Why Indy must stay on the MotoGP calendar

By:

Toby Moody

Aug 31, 2011, 6:30 PM

Last weekend's Indianapolis Grand Prix may not have been the most exciting race of all time, but the events that go on around it envelop the whole city for a week. And yet, as Toby Moody explains, there is doubt as to whether it will be on the 2012 calendar

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There is an enormous amount of work that goes in to putting on a world championship level motorsport event. Paying the series organiser for the privilege of bringing the MotoGP circus to town is something is actually the easy bit; convincing people to come through your turnstiles and watch the show, thus recouping aforementioned outlay, is rather more tricky.

'The show' is an over-used phrase, but it is totally relevant in this instance.

There are different agendas behind why various events are on the calendar. Some are for personal gain (Le Mans), others to make money to enable them to reinvest in their circuit (Silverstone). Some are for the fans (Laguna Seca), others still for corporate pride (Motegi) or for an international show of power (Losail). Indianapolis falls into the pride and fan category.