A busy week, and a busy month of April ahead for motorsports - MotorSportsTalk

With Easter Sunday now in the books and a couple series (FIA Formula E, Blancpain Sprint Series) kicking off the month, the action really intensifies for the remainder of the month.

Here’s what we have to look forward to for the rest of the month of April:

Formula 1

April 12, Chinese Grand Prix (LIVE 1:30 a.m. ET, NBCSN and NBC Sports Live Extra; Qualifying Sat. April 11 3 a.m. ET; FP2 Fri. April 10 2 a.m. ET)
April 19, Bahrain Grand Prix (LIVE 10:30 a.m. ET, NBCSN and NBC Sports Live Extra)

Further practice and qualifying details for Bahrain Grand Prix to come.

Verizon IndyCar Series

April 10, INDYCAR Chronicles (5:30 p.m. ET, NBCSN; focuses on James Hinchcliffe)
April 12, Indy Grand Prix of Louisiana (LIVE IndyCar Pre-Race 2:30 p.m. ET, NBCSN and NBC Sports Live Extra; Race 3 p.m. ET; qualifying LIVE Sat. April 11, 5 p.m. ET; race re-air Wed. April 15, 1 a.m. ET, NBCSN)
April 17, IndyCar Countdown (5 p.m. ET, NBCSN)
April 19, Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach (LIVE 4 p.m. ET, NBCSN and NBC Sports Live Extra)
April 26, Honda Indy Grand Prix of Alabama (LIVE 3 p.m ET, NBCSN and NBC Sports Live Extra)

Further qualifying details for Long Beach, Barber races to come.

GP2 Series

April 17-19, Bahrain (Race 1 Sat. April 18, Race 2 Sun. April 19; TV Mon. April 20, 2 a.m. ET, NBCSN)

Indy Lights Presented by Cooper Tires

April 19, Long Beach (SDD, 3 p.m. ET, NBCSN before LIVE IndyCar coverage at 4 p.m. ET)
April 25-26, Barber (TV details for this race to come)

NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series

April 10-12, Las Vegas
April 24-26, Houston

MotoGP

April 12, Austin, Circuit of the Americas
April 19, Argentina

FIA World Endurance Championship

April 10-12, Silverstone (European Le Mans Series also racing at Silverstone)

Blancpain Endurance Series

April 11-12, Monza

TUDOR United SportsCar Championship

April 18, Long Beach (P/GTLM classes)

Pirelli World Challenge

April 19, Long Beach (GT/GTA/GT Cup presented by MOMO classes)
April 25-26, Barber (GT/GTA/GT Cup presented by MOMO, GTS classes)

Pro Mazda Championship Presented by Cooper Tires

April 10-12, NOLA
April 24-26, Barber

Cooper Tires USF2000 Championship Powered by Mazda

April 10-12, NOLA
April 24-26, Barber

FIA World Rally Championship

April 23-26, Rally Argentina

IMSA Development Series

April 10-12, both IMSA Cooper Tires Prototype Lites and IMSA Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge USA by Yokohama, NOLA

Battery Tender Mazda MX-5 Cup

April 10-12, NOLA

Trans-Am

April 12, Homestead

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An IndyCar executive said there is “absolutely” disappointment that its long-awaited video game recently was delayed beyond its target date, but the series remains optimistic about the new title.

“Well, I don’t know how quick it will be, but the whole situation is important to us,” Penske Entertainment president and CEO Mark Miles said during a news conference Monday morning to announce IndyCar’s NTT title sponsorship. “Motorsport Games has spent a lot of money, a lot of effort to create an IndyCar title. What we’ve seen of that effort, which is not completely obvious, is very reassuring.

“I think it’s going to be outstanding. That’s our shared objective, that when it is released, it’s just widely accepted. A great credit both to IndyCar racing, the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, something that our fans love.”

In June 2021, IndyCar announced a new partnership with Motorsport Games to create and distribute an IndyCar video game for the PC and Xbox and PlayStation consoles in 2023.

But during an earnings call last week, Motorsport Games said the IndyCar game had been delayed to 2024 to ensure high quality.

Somewhat compounding the delay is that IndyCar’s license for iRacing expired after the end of the 2022 season because of its exclusive agreement with Motorsport Games.

That’s resulted in significant changes for IndyCar on iRacing, which had provided a high-profile way for the series to stay visible during its 2020 shutdown from the pandemic. (Players still can race an unbranded car but don’t race on current IndyCar tracks, nor can they stream).

That’s helped ratchet up the attention on having a video game outlet for IndyCar.

“I wish we had an IndyCar title 10 years ago,” said Miles, who has been working with the organization since 2013. “We’ve been close, but we’ve had these I think speed bumps.”

IndyCar is hopeful the Motorsports Game edition will be ready at the start of 2024. Miles hinted that beta versions could be unveiled to reporters ahead of the time “to begin to show the progress in a narrow way to make sure we’ve got it right, to test the progress so that we’re ready when they’re ready.”

It’s been nearly 18 years since the release of the most recent IndyCar video game for console or PC.

“(We) better get it right,” Miles said. “It’s something we’re very close to and continue to think about what it is to make sure we get it over the line in due course.”