First, a quick apology: Between a busy work schedule, the Christmas holidays, other duties, family time, and for a while no real silly season developments to spur blog ideas, I have not done a very good job of updating this blog.  So, please forgive the unplanned two month hiatus.

 

Now that it is mid-February and silly season has finally yielded some actual updates and even a few surprises, I feel that the green flag is FINALLY in sight for 2013.  So, I am blowing the dust off the keyboard to make the first blog post of 2013. 

 

We are about one month from St. Pete (track construction has started!) and we even have cars on track this week for spring pre-season sessions at Sebring.  Side note: I’d love to be in Sebring right now.  Curt Cavin from the Indy Star assures us that we are in good shape for 33+ entries in May (hopefully all with engines this time) and I have already mailed in my Bronze Badge application.  So, it is truly time to turn my thoughts to all things spring and summer including the 2013 Izod Indycar Series.

 

As much as I dislike the long off-season, I think there is something to be said for the anticipation and longing it produces.  You can’t miss something, if it never goes away.  That said, the off season is still too long, but I think of it as the Ritter’s effect.  Ritter’s Frozen Custard stands (a Midwest ice cream chain) use to only be open in the spring and summer.  It was a big deal when you finally had that first sunny April weekend and would head for the Custard stand.  It was a sign of spring when Ritter’s would open for the season and people would flock there.  Anyhow, many of the Ritter’s locations went from being seasonal stands to being open year round and their business tanked.  It was no longer a big deal to make the trip to Ritter’s when they were open year-round.

 

There are two Ritter’s within 4 miles of my house.  They use to do great business and both had long lines all summer.  Both are out of business now, and I’d like to think that it is partially due to their switch to being year-round operations.  I’m sure there is much more to it and I recall the chain was also purchased by another or involved in a merger and they also tried adding food items like hot dogs to their established dessert menu (which didn’t go over well).  So, I’m sure the switch to year-round operations wasn’t the sole factor, and there are still some locations that have not gone out of business. 

 

Anyhow, Ritter’s is a probably a rather strange comparison to Indycar, but I think being seasonal versus year-round can have its advantages.  I personally don’t follow Nascar, but I think one reason it has experienced a popularity decline the last few years (although admittedly it still has a much larger following than Indycar) is over-saturation and the lack of a long enough off-season to allow people to truly miss it.  They fun Mid-February through Thanksgiving.  That’s basically year-round, or close enough.

 

So with the weird frozen custard analogy out of the way, I am rapidly turning my thoughts to the upcoming season and making my attendance plans.

 

100% locks are Indianapolis and Mid-Ohio (ticket orders already placed for both and Ohio hotel reservations made; I’m a planner)

 

70% probability – Pocono!  I really want to make this happen.  Originally, I was going to take my 8 year old.  After consulting the calendar, he has a summer camp that he is really looking forward to that starts on race day.  So, if I go it will now be a solo trip.  After researching flights to several Pennsylvania airports and suffering sticker shock (especially when factoring in that I would still need a rental car and hotel, etc.),  I am now looking at making the 11 hour+ drive.  I am actually pretty close to pulling the trigger on this due to how much I want to see the Indycars on the Tricky Triangle in person. 

 

50% probability – Iowa.  The issue with Iowa is a potential conflict with my work schedule.  I might need to be on the west coast on Monday morning after the race.  If Iowa was still a Saturday night race, I could make that work.  However since Iowa has moved to Sunday afternoon this year, I’m not sure if I can make it work and the work trip is still not definite.  I’ve never attended Iowa, but it has been on my wish list for a few years now.  I am still working out a few scenarios that might allow for a first time visit to Iowa Speedway this summer.   

 

5% probability – Fontana (basically just a pipe dream / wishful fantasy thinking at this point, but it would be nice)

 

Not in the running this year, but could have been – Detroit and Milwaukee.  I love the Milwaukee Mile and I attended the 2011 race.  However both last year and this year, the Milwaukee Mile falls on a weekend that is during a previously scheduled/purchased family vacation.  I really want Milwaukee to stay on the schedule for 2014 and I am hoping that it will work out for in person attendance again next summer.  For me, it is a very do-able drive and a great track to attend.  I just keep running into family vacation plans that conflict with the Milwaukee weekend. 

 

As for Detroit, I am tempted (I know the pot hole fiasco of last year makes that sound strange).  I am intrigued by the double header format and I think the track changes might give Belle Isle a decent passing zone.  And, Detroit is a reasonable drive for me.  However, having this race the weekend after the 500 just makes it too difficult to justify the travel and expense.  After spending three weekends in a row  - opening weekend of practice, qualifications, and race weekend at IMS, I just can’t do a fourth weekend in a row to take in Detroit, especially with kids’ baseball games and school schedules thrown in.  But, I will still be watching both Detroit doubleheader races on TV the weekend after the 500.  I just can’t make the trip to the Motor City

 

Other races on my wish list to attend in a future year: Alabama, St. Pete, Long Beach, Texas, and Baltimore. I’d love to make any of those but they just aren’t feasible this year.

 

That’s it for now.  Which races will you be attending this year?