The road track at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway might soon host IndyCars.
A test session next Wednesday, to be done by American driver Graham Rahal, will gather data as owners consider $100 million in upgrades and changes to the layout, now used for Motorcycling World Championship races.
The course, which once hosted Formula One, might be modified to host an IndyCar road event, although no decision has been made.
The Speedway's famed 2 1/2-mile (4km) oval track is host each year to the classic Indianapolis 500 for the open-wheelers.
"The goal is to make changes to the road course that provide the most flexibility for its potential use and create a layout that is entertaining for our fans and enjoyable for our drivers -- whether it is for IndyCar testing or racing, sports cars, MotoGP or other uses," said Speedway president Douglas Boles.
News that makes sense
Your trusted source for staying up-to-date with the world around you. Get free daily news updates and analysis, straight to your inbox.
IndyCar competition president Derrick Walker plans to have Rahal test several configurations, some including the turn one area of the famed oval as part of the course.
"It is important to look at all possibilities that we have in the existing layout to gain as much information as we can about how the car will perform and what changes we can offer to make it more competitive," Walker said.
The only other prior IndyCar test on the course came in 2011 when the late Dan Wheldon, a time-time Indy 500 winner, tested the current IndyCar chassis design.
The Englishman drove the 13-corner layout in clockwise direction for car development, not track information.
