, ahead of full inclusion next year
