When the Indy Racing League comes to the Nashville Superspeedway in Gladeville, Tenn., drivers ride on the series' only concrete track and enjoy Music City's hospitality and style. There's also a local sponsor who just happens to provide the tires, and bright lights for prime-time racing.

In a unified and expanding IRL, that may not be enough to keep Nashville on future schedules.

Terry Angstadt, president of the Indy Racing League's commercial division, said yesterday that league officials hope to have the 2009 schedule completed by the end of July or soon after. Picking and choosing which tracks to keep from the IndyCar Series and which to add from the Champ Car Series isn't easy for what likely will be an 18- or 19-race slate.

"We're not going to please everyone, so at the end of the day we do have to make a decision we're charged with making, and that's balancing all considerations and making the best call for our business and total," Angstadt said. "It does kind of come down to that. We sure seek a lot of input."

Cliff Hawks, president of the superspeedway, has heard talk that the 1.33-mile, D-shaped oval might slip off the IRL schedule. But he said he has not heard anything from IRL officials to indicate that Nashville won't play host to a ninth consecutive race in '09.

NASCAR

Crew chiefs Jimmy Elledge and Peter Sospenzo landed new jobs. Elledge is taking over AJ Allmendinger's Red Bull Racing team while Sospenzo gets Michael McDowell's Michael Waltrip Racing's crew.

First Published: July 11, 2008, 4:00 a.m.