Three U.S. GPs For 2013?

Henny Ray Abrams | September 21, 2012

The question of whether there will be three rounds of the 2013 MotoGP World Championship in the U.S. remains a mystery following the release of the provisional calendar.

The Red Bull U.S. Grand Prix and Red Bull Indianapolis Grand Prix remain on the calendar as bookends to the summer break, though both have been moved a week earlier. But whether they’ll be joined by a grand prix at Austin’s Circuit of the Americas is unknown.

The season starts on March 31 with the traditional round under the lights in Qatar, then moves into April with two rounds to be confirmed. Those rounds are in Argentina and Austin. The popular wisdom is that Argentina would be on April 14 and Austin a week later. Each has its own set of problems. Argentina is in a spat with the Spanish government over the nationalizing of the Repsol YPF oil subsidiary and Austin is a track without a contract.

Kevin Schwantz had been the promoter of record until his contract with Dorna was rescinded when they claim he failed to meet some of his obligations. If the race does go forward it will likely be promoted by the CoTA. Schwantz has initiated legal action.

Gone from the calendar is the Portuguese Grand Prix at Estoril, as expected. The rest of the calendar has been tweaked, though not hugely changed. The British Grand Prix at Silverstone moves from a rain-plagued June date to September 1, the last of three GP’s on the trot after Indy and the Czech Grand Prix in Brno.

The final flyaway triple-header has also been rearranged, with Malaysia now first, on October 13, followed by Phillip Island a week later, then the Japanese Grand Prix at Motegi on October 27.

Despite calls for less races in Spain, there are still four, with Jerez de la Frontera joined by Catalunya, Aragon, and Valencia, all in their traditional dates.

Notably absent from the calendar is the Indian round of the championship which was expected to follow Qatar. The Buddh International track outside New Delhi is expected to host a round of the World Superbike Championship. Their calendar is expected shortly.

MotoGP World Championship Provisional Calendar:
31 March – Qatar* Doha/Losail
14 April – TBC TBC
21 April – TBC TBC
05 May – Spain(STC), Jerez de la Frontera
19 May – France, Le Mans
2 June – Italy, Mugello
16 June – Catalunya, Catalunya
29 June – Netherlands**, Assen
14 July – Germany, Sachsenring
21 July – United States***, Laguna Seca
18 August – Indianapolis, Indianapolis
25 August – Czech Republic, Brno
01 September – Great Britain, Silverstone
15 September – San Marino & Riviera di Rimini, Marco Simoncelli Misano
29 September – Aragón, Motorland
13 October – Malaysia, Sepang
20 October – Australia, Phillip Island
27 October – Japan, Motegi
10 November – Valencia, Ricardo Tormo-Valencia
* Evening Race
** Saturday Race
*** Only MotoGP class
STC (Subject to the Contract)
TBC (To be confirmed)

Henny Ray Abrams | Contributing Editor

Abrams is the longest-serving contributor at Cycle News. Over the course of his 35-some years of writing and shooting photos, he’s covered events from MotoGP to the Motocross World Championship - and everything in between.