By alley - May 9, 2016, 3:28 PM ET

INDYCAR: Series evaluating non-points China race

IndyCar could make a delayed debut in China later this year if plans for a non-championship street race in Beijing come to fruition.

The series had planned to race in the coastal city of Qingdao in August of 2012, only for the event to be cancelled two months out due to problems with the promoters. However series boss Mark Miles says that discussions are now underway for a non-points event in Beijing in October.

"For many months IndyCar has participated in discussions regarding a non-Championship event in the Fengtai District of Beijing, China," said Miles in a statement.

"If scheduled, this race would occur in October following the conclusion of the 2016 Verizon IndyCar Series season. At this point, arrangements for this event have not been finalized and a number of important issues must be resolved before such an event can be added to the schedule. IndyCar is pleased with the amount of interest in China and the substantial effort that has been made to try and make this proposed event a reality. We would hope to share any news on whether this event will occur by early June."

Non-championship flyaway events have been a core part of IndyCar's plans for filling the long gap of dormancy created by the compressed format of the current schedule, although none have yet come to pass.

Miles told RACER in February

that the series was hoping to run a non-points overseas race immediately after the season finale at Sonoma, with

Beijing emerging as the leading candidate

in early March.