Indianapolis Motor Speedway is hoping that the FIA will allocate it a return to early summer for the US Grand Prix, with its other major meetings already having been confirmed.

With the Indianapolis 500 assuming its regular slot at the end of May, and NASCAR's Brickyard 400 moving to the end of July, mid-to-late June is the circuit's preferred option for Formula One's annual visit. The USGP switched to July this year because of the clash between Europe's usual summer races and football's World Cup, but normally forms a June double-header with its Canadian counterpart, and is hoping that the two events will be scheduled for the weekend's of 17 and 24 June next year.

Before any date can be fixed, however, there is the small matter of negotiations between the circuit and Bernie Ecclestone to secure America's place on the calendar - something which would not have been expected before this year's successful race. Although the action on track may not have been stunning, both parties were encouraged by the reaction of fans twelve months on from the Michelin fiasco which damaged the 2005 race. It is now for the fans that IMS wants to get its date set in stone.

"The longer that goes, the harder it's going to be for us to get information to our customers," COO Joie Chitwood told the Indianapolis Star newspaper of the negotiations over contract and date.

The Indy 500 is set for 27 May and the Brickyard 400 for 29 July. The F1 definitive calendar is not expected until December, although certain races - notably the Australian Grand Prix - have already been inked to dates.