INDYCAR: Pocono signs two-year extension

Pocono's place on the IndyCar schedule has been secured through to 2018.

Pocono Raceway President and CEO Brandon Igdalsky confirmed on Wednesday that the venue's current deal has been extended by two years, although dates for the 2017 and 2018 events are yet to be announced.

"We are thrilled to share this great news that we will host the Verizon IndyCar Series through 2018," said Igdalsky. "Our track was originally designed for open-wheel cars, and our fans really enjoy the action on the track. When you see these cars going six- and seven-wide it is incredible. We also received positive feedback from teams and drivers and worked together with IndyCar to make sure Pocono Raceway stays on the schedule."

The extension adds some degree of stability to the oval side of IndyCar's calendar, and was welcomed by both teams and drivers.

"Pocono Raceway needs to be a place we visit each year, and to build on the product we need to come here for a while," said reigning series champion Scott Dixon. "We need some longevity here."

Dixon's enthusiasm was echoed by RLL's Graham Rahal.

"This is great news," he said. "We all love coming here. This place is one of the most entertaining and interesting ovals we go to, and one of the most interesting tracks we go to, period. And one of the most demanding. It's three corners that have nothing in common, and it's difficult to make it work. It's a lot of fun. From a fan perspective, Pocono Raceway is a great place to go. You can camp out and enjoy some family time. That's what we do, stay in the infield with the entire family. I hope we can see a lot of fans come out."

The IndyCar paddock will reconvene from its summer break at Pocono in two weeks.