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Friday, September 28, 2012

{allcanada} 2013 IndyCar schedule includes three doubleheaders

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Izod IndyCar Series CEO Randy Bernard will introduce three doubleheader race weekends and three races featuring standing starts when he unveils the 2013 schedule Sunday.

One race from this year's 15-race schedule -- Edmonton -- won't return, and two new venues -- the 2.5-mile Pocono Raceway oval and a street race in Houston -- will be added. Bernard will disclose the schedule Sunday on Wind Tunnel (Speed, 9 p.m. ET) with 16 venues and 19 races.

A third new event -- a street race in Providence, R.I. -- could be added to the schedule before Sunday's announcement, Bernard told USA TODAY Sports on Friday.

Three doubleheader weekends are planned -- June 1-2 at Detroit, July 13-14 at Toronto and Aug. 24-25 at Sonoma Raceway -- and Bernard said he expects to implement standing starts for one of the races each weekend.

"Doubleheaders will allow fans the opportunity to see more racing over the course of a race weekend," Bernard told USA TODAY Sports.

"We believe the average distance traveled by fans will be longer for doubleheaders, so we'll draw more fans. The more time you get to see people competing in a race is better, and adding a standing start to one of the races adds to the intrigue. We feel like it will be a big positive for the fans, but it also gives us better exposure for our sponsors, more TV time, and it helps the promoters by giving them something additional to sell."

The 2013 schedule increases the ratio of road and street races over those on ovals, continuing IndyCar's shift from oval racing in recent years. Even if Providence doesn't make the cut, the 2013 schedule has 13 road/street races and six oval races. Last year, the ratio was 10 to five.

Bernard indicated he wants to increase the number of ovals for 2014.

"More ovals would be my preference; that would be my long-term goal," he said. "We've selected markets that cater to street races, which bring a different demographic. When we go to street courses, we see a much younger demographic, but it's my belief that we want to continue to present IndyCar as the most versatile racing in the world, so we would like to add more ovals in the future."

The bulk of the first half of the schedule will remain unchanged from 2012. The series will open in late March with a street race in St. Petersburg, Fla., followed by Barber Motorsports Park in Birmingham, Ala., the Long Beach Grand Prix, and a street brace in Sao Paulo, Brazil.

The Indianapolis 500 is scheduled for May 26, followed by the Detroit doubleheader and a run of four oval races -- Texas, Milwaukee, Iowa and Pocono, scheduled for the Fourth of July weekend. The Toronto doubleheader opens a seven-race run of road and street courses: Mid-Ohio, the Sonoma doubleheader, Baltimore and Houston.

If signed, Providence is expected to be scheduled Aug. 11.

The season is set to conclude at Auto Club Speedway in Fontana, Calif., on Oct. 12. The track was the site of this year's finale, where American Ryan Hunter-Reay captured the series title.

2013 IZOD INDYCAR SERIES SCHEDULE

March 24--St. Petersburg, Fla. (street course)

April 7--Barber Motorsports Park, Birmingham, Ala. (road course)

April 21--Long Beach, Calif. (street course)

May 5--Sao Paulo, Brazil (street course)

May 26--Indianapolis 500 (oval)

June 1-2--Detroit doubleheader (street course)

June 8--Texas Motor Speedway (oval)

June 15--Milwaukee (oval)

June 22--Iowa Speedway (oval)

July 7--Pocono (Pa.) Raceway (oval)

July 13-14--Toronto doubleheader (street course)

Aug. 4--Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course (road course)

Aug. 24-25--Sonoma Raceway doubleheader (road course)

Sept. 1--Baltimore (street race)

Oct. 6--Houston (street race)

Oct. 12--Fontana, Calif. (oval)

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