IndyCar drops Kentucky Motor Speedway as 2012 calendar is published
Kentucky Motor Speedway has been dropped from the IndyCar calendar for the 2012 season
Series organisers published a 15-round calendar for the 2012 season on Thursday, with the Kentucky circuit plus the New Hampshire oval omitted from the schedule.
Also among the 2011 events missing from next year's calendar are the Las Vegas oval and the Motegi road course. It had been announced earlier in the year that neither circuit would be making a return in 2012.
As previously announced, the Belle Isle circuit in Detroit that hosted IndyCar in 2007-08 and Champ Car during the 1990s, makes a return to the series, while a street race at Quindao in China gets an August 19 date.
IndyCar CEO Randy Bernard said that although the initial calendar drops the number of rounds from 17 in 2011 to 15 next year, there was a chance that further races will be added before the start of the 2012 season.
"INDYCAR is excited about the confirmed races announced today," said Bernard. "With the new car and engine manufacturer competition, we believe they will be tremendous events that will help INDYCAR grow.
"We are exploring adding additional events to the 2012 schedule. We're in the process of confirming a 16th event, while also considering adding a 17th race to the calendar."
IndyCar's blue riband event, the Indianapolis 500, takes place on May 27, with Pole Day a week earlier on May 19.
IndyCar Series 2012 calendar
March 25 St Petersburg (USA) April 1 Barber Park (USA) April 15 Long Beach (USA) April 29 Sao Paulo (BR) May 27 Indianapolis 500 (USA) June 3 Detroit (USA) June 9 Texas (USA) June 23 Iowa (USA) July 8 Toronto (CDN) July 22 Edmonton (CDN) August 5 Mid-Ohio (USA) August 19 Quindao (PRC) August 26 Sears Point (USA) September 2 Baltimore (USA) September 15 Fontana (USA)
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