Official Release

INDYCAR announced the 2016 Verizon IndyCar Series schedule today, a 16-race season - anchored by the 100th Running of the Indianapolis 500 Mile Race - that spans five weeks longer than last season and features new events in Phoenix, Road America and Boston. INDYCAR has experienced a 38 percent growth in both television ratings and viewership over the past two years with longstanding TV partners ABC and NBCSN and the 2016 Verizon IndyCar Series season is poised to capitalize and build upon that momentum.

For the 30th time since its innaugural event in 1986, professional INDYCAR racing returns to Exhibition Place for the 2016 Honda Indy Toronto, Ontario's largest annual sporting event. The three-day festival returns to its traditional July dates, July 15-17, after switching to June last year to accommodate the 2015 Pan American and Parapan American Games.

On the heels of the 2016 Verizon IndyCar Series schedule released earlier this week, the Mazda Road to Indy announced next season's plans for its three rungs of the development system.

Joey Logano will lead the field to green in the Goody’s® Headache Relief Shot® 500 at Martinsville Speedway.

Martin Truex Jr. put the No. 78 Furniture Row/Visser Precision Chevrolet SS on the front row and thus, put himself in good position for Sunday’s Goody’s Headache Relief 500 at Martinsville Speedway. The lap of 19.227 seconds/98.548 mph gives Truex, Jr. a front row start in the first race of the Eliminator Round in the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup. It bests the Chase contender’s third place qualifying effort at the 0.526-mile short track in the spring, and marks his career best starting spot at the paper-clipped shaped venue.

JOEY LOGANO – No. 22 Shell/Pennzoil Ford Fusion – “It’s an amazing run we’re on right now. This Shell/Pennzoil team is unbelievable. I’m just the lucky guy that gets to drive this thing right now.

MARTIN TRUEX JR., NO. 78 FURNITURE ROW/VISSER PRECISION CHEVROLET SS - Qualified 2nd: "A good pit stall is really important here, obviously. We qualified third here in the spring. Honestly I didn't know we had a car that was that fast today. We stuck with it. The guys did a good job making adjustments there, and we got quicker each round. That's what you've got to do. It's a good starting spot for tomorrow and we'll see what we can do with it. We're looking forward to it."

KYLE BUSCH, No. 18 M&M’s Crispy Toyota Camry, Joe Gibbs Racing - Starting Position: 6th - How do you feel about your starting position for Sunday’s race? “It’s not bad, it’s probably about what’s to be expected for me around this place."

JEFF GORDON, NO. 24 AARP MEMBER ADVANTAGES CHEVROLET SS met with media and discussed his success at Martinsville, his past issues on pit road, the new SAFER Barriers, giving away a 2003 Monte Carlo SS who lost hers in a fire, his long relationship with Hendrick Motorsports and his sponsor, DuPont (now Axalta), and more.

CARL EDWARDS, No. 19 XFINITY Toyota Camry, Joe Gibbs Racing - How do you feel about coming into this round of the Chase starting with Martinsville? “This track for me has been 0 for whatever or however many times we’ve been here. The spring was a really good race, my teammates have helped me a ton."