The three-week break is absurd
It's better than the four-week breaks between race one and race two we saw in 2018, 2020, 2023, and 2024 (or last year's six-week break between actual championship races), but this was one season in which IndyCar should have made it a point to not have 21 days between its first two races, simply because of the remarkable job Fox have done promoting the series leading up to St. Petersburg.
The media rights deal is valued at $25 million annually, yet the value of Fox airing the Josef Newgarden, Pato O'Ward, and Alex Palou commercials during Super Bowl LIX alone was upwards of $30 million. This is a broadcast partner fully invested in making this new relationship a success, and the preseason hype was off the charts.
Taking advantage of that would have gone a long way. Instead, between now and April 12, there is just one more race on the schedule, and there is just one more through May 3.
Yes, all 17 races are on Fox, which is another huge win for the series. But if the idea is familiarity and accessibility, there should at least be a semi-consistent flow to the early schedule, the most crucial part of the year to retain those new fans you've worked so hard to gain over the offseason. Fans should know where and when to tune in, and that goes beyond keeping races on the same channel.
I don't think I'm overreacting by stating that, while technically "consistent", having three consecutive three-week breaks separating the season's first four races is not ideal, especially after the late excitement in St. Petersburg. Hopefully that 20-race IndyCar calendar we keep hearing about is right around the corner.