INDYCAR doesn't need Circuit of The Americas

Bobby Epstein, the president of the Circuit of The Americas, has expressed interest in hosting the Verizon IndyCar Series at the Austin venue. Currently COTA hosts the only American rounds of both Formula One and MotoGP as its major events.

Epstein told NBC Sports that finding a suitable date would be difficult, given the F1 date in October and the MotoGP date in April, and the Indy 500 ruling out a May date for INDYCAR at COTA.

While the Texan climate would be uncomfortably hot in the summer months, pairing INDYCAR with the Pirelli World Challenge in late March would seem logical, given the break in INDYCAR schedule then.

However, I don't think INDYCAR should go to COTA. The Texas Motor Speedway president Eddie Gossage has previously threatened to stop hosting INDYCAR if it adds a race at COTA. While objecting a race 220 miles south may be a bit unreasonable, INDYCAR should not risk its longest-standing active oval race outside Indianapolis with a race at COTA.

COTA is the most modern road course in the USA, completed in 2012 for the United States Grand Prix. The layout has been praised for its fast corners, elevation changes, and long straights offering passing opportunities. However, the paved runoffs have been problematic for enforcing the track limits as opposed to most American tracks with grass, gravel, or a barrier lining the track.

Despite COTA's first-class facilities and a praised layout, races apart from F1 and MotoGP have not drawn a big crowd; both IMSA and the FIA WEC will not return to COTA since their first appearances in 2013.

While the track may be great, I doubt COTA would be a good addition to the INDYCAR schedule. It would be like the NASCAR venues where INDYCAR has races, except that it would be an F1 venue instead of a NASCAR venue. Either way, INDYCAR would be a secondary event.

INDYCAR struggles to draw a good crowd at venues hosting also NASCAR. If there's an event the casual fans want to attend, it's the NASCAR Cup race for most of them, not the INDYCAR race. COTA doesn't have NASCAR but it has its own big event, the U.S. Grand Prix. Being one of only three F1 races in North America, it draws fans from all over the country. The poor attendance for the now-discontinued sportscar races implies neither INDYCAR would draw a big crowd at COTA.

While INDYCAR would not be the main event at COTA, it's neither the main event at TMS which has two NASCAR Cup races. The attendance at TMS has not been great in the recent years, although the huge grandstands also make it look even worse. However, INDYCAR needs ovals. While road courses generally have a higher attendance, ovals offer more attractive racing for the TV audience. In 2017, the TMS race was the most-viewed live INDYCAR telecast on NBCSN in the 18-49 age group and another oval race, Pocono, was the most-viewed live INDYCAR telecast on NBCSN in total audience.

I see no reasons to assume COTA would be a better venue for INDYCAR than TMS is. Even if TMS allowed INDYCAR to race at COTA, I'm not sure COTA would be a great addition to the schedule.

INDYCAR is only a secondary event at NASCAR or F1 venues, INDYCAR needs to find markets where it's the biggest racing event, no matter if the venues are ovals or road or street courses. St. Louis is an example of that as INDYCAR's return to Gateway Motorsports Park had a great attendance. The return to Portland in 2018 has potential for the same, given no major racing series has races in the Pacific Northwest. The rumored Nashville street race might also have some potential for INDYCAR, given the closest NASCAR venues are over 200 miles from Nashville.

INDYCAR needs to find growth in new markets. Once it gains mainstream popularity, it will be easier to draw a crowd at venues where NASCAR or F1 is the biggest event.

Mexico City has more potential than COTA

While the addition of COTA doesn't seem very likely in the near future, INDYCAR may still have a race at an F1 venue already next year if Mexico City is added to the 2018 schedule.

While INDYCAR would be a secondary event to F1 also in Mexico City, I think it would be a bigger event there than at COTA. While the USA has 16 INDYCAR races, Mexico would have only one, and it would be the first Indy car race in Mexico since the final Champ Car season in 2007.

If INDYCAR returned to Mexico, there would also probably be Mexican representation in the grid. Although Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez already hosts Formula One and Formula E as its major events, I believe INDYCAR's return would be such a special occasion that it would draw a good crowd.

On the other hand, INDYCAR at COTA would be nothing special. INDYCAR needs to concentrate on markets where its races are special events.