Texas Motor Speedway's Over-Hyped "Historic" Changes

The "monumental" change to the IndyCar race at Texas Motor Speedway:

Two individual races in the same evening. The newly named Firestone Twin 275s- – formerly the Firestone 550k -– will consist of two full-field, 275-kilometer races (171 miles/114 laps each) with two race winners being crowned. Each race carries half the normal race championship points.

That's it? The huge-huge thing that everyone jetted to Dallas to hear and watched LIVE via Internet? I'm detecting a trend here when it comes to allegedly "E-Normous" announcements. Over hype, under deliver. Chassis announcement, any one? Note the "additional details will be announced at a later date" below. So questions of qualifying, logistics, time between races, etc. etc. are NONE OF YOUR BUSINESS right now.

From the high schmaltz TMS news release:

The IZOD IndyCar Series will once again be paired with the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series, but will return to its traditional design in the IndyCar Series schedule. The Firestone Twin 275s weekend will be held June 9-11 and return to an off week between it and the Indianapolis 500, the series’ two marquee events. The IZOD IndyCar Series scheduled an off-week between the two premier events from Texas Motor Speedway’s inaugural 1997 season through 2005.

The weekend will initially have a familiar look as NASCAR Camping World Truck Series qualifying for the WinStar World Casino 400 will be held Thursday, June 9, and be followed Friday, June 10, by IZOD IndyCar Series qualifying and the WinStar World Casino 400 that evening, beginning at 8 p.m. CT.

On Saturday, June 11, fans will have the opportunity to become a part of history as Texas Motor Speedway will debut the Firestone Twin 275s, the first dual race event held in the history of the IZOD IndyCar Series. In the history of major U.S. open-wheel racing that also encompasses both USAC and CART, only 17 twin races have been run with the first being a USAC-sanctioned event at Canada’s Mosport road circuit in 1967. The final twins race was a CART-sanctioned event at Atlanta Motor Speedway in 1981, the last of nine twin races run on ovals.

The “Firestone Texas Two-Step” evening will feature the full IZOD IndyCar Series field competing in two separate 275-kilometer races with two points-paying winners being crowned. Each twin race will award one-half the finishing points of a standard IZOD IndyCar Series event, with the combined points adding up to one full race point total. Additional details of the format will be announced at a later date. The historic Firestone Twin 275s will be broadcast live on VERSUS beginning at 8 p.m. CT.

“Randy (Bernard) and I discussed hosting twin races in January when he first took the job heading the Indy Racing League,” Gossage said. “The concept has Indy-car history to it, but at the same time provides a new dynamic event to our fans as well as the drivers themselves. Texas Motor Speedway traditionally has hosted some of the series’ most exciting races and the Firestone Twin 275s’ format should provide plenty more in the future. Drivers have two shots at winning and fans get an opportunity to see not one but two great races in one evening. It should be a tremendous show.”

For the complete release, including some changes to the NASCAR race at TMS and ticket info, go here.

Comments

[The Speedgeek]

I think it'll at least be interesting to see a reduced emphasis on pit stops during each race, and if they invert the top-10 or something for the second race, then it'll be fun to watch some guys try to come up through the field who usually don't have to do that on the mile and a halfs.

[redd]

Overhype is better than no hype.

It's okay to try and make the Texas race a little different, I guess. And you know Gossage will market the hell out of it. The devil is in the details, as suggested by you and Geek.

But if they're really two separate races, then each race should be for real points.

[Andy Bernstein]

Some cosmetic surgery required:

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/438272-indycar-series-show-us-your-twins

[pressdog]

The danger with over hyping is kind of like crying wolf, if everything is "HUGE HUGE HUGE" but it's really not not not, eventually nobody pays attention to you. I passed on investing my time to watch this ENORMOUS announcement live because I was burned by the chassis deal.

[Jack]

I don't have a problem with the concept, though I agree about the overhype (and if I was Long Beach or -- well, pretty much any other event on the schedule -- I'd have a problem with TMS's "the ICS's two marquee events" comment).

I was just thinking it'd be interesting to see a day/night race, maybe with an FIL race in between. Then I decided to click the Bleacherreport link above, and... so yeah. What he said.

[Tom G.]

Will they still pass out Six Shooters to the winners? What if there's an altercation, or a late race black flag for blocking? With all of the out of control emotion of the last few races, is giving deadly weapons to the 2 winners really a good idea?

More importantly, what kind of firepower will "Sheriff" Charles get to "keep the peace". Will those two "guns" hanging from his shoulders be enough to dissuade one of those wild, and reckless "Penske Boy's" from shooting up the place?

Tune in next year for the thrilling conclusion to the "Shootout at the TMS Corral".

[Steve K]

Could you be anymore negative? Go stare at Erin "homewrecker" Crocker sine more. I garuntee you will find out the logistics of the twins before the races are run. Calm down Mr Depresseddog.

[pressdog]

You're right, Steve K. I should be more positive or I'll end up calling people names.

[Andy Bernstein]

That thar is some fine schwerve, PD.

Don't blink ;}

[billytheskink]

Don't really care for splitting the points up as if it's only race. The split distance isn't too much shorter than what's run on the short oval(s), and it's longer than a few of the road and street races.

The old USAC points system would serve this event well, greater race distance = more points. It would, though, greatly inflate the points value of the 500 and drastically reduce the worth of the road and street races.

[pressdog]

It's an interesting idea (positive), just not worth the huge hype it was given (negative).

[Dylan]

The idea's interesting, but I'd rather see NASCAR use it. There's been no call for shorter Indycar races, especially on ovals, while in NASCAR, most people do want shorter races.

The real problem is if they count this as "two separate races" then they're tryint to artifically pad the ovals, and it seems likely that Indycar's having oval issues.

[Darrell]

Why would IndyCar give this idea to NASCAR Dylan! 2 boring races in NASCAR in the same day would be torture! This is about IndyCar creating excitement and marketing itself..dont use the N-word on this thread Dr. Dylan Schlessinger!

[John S]

Handing out 3 shooters to each winner.....

[Roy Hobbson]

"Handing out 3 shooters to each winner" -John

Pay the man, Bill. Give him $20 for Comment of the Month. (Except instead of $20, give him a $10 bill. Twice.)

[Ervin Irnie]

Does this also mean they will be considering 2 hot laps + pit stop + 2 hot laps for qualifying? If memory serves these Texas changes don't always work out too well ...

[Andy Bernstein]

I'd love to continue commenting, but it would cement my reputation as a half-wit.

[Jim Bob]

If the driver lineup doesn't change, it won't matter what they do.

Bernard and France came off looking like tools, BTW. Bernard might be a swell guy, but he seems to be a dork.