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When it comes to styles of racing, perhaps no series in the world is as diverse as the IndyCar Series.
Everybody knows about the Indianapolis 500. But the series also runs on road courses, street courses and in multiple different countries.
And while Indianapolis is clear the series’ most-famed track, one other stands above the rest in the hearts and minds of fans.
That track is Texas Motor Speedway. The 1.5-mile “oval” in Fort Worth began hosting IndyCar races in 1997 and has every years since.
It became a fan favorite due to its intense, close-quarter racing and its astonishingly close finishes.
In fact, Texas is home to several of the closest finishes in the series’ history. And yet, when it came time for the series to reveal its 2024 schedule on Monday morning, the famed track was notably missing from the list.
The schedule remains made up of 17 events, including the inaugural $1 Million Challenge, an exhibition event at The Thermal Club in southern California.
The series also returns to the oldest oval track in the US, the Milwaukee Mile, for the first time since 2015.
But fans could only focus on one thing: the glaring absence that is Texas Motor Speedway.
“Wait indycar got rid of Texas ???? I’m fuming,” Twitter user @Jaijjordan said.
“Removing Texas motorspeedway from the 2024 #IndyCar Schedule has to be the dumbest decision Indycar‘s made in a long time. Fans are asking for more Intermediate Ovals and Indycar does the exact opposite,” said @CJAbramsNats.
Across the Twittersphere, fans fumed at the decision to remove the famous trace.
“I think there’s a strong desire from the series and our fan base (to add more ovals),” 2023 Indy 500 champion and two-time series champion Josef Newgarden told BroBible in August. “But that mix, that balance of ovals and road courses and street circuits is what makes IndyCar unique. So it’s about finding a balance as well as partners and venues that are right for the series and right for fans.”
Clearly, the series is still working out exactly what that balance should be.