NH track drops IndyCar race after one go 'round

LOUDON, N.H. – IndyCar racing won't be returning next year to the New Hampshire Motor Speedway.

According to The New Hampshire Union Leader, the recent MoveThatBlock.com 225 IndyCar Series race failed to meet the track's financial expectations and drew just 28,000 fans. By comparison, the newspaper says the oval track draws an estimated 95,000 fans for its July and September NASCAR races.

The Speedway's Executive Vice President and General Manager, Jerry Gappens, had said that a crowd of 35,000 to 40,000 was necessary for the IndyCar race to be viable. The Union Leader reported he had pushed for three years to bring IndyCar racing to the track.

The Izod IndyCar schedule for 2012 is expected to be announced early next week.