Indy dropped as US GP venue

Indianapolis will not host a grand prix on the 2008 Formula One calendar, according to track spokesman Ron Green.

The circuit has hosted the race for the last eight years but its future has been under threat for some time.

A deadline for extending the contract passed today with officials unable to reach an agreement.

It is unclear if another track will host the race or if America will be dropped from the schedule altogether.

Formula One supremo Bernie Ecclestone and IMS chief executive Tony George twice met during last month’s US GP to discuss the prospect of a new contract.

The original deal that brought the grand prix back to America in 2000 expired in 2006, when a one-year extension was signed.

George had hoped to secure a long-term deal, imposing a deadline of today by which time all parties had to agree.

However, with that deadline arriving, it seems certain there is no new deal on the table, with George likely to confirm the situation later today.