IndyCar Series Releases 2010 Schedule, Adds Two New Venues

Sparta, KY (My Sportsbook) - Indy Racing League officials released the 2010 schedule on Friday, with two new venues added and two dropped. The schedule features nine road/street courses and eight ovals.

Brazil and Birmingham, AL will host first-time IndyCar events next year.

The season-opener will run March 14 on a series-designated circuit in Brazil. The IRL expects to announce the Brazilian venue at a later date.

Brazil hosted American open-wheel racing as recently as 2000, but it will be the first for the IndyCar Series in the South American country. The series currently features Brazilian drivers Helio Castroneves, Tony Kanaan, Raphael Matos, Vitor Meira and Mario Moraes.

Barber Motorsports Park in Birmingham has also been added to the schedule, with the Indy Grand Prix of Alabama running on the 2.38-mile, 17-turn circuit on April 11. The series has conducted two test sessions there, with the most recent one held in March.

"We couldn't be more pleased with the diversity of the schedule as it will help us maintain a championship tradition that has been exciting for both competitors and fans," Brian Barnhart, president of competition and operations for the IRL, said. "The 2010 schedule keeps in-line with our goal to create a championship that requires drivers and teams to master a variety of tracks over the course of the season, and hopefully once again see our title battle come down to the final race of the year."

The series will not run at The Milwaukee Mile and Richmond International Raceway next season.

Milwaukee had been scheduled between the Indianapolis 500 and Texas Motor Speedway dates the past three years, but the series will take a week-off after the May 30 Indy 500 before running at Texas on June 12.

Richmond hosted an IndyCar event from 2001-09.

There will be other significant changes in next year's schedule compared to 2009. Kentucky Speedway will shift from its early August date to Labor Day weekend. An exact date for Kentucky has not been announced. The temporary circuit races in Toronto and Edmonton will be held on consecutive weekends in July. The two Canadian events were separated by two weeks this year.

St. Petersburg, FL will host the U.S. opener for the series on March 28.

Race dates at Long Beach, CA., Kansas Speedway, Texas Motor Speedway, Iowa Speedway, Watkins Glen International, Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course, Infineon Raceway, Chicagoland Speedway, Twin Ring Motegi (Japan) and Homestead-Miami Speedway remain at the approximate same time as their 2009 dates.

The 2010 IndyCar Series schedule:

Sunday, March 14 Brazil (site TBA) TBA

Sunday, March 28 Streets of St. Petersburg 1.8-mile street course

Sunday, April 11 Barber Motorsports Park 2.38-mile road course.

Sunday, April 18 Streets of Long Beach 1.968-mile street course

Sunday, May 1 Kansas Speedway 1.5-mile oval

Sunday, May 30 Indianapolis Motor Speedway 2.5-mile oval

Saturday, June 12 Texas Motor Speedway 1.5-mile oval

Sunday, June 20 Iowa Speedway .875-mile oval

Sunday, July 4 Watkins Glen International 3.37-mile road course

Sunday, July 18 Streets of Toronto 1.721-mile street course

Sunday, July 25 Edmonton City Centre Airport 1.97-mile airport course

Sunday, August 8 Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course 2.258-mile road course

Sunday, August 22 Infineon Raceway 2.245-mile road course

Saturday, August 28 Chicagoland Speedway 1.5-mile oval

Labor Day weekend Kentucky Speedway 1.5-mile oval

Saturday, September 18 Twin Ring Motegi 1.5-mile oval

Saturday, October 2 Homestead-Miami Speedway 1.5-mile oval