Advertisement

2015 IndyCar schedule

 
Will Power won the Grand Prix of St. Petersburg for the second time last year, giving Penske Racing six victories in 10 races on the downtown streets. [DIRK SHADD | Times]
Will Power won the Grand Prix of St. Petersburg for the second time last year, giving Penske Racing six victories in 10 races on the downtown streets. [DIRK SHADD | Times]
Published March 27, 2015

Sunday

Grand Prix of St. Petersburg

3 p.m., Ch. 28

Streets of St. Petersburg, 1.8-mile course

Comment: Will Power won this event for the second time last year, giving Penske Racing six victories in 10 races on the downtown streets.

April 12

Indy Grand Prix of Louisiana

3 p.m., NBCSN

NOLA Motorsports Park, Avondale, 2.67-mile road course

Comment: The first series race in Louisiana is the biggest event to hit this track, which was built in 2012 about 20 minutes outside of New Orleans.

April 19

Grand Prix of Long Beach

4 p.m., NBCSN

Streets of Long Beach, Calif., 1.968-mile course

Comment: The series goes from its newest road race to its most historic — Long Beach has hosted Formula One, Champ Car, CART and IndyCar in its 40 years.

April 26

Grand Prix of Alabama

3 p.m., NBCSN

Barber Motorsports Park, Birmingham, 2.38-mile road course

Comment: The last in a four-race swing through the southern parts of the country. Ryan Hunter-Reay led the final 18 laps here in his victory last year.

May 9

Grand Prix of Indianapolis

3 p.m., Ch. 28

Indianapolis Motor Speedway, 2.434-mile road course

Comment: Last year's inaugural event, the first one for the series on IMS's road course, saw Simon Pagenaud lead the final six laps to pull off a victory.

May 24

Indianapolis 500

Noon, Ch. 28

Indianapolis Motor Speedway, 2½-mile oval

Comment: Ryan Hunter-Reay's daring late pass of Helio Castroneves sealed the victory last year in an exciting race that saw 34 lead changes.

Duel in Detroit

Race 1: May 30, 3:30 p.m., Ch. 28; Race 2: May 31, 3:30 p.m., Ch. 28

Belle Isle Park, 2.1-mile street course

Comment: This circuit, on an island in the Detroit River, is the only doubleheader in the series this season after there were three in 2014.

June 6

Firestone 600

8 p.m., CNBC

Texas Motor Speedway, Fort Worth, 1½-mile quad oval

Comment: Ed Carpenter led 66 of the final 67 laps last year on his way to his third IndyCar victory, all on ovals between 1½ miles and 2 miles.

June 14

Indy Toronto

3 p.m., NBCSN

Streets of Toronto, 1.75-mile course

Comment: This date marks a departure for the lone series race in Canada. Toronto was a July fixture since the mid 1980s, first in CART/Champ Car then IndyCar.

June 27

MavTV 500

4 p.m., NBCSN

Auto Club Speedway, Fontana, Calif., 2-mile oval

Comment: Another date change. This race moves from its spot as the series finale in August and is the first of three consecutive oval races.

July 12

Wisconsin 250

5 p.m., NBCSN

Milwaukee Mile, 1-mile oval

Comment: Will Power dominated last year, leading 229 of 250 laps for his third career oval victory, and first on one of America's most historic tracks.

July 18

Iowa Corn 300

8 p.m., NBCSN

Iowa Speedway, Newton, 0.875-mile oval

Comment: Ryan Hunter-Reay snatched victory from a dominant Tony Kanaan last year, leading only the final two laps on the series' shortest oval.

Aug. 2

Indy 200 at Mid-Ohio

Stay updated on Tampa Bay’s sports scene

Subscribe to our free Sports Today newsletter

We’ll send you news and analysis on the Bucs, Lightning, Rays and Florida’s college football teams every day.

You’re all signed up!

Want more of our free, weekly newsletters in your inbox? Let’s get started.

Explore all your options

1:30 p.m., CNBC

Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course, Lexington, 2.258-mile road course

Comment: Scott Dixon owns this scenic track, having won five times in the eight IndyCar races in the Buckeye State including last year.

Aug. 23

Pocono IndyCar 500

2 p.m., NBCSN

Pocono Raceway, Long Pond, Pa., 2½-mile tri-oval

Comment: The last of the three 500-mile events moves from July to August, just three weeks after its second NASCAR Sprint Cup date of the season.

Aug. 30

Grand Prix of Sonoma

4 p.m., NBCSN

Infineon Raceway, Sonoma, Calif., 2.303-mile road course

Comment: This is IndyCar's first season finale on a road course. Qualifying is paramount: Only once in 10 years has the winner started outside the first two rows.

Jim Tomlin, Times staff writer