It is looking like IndyCar racing will return to Pocono Raceway next season.
At least that's the indication IndyCar CEO Randy Bernard gave to media members at the season-ending race at Auto Club Speedway in Fontana, Calif., over the weekend.
"We'll put all of our schedule out on the same day, but I think everyone knows Pocono is on our target list as well as some of these other cities," Bernard told The Associated Press.
Also, an article by Autoweek said Pocono is expected to be on the 2013 IndyCar schedule and that the race would be held either the weekend before or after the July 4 holiday.
Pocono Raceway CEO Brandon Igdalsky said Tuesday there is nothing to announce yet.
"There may have been some things said that was more information that was supposed to be put out there," Igdalsky said. "But nothing has been finalized."
IndyCar raced at Pocono from 1971 until 1989. The combination of improvements recently made at the 2.5-mile triangular track and IndyCar's desire to expand its schedule and add more oval tracks have sparked great interest in the series returning to Long Pond.
The Autoweek article also said a Triple Crown featuring oval track races could be part of the schedule. Pocono would be included, along with Indianapolis and Fontana.
From 1971-80, Pocono was part of the IndyCar Triple Crown along with Indy and Ontario, Calif. - sites of the three 500-mile races on the schedule. When Ontario closed, it was replaced by Michigan and the Triple Crown lasted until 1989, the last year Pocono hosted an IndyCar race.
During the summer, Pocono sent out a survey to its ticket holders in an attempt to gauge the interest of a possible IndyCar return among other things. Igdalsky said the response was positive.
"We're talking to all different kinds of series about coming here in the future," Igdalsky said. "So our survey was geared toward that. It wasn't geared toward one specific series. It was geared toward race fans in general - what series would you like to bring here and do you think it would help the brand of Pocono Raceway? Things like that.
"Everything was very positive. Like we've said, the greatest fans are right here in northeastern Pennsylvania and Pocono Raceway fans. That survey drove it home even more for us."
Bernard said he hopes to release the 2013 IndyCar schedule by Oct. 1.
Pocono will again host two NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race weekends in 2013. The Pocono 400 is set for June 7-9 and the Pennsylvania 400 is scheduled for Aug. 2-4.
Contact the writer: swalsh@timesshamrock.com