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INDIANAPOLIS – In past years, the Indianapolis 500 race telecast on ABC has had a presenting sponsor, but the race itself hasn’t.

That may be about to change for the 100th running of the “Greatest Spectacle in Racing” in 2016.

As Hulman & Co. CEO Mark Miles explained to MotorSportsTalk in an interview this weekend at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, finding additional sponsorship to grow to existing new partners that have come on board is one of the biggest goals for the company.

“I think we’ll have a presenting sponsor of the Indianapolis 500 Race by next year’s race,” Miles told MotorSportsTalk. “There’s a few prospects. But it could very well be a new company to come in as a partner, and there’s more out there.”

A presenting sponsor for the Indianapolis 500 would be arguably the biggest change yet to a race that has undergone changes in nearly every facet but the name of the race itself.

However, it would add to what is quickly becoming a growing portfolio of major companies – Verizon, Panasonic, Sunoco and Angie’s List, to name a few – either getting further involved with INDYCAR or joining the series itself.

“We’re pleased and we think we have good momentum,” Miles said. “With Panasonic and Sunoco, the first is new to us and the second is expanded and extended.

“We feel very good about our commercial relationships. Fundamentally, we have to be a good partner, and that goes to day-to-day communications and professionalism. I think we’ve earned a lot of trust in establishing rapport and customer service with our sponsors.

“When your ratings are going up (2014 saw a 25 percent increase over 2013), you’re more likely to be able to attract additional sponsors.”

As for the 2016 schedule, it’s never too early to forecast potential new races, and despite this year’s Brazil cancellation Miles and INDYCAR remain active in looking for new international destinations.

Miles named South Africa, Colombia or the UAE (United Arab Emirates) as potential destinations in 2016 in a Sports Business Daily report; some owners, notably Roger Penske, have spoken out against a race in the UAE.

Colombia has an active presence on the grid with no less than five drivers: Juan Pablo Montoya, Carlos Munoz, Gabby Chaves, Sebastian Saavedra and Carlos Huertas, having made starts in IndyCar this year.

Miles didn’t name those countries directly when I spoke to him last week, but he reiterated a goal he had to find international partners to help with the schedule shift forward.

“It is difficult to find U.S. events in February and the very beginning of March because of climate,” Miles told MST.

“But there are some prospects out there. I don’t mean to say 10 and in terms of international races, which could help fill a first month or the first four, five or six weeks, we are quite optimistic about one for next year and there are ongoing conversations.

“If we want to do it, if we want to expand in that time of year internationally, the market is there.”

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