| | Associated Press
FOUNTAIN, Colo. -- Adding six new venues, the Indy Racing League has announced a 12-race schedule for the 2001 season.
The schedule includes two races at Texas Motor Speedway and
represents a 33 percent increase over the nine races over the
current schedule.
IRL's 2001 season will be shortened to seven months, from March to September, compared to the current 10-month schedule. Three of the 2001 races will be held on Saturday night, and all races will be televised live by ABC or ESPN as part of the league's five-year agreement with the networks.
"We feel these tracks are interested in us because we're growing and because we have stability," IRL founder Tony George said.
George said negotiations were ongoing with as many as five other venues, including Germany, with some of those sites possibly to be added for 2001.
"While it could be one to three more races, we are not going to be more than 15," Bob Reif, the IRL's chief marketing officer, said. "I'm sure we will have offers for up to 17 races."
George said officials should know by the end of July whether
they can add races for next season. He confirmed that the IRL was talking with track officials in Germany, Milwaukee, Atlanta, Las Vegas and Orlando.
The IRL is racing in Atlanta, Las Vegas and Orlando this season, but under the announced 12-race schedule it won't be returning to those sites.
The IRL will be returning to Pikes Peak International Raceway -- where the league held a race Sunday -- as well as to Indianapolis; Phoenix; Sparta, Ky., and for the two dates in Fort Worth, Texas.
The six new markets are in Miami; Richmond, Va.; Nashville, Tenn.; St. Louis; Chicago, and Kansas City, Kan.
The Richmond date -- the first in series history on a track shorter than one mile -- is subject to mutually satisfactory testing scheduled for later this month.
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