Is that a requirement nowadays? :/
For NASCAR it kind of is... Basically, Open-Wheeled Racing on Ovals has more-or-less died off in America because of the fact that a Sprint Cup car doesn't seem to be able to put on good racing on Ovals that don't have 20 Degrees of banking and up, which leads to track owners changing their circuits to suit NASCAR, which in-turn shuts out Indycars and looks to a big problem for Indycar's growth...
As for prisonermonkey's list... Let me try to deconstruct it as best as I can:
1) COTA is likely a "No-Go" as the FIA has been known to... "Entice" the track owners to run F1 and F1-backed races exclusively on their circuits (As well as have WEC races, but that's another story).
2) The city of Cleveland has been trying to get the race back on-board for a while now, but it's said to have been slow going, what with the world economy and all... It's certainly doable, it just has to have everything line up properly.
3) While PIR has a long tradition of Open-Wheeled Racing, NASCAR may try to pressure the track owners to not want Indycar to come back, particularly as the traditional early-March date is currently a Sprint Cup date... Also, PIR has been rebuilt to suit Cup cars more (IE relatively high-banking and the back straightaway "Dog-Leg" getting re-profiled), which may make it even more difficult for Indycar to consider going back there. It's not out of bounds though...
4) Pocono Raceway is all-but confirmed for 2013's Indycar Schedule (As the track owners are thought to be unhappy with Nascar trying to squeeze them out of their second Cup race date).
5) As far as I know, Kentucky Speedway has been/is being turned into a Las Vegas Speedway-Style high-banked oval to suit Nascar, so Indycar will probably take a pass.
6) Road America, while it is a classic venue with a long, storied tradition of hosting indy car races, hasn't really seen big enough crowds at it's ALMS or it's Nascar Nationwide dates to consider an Indycar race. It's been suggested that it could work if Indycar were paired up with the ALMS for next year, but again it comes off more as a pipe dream to me than anything else.
7) The one article I've read about NOLA Raceway park suggests it's about three to five years away from hosting any major-league racing series (As just about EVERYTHING would have to be upgraded).
8) While Indycars going back to Richmond sounds like a good idea, I recall that most of the drivers and crews thought that the track was too small and bumpy for their cars. Granted, that was with the old-spec car, but it's still worth mentioning. It is doable though...
9) VIR is probably too narrow with not enough run-off areas and is WAY too fast to host something like an Indycar race. I still would love to see it happen though... Maybe it could work as a double-header with the ALMS/Grand-Am? The biggest issues would have to be the fact that the circuit's basically in the middle of nowhere and there's that tree down by that one hairpin...
10) Gateway International Speedway would work out as an Indycar series host, as the track is still in the same configuration from when CART raced there in the late 90's-Early 2000's. The real question is would anyone show up to watch? Especially when the Nationwide Race there barely fills up half the grandstands?
11) Kansas Speedway is getting the same treatment as Kentucky Speedway as far as I know, so...
12) Nashville Speedway is, again, a mile and a half oval with relatively high banking for an Indycar...
13) Homestead-Miami Speedway is certainly a doable race, but again it's banking is probably right on the limit for the current-spec Indycar...
14) I'm totally indifferent to Indycar going back to Chicagoland Speedway; On one hand, it would be nice to see them race on more ovals. On the other, it's another relatively high-banked"Cookie Cutter" mile and a half oval...
15) On paper, a return to Portland International Raceway sounds good. However, I've heard rumors that the local city government has pretty much made racing impossible there due to noise restrictions? Again, not sure on this one... Maybe it could happen when racing cars go full-on electric?
16) The promoters of the Surfer's Paradise event are thought to be open to Indycar returning there, though you've got to wonder if it would be hard for them to consider it as they've got one of the biggest V8 Supercar races running there from year to year (Especially as that race ends up attracting nearly all the top drivers from Indycar and elsewhere anyway
)...
17) A street race in Providence, RI is pretty much confirmed for 2013's Indycar Schedule, though details on the track layout and it's general location in the city are still up in the air...(?)
18 & 19) Sepang & Marina Bay are pretty much in the same boat as COTA in my eyes... I'd expect a WEC Sportscar race at either venue before an Indycar race.
20) I'm not too familiar with the Sentul Circuit, but a race in Indonesia would probably be out-of-reach for Indycar due to the overall expense of shipping everything there (Basically, unless Indycar themselves would fit the bills of traveling there for most of the teams, I don't see this happening).
21) It's kind of the same situation as the Sentul circuit in Indonesia, though a race in Quatar on track built for motorcycles in mind probably wouldn't work... Especially when you consider that no one seems to show up for the Moto GP races there, or that Simona De Silvestro and Sarah Fisher would (Probably) have to stay home.
22) Hmm... I know the Hermanos Rodriguez Circuit is a classic, but it's probaly far too bumpy to consider running an Indycar race there. Still, it would be very cool to see Indycars running through the baseball stadium towards Peradalta.
All in all, out the 22 Circuits mentioned on Wikipedia, I figure that five of them have a decent chance of landing an Indycar race (With Providence and Pocono already pretty much confirmed). While it would be neat to see Indycar make an attempt to expand overseas, the world economy being the way it is probably would deter them. Also, they have two races in Canada and one in Brazil; Any more would probably deter most sponsors from wanting to support a series that doesn't showcase their products.
Again, while I don't discredit every single rumor about an Indycar race showing up in such-and-such place, some (To me at least) are more believable than others...
