IndyCar considering replacement for canceled China race - USA TODAY

BROOKLYN, Mich. (AP) â€" The president of Michigan International Speedway is interested in bringing open-wheel racing to the track, and IndyCar CEO Randy Bernard says he'd like to start a dialogue with MIS after the series canceled a race in China later this season.

• 

  By Mark J. Rebilas, US Presswire

  IndyCar Series CEO Randy Bernard took over in 2010, replacing Tony George.

By Mark J. Rebilas, US Presswire

IndyCar Series CEO Randy Bernard took over in 2010, replacing Tony George.

The race in China on Aug. 19 was officially scrapped this week, leaving Bernard looking for another event for the second half of the season. MIS President Roger Curtis said he's always interested in bringing an open-wheel race to his track, but the business model has to make sense.

"Our business department put a call in to Roger late this afternoon to explore any potential opportunities and see what type of interest either side has," Bernard told The Associated Press on Thursday. "We've appreciated some of these track presidents coming out and expressing interest in IndyCar."

• MORE: Beer festival wins out over IndyCar race in China

Detroit's Belle Isle hosted an IndyCar race this month. The contract with that event wouldn't preclude a race at MIS.

"If they're interested in coming here, we'll talk," Curtis said. "If they're not, that's cool, too."

Curtis said Thursday he assumed MIS wasn't on IndyCar's radar, but Bernard indicated otherwise.

"When we saw Roger's comments, we got right on the phone," Bernard said. "We'd love to see what opportunities might exist between IndyCar and Michigan."

Drivers in Wisconsin for Saturday's race at the Milwaukee Mile mentioned Road America in Elkhart Lake, Wis., as a potential replacement venue for the China race. Adding a second stop at Texas Motor Speedway also has been discussed.

Other tracks drivers mentioned as potential replacements were Laguna Seca in California, Watkins Glen in upstate New York and Phoenix International Raceway.

IndyCar drivers want Elhart Lake to replace canceled race in China

WEST ALLIS, Wis. â€" If IndyCar drivers had a vote when it came to finding a track to replace the series' recently canceled race in China, plenty of them would be happy to head back to Wisconsin later this year.

Several drivers in town for Saturday's race at the Milwaukee Mile mentioned Road America in Elkhart Lake as a potential replacement venue for the China race, which was canceled earlier this week.

Contractual provisions with the Milwaukee event would prevent IndyCar CEO Randy Bernard from speaking to Road America promoters until after this weekend's race at Milwaukee. It's not clear if the track is under consideration.

Other tracks drivers mentioned as potential replacements they'd like to see considered were Laguna Seca in California, Watkins Glen in upstate New York and Phoenix International Raceway.

Copyright 2012 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

For more information about reprints & permissions, visit our FAQ's. To report corrections and clarifications, contact Standards Editor Brent Jones. For publication consideration in the newspaper, send comments to letters@usatoday.com. Include name, phone number, city and state for verification. To view our corrections, go to corrections.usatoday.com.

USA TODAY is now using Facebook Comments on our stories and blog posts to provide an enhanced user experience. To post a comment, log into Facebook and then "Add" your comment. To report spam or abuse, click the "X" in the upper right corner of the comment box. To find out more, read the FAQ and Conversation Guidelines.