INDIANAPOLIS – Though IndyCar CEO Mark Miles had hoped a 2018 season schedule would be finalized within eight to 10 days of the 2017 finale at Sonoma, Mother Nature had other ideas.

On Sept. 19, a massive earthquake, and its aftershocks, rocked Mexico City — the location of the much-rumored additional race Miles and Co. had hoped to add to the schedule.

The country, and presumably the still-to-be-named organizers of the race, are now focused on recovery from the deadly disaster.

Through an IndyCar spokesman, Miles said that though the earthquake affected the timing of finalizing negotiations and announcing the race, the process of securing a Mexico event “is ongoing.” He added that he remains optimistic a deal will be struck in the future, though he could not specify a timeline.

The location of the proposed race, Mexico City’s Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez, was reportedly undamaged by the magnitude 7.1 earthquake, so it is still possible for IndyCar to race at the near 3-mile road course in 2018.

With all 17 events from 2017 schedule confirmed for 2018, the race in Mexico is the only remaining unknown.

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Follow IndyStar Motor Sports Insider Jim Ayello on Twitter and Instagram: @jimayello.