Will 2012 IndyCar schedule look like this?

UPDATE #9 The IndyStar's guess at the 2012 schedule is similar to ours, but the China and Sonoma dates are reversed with Sonoma on its traditional late-August date and China on September 23rd.

March 25: St. Pete
April 1: Barber
April 15: Long Beach
(expected) April 29: Sao Paulo
May 27: Indy
June 3: Belle Isle
June 9: Texas doubleheader
June 24: Iowa
(expected) July 8: Toronto
(expected) July 22: Edmonton
Aug. 5: Mid-Ohio
(expected) Aug. 26: Infineon
Sept. 2: Baltimore
Sept. 15: Fontana
(maybe) Sept. 23: China
Oct. 14: Las Vegas

10/02/11 With the money-losing Kentucky race now off the schedule for next year, the 2nd race in Brazil toast (see rumor updates below), Laguna Seca won't happen, nor will the Las Vegas street race, so the rumored 17-race 2012 IndyCar schedule could now look like this, and that assumes that the China deal doesn't fall through, which it now sounds like could happen too:

1. March 25 – St. Petersburg, FL – street/airfield course
2. April 1 – Birmingham, AL – road course
3. April 15 – Long Beach, CA – street course
4. April 29 – Sao Paulo, Brazil – street course
5. May 27 – Indianapolis, IN – oval track
6. June 3 – Detroit, MI – road course
7. June 9 – Ft. Worth, TX – oval track (Sat night TWIN race 1)
8. June 9 – Ft. Worth, TX – oval track (Sat night TWIN race 2)
9. June 24 – Newton, IA – oval track (Sat night race)
10. July 8 – Toronto, Canada – street course
11. July 22 – Edmonton, Canada – street course
12. August 5 – Lexington, OH – road course
13. August 19 – Qingdao, China – street course (might not happen, deal not signed yet)
14. September 2 – Baltimore, MD – street course
15. September 15 – Fontana, CA – oval track (Sat Night Race)
16. September 23 – Sonoma, CA – road course (will move to August if China race falls through)
17. October 13-14 – Las Vegas, NV – oval track
    Bold = Confirmed Date

09/30/11 Randy Bernard told the Indy Star he plans to announce the 2012 schedule Oct. 14 in Las Vegas.

09/22/11 With the money-losing New Hampshire race now off the schedule for next year, the hypothetical 2012 IndyCar schedule could now look like this:

1. March 11 – Porto Alegre, Brazil – street course
2. March 25 – St. Petersburg, FL – street/airfield course
3. April 1 – Birmingham, AL – road course
4. April 15 – Long Beach, CA – street course
5. April 29 – Sao Paulo, Brazil – street course
6. May 27 – Indianapolis, IN – oval track
7. June 3 – Detroit, MI – road course
8. June 9 – Ft. Worth, TX – oval track (Sat night TWIN race)
9. June 24 – Newton, IA – oval track (Sat night race)
10. July 8 – Toronto, Canada – street course
11. July 22 – Edmonton, Canada – street course
12. August 5 – Lexington, OH – road course
13. August 19 – Qingdao, China – street course
14. September 2 – Baltimore, MD – street course
15. September 15 – Fontana, CA – oval track (Sat Night Race)
16. September 23 – Laguna Seca, CA – road course
17. September 30 – Sparta, KY – oval track (Questionable according to common sense sources)
18. October 13-14 – Las Vegas, NV – oval track & street course (TWIN race?)
    Bold = Confirmed Date

09/19/11 You can strike Road America off the hypothetical calendar below as we have learned there will be no IndyCar race there in 2012.

09/19/11 Talk in Japan this past weekend was that the China race, if it happens, could be in August, which means existing races in August, like Infineon and Mid-Ohio could be impacted.

09/18/11 2012 Schedule updated now that the Iowa date has been confirmed – weekend of June 23/24

09/18/11 Another rumor has the 2nd Brazil race as the season opener on March 11th.

1. March 11 – Porto Alegre, Brazil – street course
2. March 25 – St. Petersburg, FL – street/airfield course
3. April 1 – Birmingham, AL – road course
4. April 15 – Long Beach, CA – street course
5. April 29 – Sao Paulo, Brazil – street course
6. May 27 – Indianapolis, IN – oval track
7. June 9 – Ft. Worth, TX – oval track (Sat night TWIN race)
8. June 17 – Loudon, NH – oval track
9. June 24 – Newton, IA – oval track (Sat night race)
10. July 8 – Toronto, Canada – street course
11. July 22 – Edmonton, Canada – street course
12. August 5 – Lexington, OH – road course
13. August 19 – Qingdao, China – street course
14. August 26 – Sonoma, CA – road course
15. September 2 – Baltimore, MD – street course
16. September 15 – Fontana, CA – oval track (Sat Night Race)
17. September 30 – Sparta, KY – oval track
18. October 13-14 – Las Vegas, NV – oval track & street course (TWIN race?)
    Bold = Confirmed Date

09/09/11 In the hypothetical 2012 IndyCar schedule below we have switched the Elkhart Lake and Loudon races. Elkhart Lake, if it were to happen, is most likely to run as a doubleheader with ALMS in August we hear. Loudon then moves to late June, making it four oval races in a row – Indy –>Texas –>Iowa –>Loudon, after a run of four road/street circuits to start the season.

09/07/11 Hypothetically this is how the 2012 IndyCar schedule could grow to 18 events, 20 races. If Elkhart Lake does not make it on the schedule, then add back in the Sparta, Kentucky oval.

1. March 25 – St. Petersburg, FL – street/airfield course
2. April 1 – Birmingham, AL – road course
3. April 15 – Long Beach, CA – street course
4. April 29 – Sao Paulo, Brazil – street course
5. May 27 – Indianapolis, IN – oval track
6. June 9 – Ft. Worth, TX – oval track (Sat night TWIN race)
7. June 16 – Newton, IA – oval track (Sat night race)
8. June 23 – Loudon, NH – oval track
9. July 8 – Toronto, Canada – street course
10. July 22 – Edmonton, Canada – street course
11. August 5 – Lexington, OH – road course
12. August 12 – Elkhart Lake, WI – road course
13. August 26 – Sonoma, CA – road course
14. September 2 – Baltimore, MD – street course
15. September 15 – Fontana, CA – oval track (Sat Night Race)
16. September 30 – Qingdao, China – street course
17. October 14 – Porto Alegre, Brazil – street course
18. October 20-21 – Las Vegas, NV – oval track & street course (TWIN race?)