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What does Versus network have that ESPN did not?  How about 130 hours of coverage dedicated to the IndyCar Series.  The break down you ask?  Versus will air at least seven hours of IndyCar Series and Firestone Indy Lights coverage every week in 2009 that there is a race.   Versus will also  broadcast a one hour preview show the day before a race that will show the practice and qualification highlights and all the stories that are going on that weekend.  The Monday after a race Versus will re-broadcast the race in a two hour long window. The network will also air the Firestone Indy Lights races in one hour windows the Monday after the event takes place.  The Firestone Indy Lights race at Indianapolis Motor Speedway on May 22 will be aired live as well as the season finale at Homestead Miami Speedway.  All qualification days in the month of May will also be aired live.

The Firestone Indy Lights alone this season will see more coverage than they have ever seen.  This should help promote the drivers, teams, and help with sponsorship for the feeder series to the IndyCar Series.  Everything sounds win win and now the Firestone Indy Lights will get the exposure that they deserve.

Versus has clearly put everything on the table and is showing that they want to be here and they want to contribute to the growth of the IndyCar Series and Firestone Indy Lights.  I think everyone will be very pleased with the race coverage when the season starts with the first race on the streets of St. Petersburg April 5th.

The programming schedule for St. Petersburg is as follows.

• April 4th 5-7 p.m. Qualifying
• April 5th 2-5 p.m. IndyCar Race
• April 6th 6-7 p.m. Indy Lights race
• April 6th 10-12 p.m. IndyCar Race (re-air)

The fans have spoken! Fans are definitely not happy about IndyCar Series races being delayed by other sports programs. This season, women’s golf has been the culprit numerous times causing fans to miss the start of a few races. The fans have called for a change. Versus network has stepped up and answered that challenge.   ABC will air five races next season including the 93rd running of the Indianapolis 500 with Vs. network airing the 14 remaining races on the 2009 schedule.  Timed races and delaying the start of the race broadcast will be a thing of the past.  Versus plans on airing a one hour broadcast the day before each IndyCar Series race in addition to scheduled programs including pre and post race coverage and weekly coverage of the Firestone Indy Lights series. Now, on to the downside… There are a substantial amount of IndyCar series fans across the country that do not have an option from their cable provider to get the Vs. network. Personally, unless Versus finds a way to get themselves on cheaper cable packages, the IndyCar Series is going to lose some of its fan base.  Some fans will simply not pay a single additional cent for a cable package in order to view 19 IndyCar and 14 Firestone Indy Lights races next season, especially when they may be able to catch that race online for free.  In my area they don’t even offer it unless I switch over to a satellite provider.  I hope that the Vs. network can some how solve this nationwide issue before their partnership with the IRL results in fewer viewers and weaker ratings than both sides had hoped for.