IndyCar: The Five Best International Venues

The IndyCar schedule is expanding domestically in 2017. Could the promise of more international races come true in 2018 and beyond?

It’s no secret that IndyCar fans and executives are looking to make their schedule more robust and full of exciting races for their audiences. In 2017, the calendar will expand by one, adding another oval in Gateway Motorsports Park. But the expansion may continue into 2018 and beyond.

IndyCar boss and Hulman and Co. CEO Mark Miles has been very public in his desire to add international races to the start of the season. If he had his way, Miles would have a February to September schedule, avoiding conflicts with the NFL and other high-profile events that would take away their audience. This has led to rampant speculation on tracks, cities, and places that could host these events, or others going forward.

No matter what, it is for the best that IndyCar grows its schedule in the coming years. With one of the shortest schedules in all of American motorsports, the series suffers from a lengthy offseason where it is often difficult to keep the fan base engaged. In addition to expansion, consistency and retention of current facilities are important to the future of the series, as continued variability in dates and tracks has disenfranchised many fans.

Of course, no one wants to see a repeat of the failures of the Grand Prix of Boston. So what cities and what tracks could do IndyCar the most good and increase their international profile? Here are just a few that make the cut.