IndyCar to New Orleans: A local’s point of view

Earlier it was announced that the Verizon IndyCar Series will be racing at NOLA Motorsports Park during the April 10-12 weekend of 2015.

As a local, this news excites me.  The track is only ten miles from my home, so naturally it’s great for me and the city.  The first thing that makes it great is the date.

Smart choice of date

This date is a lot better than speculation that New Orleans would get the season finale for many reasons.

First of all, you aren’t competing with football.  When you compete with the Saints, you’re going to lose.  The AMA found that out when they had their season-ending races at NOLA Motorsports Park in 2012.  The crowd was good, but wasn’t as good as it could have been because the Saints were playing a home game that weekend.

Having a date in April is also perfect since the weather won’t be ridiculously hot like it would be if the race were held in June or July, plus it gives the series a chance to do promotional work during the Mardi Gras parade season.  Plus, the series will have ample opportunity to promote during football season since the date has been announced.

I see good things for the Grand Prix of New Orleans

This will be a good event for New Orleans.  If properly promoted, it could bring in a lot of spectators and that will look very good for television.  If a lot of spectators are at the track, it could attract other larger series to race there as well, such as Pirelli World Challenge.

The results will be there for everyone to see in April of 2015.