IndyCar moves Fontana race to June
It has been known for some time the Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach has been scheduled for April 17-19. In fact, tickets for the event have been on sale for several weeks.
However, the schedule will confirm what many open-wheel race fans suspected about the Fontana date. The MavTV 500, which was run on Labor Day Saturday night in August, has been moved by the sanctioning body to June 27.
It will be the fourth different date for the series at Fontana in four years. In the series' return to ACS in 2012, after a seven-year absence, an estimated 30,000 attended the mid-September race, The crowd grew by a third in Oct. 2013, but lost half that number on the end-of-summer holiday this year.
Track president Gillian Zucker made it clear that without a date change, ACS would not host a race. After many discussions with Derrick Walker, president of operations and competition for IndyCar, both sides reached an agreement.
"We're really pleased with it," Zucker said of the date change. "IndyCar has been a tremendous partner, they understood that date (Labor Day Saturday) it was not the best date for fans or this market. They are really committed to seeing the series thrive here.
"I know they agree with us that the product on this track is phenomenally good, some of the best racing you see."
Still to be determined is the time of the race, but Zucker pointed out it will more than likely be run during the day to support the television partnership."
Such a start will avoid the sunset issues that have dogged the event the last three years.
Jim Michaelian, president/CEO of the Grand Prix Association of Long Beach, is also pleased his event, which boasted an increase in attendance last event has kept its position in the 16-race schedule.
"We're delighted to once again occupy our traditional date of the third weekend in April," he said via e-mail. "We are hopeful that the new date for the race in Fontana is successful, because it will certainly help to increase the popularity of IndyCar in this market."
Zucker said she already believes IndyCar racing is a major staple in Southern California.
"I think this is a big IndyCar market," she said. "There is a high threshold about expectations."
Ed Carpenter, who won the 2012 race at Fontana and has finished second and third since, is also "excited to be coming back." He also said he has heard the weather, with temperatures that hovered around 100 degrees in August, would be cooler.
"I'm happy the series and the track were able to come up with a date they're both happy with," said Carpenter, whose Ed Carpenter Racing merged with Sarah Fisher Hartman racing during the off-season. "The last date was not ideal, I think everybody feels better about the 2015 date." Inland Valley Daily Bulletin