The charge toward the 2017 Verizon IndyCar Series championship begins in earnest in a week. So, too, does the battle for supremacy in the INDYCAR Fantasy Challenge driven by Firestone.

The annual contest – the official Verizon IndyCar Series fantasy game available at fantasy.indycar.com – tasks participants to construct a winning team of drivers for each of the Verizon IndyCar Series races this season. Beginning with the season-opening Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg on March 12 and running through the climactic GoPro Grand Prix of Sonoma on Sept. 17, fans can create their own four-driver teams and compete for valuable prizes awarded after each race and the grand prize of a 2018 VIP experience at a Verizon IndyCar Series event.

Participants score points by selecting the four-driver roster they believe will finish best in each of the 17 races, but they’ll have to do so by managing a salary cap limit to balance their lineup. Among the drivers to choose from are past season champions Simon Pagenaud, Scott Dixon, Will Power, Ryan Hunter-Reay, Sebastien Bourdais and Tony Kanaan, three-time Indianapolis 500 winner Helio Castroneves and budding stars Marco Andretti, James Hinchcliffe, Josef Newgarden, Graham Rahal and Alexander Rossi.

Fans are also encouraged to create their own league within the site so they can compete with friends and family.

Review the official rules and sign up today by visiting fantasy.indycar.com. Selections for each race are due prior to the drop of the green flag on race day. All Verizon IndyCar Series races air live on either ABC or NBCSN, as well as the Advance Auto Parts INDYCAR Radio Network that includes network affiliates, Sirius 212, XM 209 and IndyCar.com. Fans can set themselves to receive a reminder to watch race broadcasts at http://calendar.indycar.com/.