IndyCar adds Portland as 2018 calendar unveiled

The IndyCar Series will again start in St Petersburg pic: IndyCar

Portland will return to the IndyCar Series in an otherwise largely unchanged calendar for 2018.

Portland International Raceway replaces Watkins Glen at the back end of the season, while most of the other 15 circuits maintain the same dates as in 2017.

As it did this year, the series will comprise six oval races, six road course races, and five street races (across four tracks).

St Petersburg continues to open the season on March 11, but Phoenix Raceway has been moved forward to Round 2 and its more traditional early April date.

As such, Long Beach moves back one week, with those two races and Round 4 at Barber Motorsport Park now running on consecutive weekends.

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May will again see the Indianapolis Grand Prix on the second weekend of the month, before the 500 a fortnight later.

Detroit’s double-header weekend also remains in place, on the same weekend at the start of June.

Texas Motor Speedway, Road America, Iowa Speedway, Toronto, Mid-Ohio, Pocono Raceway, and Gateway all hold the same position in the calendar.

Portland moves into Watkins Glen’s early September slot, before the season again finishes at Sonoma in the middle of the month.

Portland previously hosted CART/Champ Car races from 1984 to 2007.

“The strength and consistency of the Verizon IndyCar Series’ 2018 schedule is something all of us should be proud of,” said Mark Miles, CEO of IndyCar parent Hulman & Company.

“We’re also looking forward to continuing the upward trend of the series through the introduction of the universal aero kits, which testing has shown to be an exciting product.”

The first official test will take place at Phoenix Raceway on February 9-10.

VIDEO: 2018 Verizon IndyCar Series calendar

Verizon IndyCar Series 2018 Calendar

Race Date Circuit Circuit type
1 Mar 11 Streets of St. Petersburg Street
2 Apr 7 Phoenix Raceway Oval
3 Apr 15 Streets of Long Beach Street
4 Apr 22 Barber Motorsports Park Road
5 May 12 Indianapolis Motor Speedway road course Road
6 May 27 Indianapolis 500 Oval
7, 8 Jun 2-3 Raceway at Belle Isle Park Street
9 Jun 9 Texas Motor Speedway Oval
10 Jun 24 Road America Road
11 Jul 8 Iowa Speedway Oval
12 Jul 15 Streets of Toronto Street
13 Jul 29 Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course Road
14 Aug 19 Pocono Raceway Oval
15 Aug 25 Gateway Motorsports Park Oval
16 Sep 2 Portland International Raceway Road
17 Sep 16 Sonoma Raceway Road

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