Tracy returns to IndyCar series with 14th-place finish

ADRIEN VECZAN/TORONTO STAR FILE PHOTO

Paul Tracy will be driving in the Honda Indy Toronto July 16-18.

ASSOCIATED PRESS

Paul Tracy made his first IZOD IndyCar Series start of the season in Sunday’s Camping World Grand Prix, filling in for injured Mike Conway at Dreyer & Reinbold Racing.

After running in the top 10 early, the Toronto native finished 14th, two spots back of where he started.

“It wasn’t the day we were hoping for,” Tracy said. “But we kept fighting at it all day and got the handling better. We brought the car home and got some points.”

Tracy, who tweeted that his fitness level was good despite his layoff, also will start the next two races in Toronto and Edmonton and said he’s working on a full-time ride for next year.

“Our fingers are crossed,” Tracy said. “Hopefully, it would be for more than one year.”

TOUGH DECISIONS: IndyCar Series chief executive officer Randy Bernard was emphatic: The final decision on the new chassis package for the open-wheel series won’t be decided until the day it’s scheduled to be released — July 14.

“We have to keep this a surprise, to explode it out into the industry,” Bernard said Sunday at an impromptu press conference at Watkins Glen International. “Anybody who tells you they know what’s been decided is not telling the truth. We lost 15 to 20 million fans in the 1990s. We have to find a way to get them back.”

Bernard also said he has asked for increases in sanctioning agreements, though he would prefer to do co-promotions in the future.

“If there’s a sanctioning agreement, it’s in our best interest to make sure it’s financially sound,” he said. “I’m held accountable for my bottom line. I want to make sure that each facility is held accountable, make sure there’s butts in the seats. I think if you step up to the plate and have to put some more money in, you’re going ... to promote it more aggressively, make sure you can hit that nut.”

The IndyCar Series has announced two new venues for next season — New Hampshire and Baltimore — and Bernard was noncommittal on what the new schedule would look like when it’s released in six weeks.

“We have to cut a minimum of one race, but I’m not against adding one,” he said. “Not any date. It needs to be a partnership, a marriage.”

There has been talk that Watkins Glen might be targeted, but Bernard said he met Sunday with WGI president Michael Printup to brainstorm a way to keep the six-year-old event on the schedule.

“It has to be something that’s a win-win for them as well as a win-win for us,” Bernard said.

The schedule is likely to be altered another way. Bernard said he would like to end the season at Las Vegas and has been talking with track owner Bruton Smith.

“We will not end our season at Homestead. I just do not want to end it at Homestead,” he said. “Las Vegas is ideal. It could happen next year. If Homestead stays, it definitely won’t be our last event.”

WILSON’S WOES: Justin Wilson shocked the IndyCar Series with a victory at Watkins Glen a year ago, the only one in 2009 by a driver outside Team Penske and Target Chip Ganassi Racing.

Defending that title was a struggle from the start in Sunday’s Camping World Grand Prix. Despite starting sixth and running fourth early in the race, Wilson faded and finished 10th for Dreyer & Reinbold Racing.

“We were fighting all the way through just trying to make something happen,” said Wilson, whose victory at The Glen a year ago remains the only one for Dale Coyne Racing in 26 years.

“We lost several spots in that first pit stop, which put us on the back foot. After that, we were just working hard to make those positions back and move forward. We were reasonably quick, but just had too much work to do.”

SPARK PLUGS: Will Power has recorded top-10 finishes in 13 of 15 events for Penske Racing. ... Alex Lloyd had a disappointing day, finishing last after something broke in his steering just before the midpoint of the race. ... Ryan Briscoe had the quickest lap in the final IndyCar practice Sunday morning, ahead of Helio Castroneves, Dario Franchitti, Ryan Hunter-Reay and Will Power. ... Tony Kanaan had a top-10 finish foiled when he had to pit for fuel on the next to last lap of the race and finished 21st. ... Frenchman J.K. Vernay passed polesitter James Hinchcliffe of Oakville in the tricky chicane after a restart with three laps to go and won the Corning 100 in the Indy Lights series. Sebastian Saavedra was third.