IndyCar: Fontana and Las Vegas open to coming back

Fontana and Las Vegas are both open to returning to the IndyCar schedule in the future after being left off the schedule in recent seasons.

IndyCar last visited the 2.0-mile D-shaped Auto Club Speedway in Fontana, California in the 2015 season. The race at the track had made a return to the schedule for the first time since the 2005 season in the 2012 season, and it remained on the schedule in the 2013, 2014 and 2015 seasons until being removed prior to the 2016 season.

The 2015 race at Fontana featured an all-time IndyCar high of 80 lead changes in what was an intense 500-mile pack race won by Graham Rahal, who had not won an IndyCar race since back in 2008 at the time. The race featured several high-speed passes and accidents, including one that sent Ryan Briscoe flying through the air before taking a nosedive into the infield grass.

IndyCar last visited the 1.5-mile tri-oval Las Vegas Motor Speedway in Las Vegas, Nevada in the 2011 season. The race at the track was set to make a return in 2011 for the first time since CART raced there the 2005 season.

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However, after a crash on the 11th of 200 scheduled laps in the race that involved 15 of the 34 cars that were entered in the race and resulted in the death of 2005 IndyCar champion and two-time Indianapolis 500 winner Dan Wheldon, the race was canceled and removed from the schedule in future years. It has not hosted an IndyCar race since.

However, both Fontana and Las Vegas are, in fact, open to returning to the IndyCar schedule at some point in the future despite the fact that neither track has been on the schedule in any of the last three seasons.

Here is what Auto Club Speedway president Dave Allen had to say about hosting an IndyCar race in the future, according to Autoweek.

"“I love IndyCar racing. I love open-wheel racing, and I’ve always said that. All the races we had over the years, CART and IndyCar were tremendous. And we still have the world record for qualifying speed at 241 mph, which is incredible.“We keep the channels open, and if a date came open that made sense and if it made business sense for IndyCar, we would do that. We’re always open to IndyCar. Jay (Frye, IndyCar president of competition and operations) and his group, which has had some changes, are trying to keep open-wheel front facing and alive and well. We’re keeping an eye on it. And to answer the question, I have an open mind to it because I’m an IndyCar fan.”"

Also according to Autoweek, here is what Las Vegas Motor Speedway president and general manager Chris Powell had to say about potentially hosting an IndyCar race in the future.

"“We have made them aware over these past several years that they are welcome to come back. If they ever choose to come back, we certainly would entertain that. They were the ones, when Randy Bernard was running things, who said this was just too soon, it’s too raw, so we’ve been patient.”“The second NASCAR date changes our flow a little bit. Because it’s challenging to sell enough tickets that many times over the course of the year. Keep in mind that we don’t only have the March NASCAR weekend, the September NASCAR weekend, both tripleheaders; but we have NHRA and we’re going to a four-wide and that’s the penultimate race of their playoffs in September.“So the September NASCAR weekend might have squeezed out the possibility of IndyCar coming back. But listen, we never say never.”"

There are currently 17 races on the IndyCar schedule. Of those 17 races, 11 are road and street course races, while just six are oval races. Those oval races are set to be held at ISM Raceway, Indianapolis Motor Speedway, Texas Motor Speedway, Iowa Speedway, Pocono Raceway and Gateway Motorsports Park this season.

The addition of another oval track in the future is definitely not out of the question as it is. With Fontana and Las Vegas as potential options for another oval, two options that have been considered out of the question for quiet some time, the likelihood of another oval to even out the schedule is slightly higher than it has been.

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Would you like to see Auto Club Speedway, Las Vegas Motor Speedway, both or neither return to the IndyCar schedule in the near future? All of those options are certainly possible at this point in time.