The 2016 Verizon IndyCar Series season is about to set off in a very familiar, warm, waterfront location—the streets of St. Petersburg, Fla. However, there are three additions to the 2016 schedule that highlight history in three very different ways. Let’s take a look at the three new races on this season’s slate.

Phoenix International Raceway

What’s old is new again for IndyCar, as the series returns to the historic (slightly longer now) one-mile oval in the desert. PIR was built back in 1964 as the intended western home of USAC open-wheel racing. With the rise of NASCAR, though, the track quickly became home to stock cars in the desert, with track modifications since 2003 intended to promote better racing on the oval for stock cars. Progressive banking and several modifications to the backstretch dogleg have given the track a slightly different feel, but in an IndyCar it is still ridiculously fast. Not to mention the walls are still a delightful shade of blue, giving it a unique feel and ambiance lacking from many of the cookie-cutter 1.5-mile ovals across the United States.

Speaking of ridiculously fast, speeds exceeded an average of 190mph around the short oval, with some incredible G-forces pulled by the drivers in the corners over the duration of a 19-second lap. That has presented the series with a dilemma ahead of the inaugural running of the Phoenix Grand Prix in April. How will the series balance speed and aerodynamics with raceability and entertainment value for fans in its return trip to Arizona?

The series went to Phoenix with the short oval/road course wings and oval horsepower settings, but some drivers and team owners have called for changes to the downforce levels to promote better racing. Some want less downforce, while others want more. Other drivers have suggested leaving the downforce levels alone and using the road course engine settings to provide more power. It leaves an interesting storyline in place as the series desperately needs an entertaining oval race that will draw fans to the track year-after-year.

Road America

If you’ve followed IndyCar or Champ Car or CART… or any open-wheel series in any guise ever, or any sports car series, or even NASCAR these days, you know of Road America. Perhaps the United States’ best natural terrain road course, four miles of road racing bliss carved out of the forests of Elkhart Lake, Wis. will return to the IndyCar schedule in 2016. While IndyCar has never raced at Road America, the last open-wheel race held at the circuit was the 2007 Champ Car race won by Sebastien Bourdais in dominant fashion. Bourdais earned the pole position by setting a lap an astounding 1.5 seconds faster than Will Power, then disappeared to lead 51 of the 53 laps on his way to victory for Newman/Haas/Lanigan Racing.

Back we return to the long straights and sweeping corners of Road America in 2016 in what will hopefully be an exciting and well-attended event. With the advent the aero kits, teams will be able to truly tailor their set-up to either go for straight-line speed or improved grip in places like The Carousel.

As well, since it is a bit of a theme for this season’s two returning events, I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention the blue-hued Armco barriers around the circuit…

Grand Prix of Boston

…which leads us to the brand new Grand Prix of Boston. Which, based on Phoenix and Road America, might want to install blue concrete barriers just to fit in with the new race club. While it may not be host to any IndyCar history yet, when we talk about American history it’s hard to ignore the city of Boston. The city itself is quite a place, and if you’ve never been before I would highly encourage you to schedule a few extra days around the Grand Prix of Boston to take in the sights.

While the race circuit itself will be far from the Freedom Trail or Commonwealth Avenue, the setting in the South Boston Waterfront for the 2.25-mile street circuit will still be a tremendous location for a race to take place on Labor Day weekend. While the race has faced a shaky start with a vocal minority opposing the race, it appears the race has finally garnered all the necessary governmental support to go ahead without question. Local corporate support has appeared as well, with the race already picking up LogMeIn as a presenting sponsor.

As with any new street course on the IndyCar schedule, a question of longevity always rears its ugly head. Hopefully the circuit lacks some of the previous logistical nightmares of new street circuits and can win over the community to become a fixture on the calendar for years to come. Plus, any time I can find an excuse to go back to Boston I will gladly take it.

That’s our look at the three new races on the Verizon IndyCar Series schedule this season. All three events have tremendous potential, and now we wait to see if they live up to that potential this season.