Sonoma likely to remain IndyCar's finale in '16

SONOMA, Calif. – It appears IndyCar has identified a place to end its 2016 season.

Sonoma Raceway, which is hosting this year's final event, is tracking toward a move back in the calendar to host its second championship-deciding battle.

Details are still being worked out, but both track and series leadership confirmed intentions to The Star on Saturday.

C.J. O'Donnell, IndyCar's chief marketing officer, raved about Sonoma's handling of this event. Track president Steve Page said he likes the stature of being the season finale and recognizes this picturesque wine country region north of San Francisco as a destination site for IndyCar supporters.

Without revealing the dates being considered, Page said discussions center on mid-September. IndyCar has already committed to being in Boston for a street race Sept. 2-4, 2016. This track's last major event of this year is a historic car race Oct. 3-4.

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Perhaps the most significant conflict locally is the harvesting of the grapes that make the Napa Valley famous. Hotel rooms tend to be at a premium on September weekends.

Moving the finale to September is part of IndyCar's desire to spread its season over a longer period. By having next year's St. Petersburg, Fla., race move forward two weeks – it will be March 11-13, 2016 – the series will be assured of being at least a month longer, and it's possible to have another event on the front end of the schedule.

This year's five-month season was a problem for IndyCar on several fronts.

Although Sonoma is the first road course to host an IndyCar championship race since Champ Car ended its 2007 season in Mexico City, IndyCar seeks continuity with its annual event. Before Auto Club Speedway hosted finales 2012-14, IndyCar had year-ending races at three tracks in as many years and four in five years.

Another advantage for Sonoma is its West Coast clock. Sunday's race will take the green flag shortly after 2 p.m. locally, which is 5 p.m. on the East Coast, a good time slot for television viewers. Sunday's race is even free of competition from NASCAR's Sprint Cup and Xfinity series races.

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