IndyCar Boss Says Series Needs At Least 19 Races

LEXINGTON, Ohio (AP) – The head of IndyCar racing says his series must expand to at least 19 races, possibly by 2013.

Randy Bernard, CEO of IndyCar, said having a 15-race schedule like this year isn’t enough to showcase the series’ drivers and sponsors. He was speaking at Sunday’s IndyCar race at Mid-Ohio.

A street race in Qingdao, China, set for mid-August, was canceled after the promoters dropped out.

Bernard says to avoid such late withdrawals in the future organizers will likely be required to put up huge deposits or a letter of credit.

He said the 2013 schedule will be announced at a later date when all the contracts are finalized.