Parity among teams and cars is one of the defining features of the NTT IndyCar Series. As we discussed last week, IndyCar sets an shining example for motorsports the world over in terms of competition, for multiple reasons. Part of this is due to the largely spec nature of the series; that’s to say, cars are closer to identical in IndyCar than in many other series. The grid is composed of drivers from diverse backgrounds with varying experiences under their belts. Most importantly, perhaps, is the diversity of the schedule.
A successful IndyCar star is a jack of all trades, capable of performing and winning on permanent road course, street circuits, and ovals. This panoply of tracks means that fans are treated to three distinct forms of racing every season and ensures that fans need to actively work to find themselves bored with the series.
That all being said, the 2024 calendar features seven road courses, four street circuits and seven oval races across five oval tracks. Which events should you keep an eye on to catch the best action IndyCar has to offer?
Barber Motorsports Park
This 2.38-mile road course in Birmingham, Alabama, has been a staple of the the open rounds of each IndyCar season since 2010 (except 2020), and for good reason.
The circuit’s fast, flowing nature along with its ample levels of elevation change make for one of the most mesmerizing laps on the IndyCar calendar, forcing drivers to consistently test their car and their faith therein to find every ounce of speed they can over the course of the lap. Sharp downhill drops in the braking zones for turns 1, 7-8 and 14-15 offer plenty of opportunities for drivers to step over their limit, opening themselves up to late overtakes.
The result is a rare road course which manages to provide consistently high speeds and side-by-side racing without one coming at the expense of the other.
Just last year, Scott McLaughlin and Romain Grosjean put on one of the best battles of the season as they fought for the win at Barber, producing a few web gems in the process.
Expect more of the same during the Children’s of Alabama Indy Grand Prix from Barber on April 28 – fortunately, the same has been awesome so far.
Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course
Mid-Ohio finds itself on this list for many of the reasons Barber does: fast, flowing, elevation change, and so on and so forth. However, this 2.258-mile road course near Lexington, Ohio, gets its character…
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