IndyCar sticks with 15 races, extends Fontana finale to 500 miles
The Izod IndyCar Series on Monday reestablished that Auto Club Speedway in Fontana would host the series’ season finale Sept. 15.
The Saturday night race on the two-mile Fontana oval also will be extended to 500 miles from its originally planned 400 miles, the series said.
IndyCar initially had 16 races on its schedule with the Fontana race as its finale, but an Aug. 19 race planned in China recently was canceled.
The series then looked to see if another race could be set up at a different venue, and it reached out to Texas Motor Speedway about possibly hosting the season’s last race in late September or early October.
But the Texas track declined and, on Monday, IndyCar said it would stick with its current schedule that ends at Auto Club Speedway.
“After carefully considering all possible options for an additional race, we felt it was in our best interest to keep our schedule at its current 15-event lineup,” IndyCar Chief Executive Randy Bernard said in a statement.
As for lengthening the Fontana race, “we wanted to do something special to enhance the excitement of the season finale and renew the tradition of 500-mile, open-wheel races in Southern California,” he said.
MORE:
Ashton Eaton sets world record in decathlon
Soccer really is child’s play for U.S. women’s team
Phelps vs. Lochte figures to be the splashiest rivalry
Get our high school sports newsletter
Prep Rally is devoted to the SoCal high school sports experience, bringing you scores, stories and a behind-the-scenes look at what makes prep sports so popular.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.
