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IndyCar Announces Indy Grand Prix of Louisiana in 2015

It’s always nice to see various racing series visit new tracks in exciting cities across the U.S., and the latest announcement from IndyCar hits on both of those points. The open-wheel racecars will visit the New Orleans area next year for the inaugural Grand Prix of Louisiana taking place at NOLA Motorsports Park, which is to be held April 10-12, 2015.
official announcement for the 2015 Grand Prix of Louisiana 1 photo
Photo: Verizon Indycar Series
The full 2015 Verizon Indycar Series season won’t be announced until after the season finale this weekend, but it will be interesting to see how this new race factors in with the Grand Prix of Long Beach, which is usually held around the same time each year in April. Still, it sounds like organizers have big plans for this race next year and beyond.

To prepare for the new race, the state of Louisiana has already committed to throw in $4.5 million earmarked for track enhancements. Even though NOLA Motorsports Park just opened in 2011, the track is being reconfigured for the race using input from IndyCar officials and drivers. Located about 20 minutes from downtown New Orleans, the newly configured track will measure 2.67 miles (km) long with 13 turns. Factored into the race weekend, Indycar said that it will essentially be a three-day festival that combines all of the deeply rooted culture of the area including the music and food.

"The State of Louisiana understands the economic and cultural potential of this annual event. Track operations are currently underway to transform NOLA Motorsports Park into a Verizon IndyCar Series circuit, complete with state-of-the-art equipment, grandstands and viewing platforms racing fans need for a truly enjoyable experience," said NOLA Motorsports Park owner Laney Chouest.

So far, the only other race weekend that has been confirmed for the 2015 IndyCar season is the Texas Motor Speedway race that will be held the weekend of June 4-6, 2015.
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