By Andrew Cutler
August 20 2010

The 2011 IndyCar Series schedule is being 'firmed up' as we speak, with venues and dates being announced every few days. As soon as the full schedule is ready I will list it for you, but there is already one very interesting developement that I figured merits it's own story.

Texas Motor Speedway has hosted a 550km race each June for the IndyCar Series since 1997, and it has been one of the most popular races on the schedule. Next year, TMS will try something 'new' - for the IRL, anyways - by taking a page from the USAC & CART-eras of AOWR, and host a doubleheader event.

Instead of one 550km race, there will be 'twin' 275km races, with a short (the exact time allotment is yet to be determined) break in between for the crews to prepare for the second event.  How the grid will be set for either the first or the second race is still up for discussion (setting the grid in the reverse of the finishing order of the first race is the traditional way).

Team Penske's Helio Castroneves was at the press conference  for the announcement, and he had this to say;"It's going to be a sprint the whole way and that's fun for spectators. People are going to be trying everything they can to get the win. But the interesting thing is, if you don't have a very good car the first run it gives you another oportunity to challenge."

Each of the 'twin' races will only net a driver one-half of the normal championship points. 

'Twin' races were held on seventeen different occasions between 1967 and 1981, during the USAC and CART eras. Nine of the events were held on ovals and eight on road/street circuts.