However, whilst that race in Mexico will form part of the regular Cup Series season, Mark Miles, CEO of the company that owns IndyCar, Penske Entertainment, has revealed that if the series were to go international, it would be pre or post-season and for several races.
“First of all, if it were to happen, Mexico would be part of the NTT IndyCar championship points race – a drive to there from somewhere like Long Beach, or vice versa; part of the championship in the regular season,” Miles explained to RACER, suggesting the series are looking to expand beyond just the Americas.
“So I don’t even think of it as ‘international’ in that context. I do think ending at the end of August, we’ve got an opportunity to have a productive period of time for IndyCar teams and our promotion of an ‘IndyCar International Series.’”
Miles explained how this might look and fit around the regular season schedule.
"You have to get a green flag to go see what you can do, but the concept we’re giving some time to is an international series, and it’s not about ‘go get one'," Miles said.
"We don’t want to look like we just went to chase some bucks. But could you put three or four together, and connect them, because is the title sponsor of the International Series? And there’s a bunch of money, not a little money, and it’s connected?
"There’s a points competition or a money competition between them, and that it would be international?”
Whilst these plans are said to have broad support from Roger Penske and within the Penske Entertainment organization, it does not look as though they will be confirmed any time soon.