INDIANAPOLIS -- The United States Grand Prix will still be held at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in 2004 but it's going to run at a different time. Instead of its traditional fall date, American's lone Formula One show will be moving to early summer.

ESPN.com has learned from sources close to the situation that June 20, 2004, will be the new date for Michael Schumacher and Co. at the world's most famous race track.

Neither F1 czar Bernie Ecclestone or IMS president Tony George could be reached for comment and Ron Green, director of public relations for the Speedway, would neither confirm or deny ESPN.com's report.

"Bernie recently had to present a schedule to the FIA (Federation International Automobile) for 2004 with a list of dates but we haven't had a set date established for the 2004 US Grand Prix," said Green.

"We know the FIA approved dates in June and late September but that's all we know right now."

Asked if moving F1 to only a couple weeks after the 88th Indianapolis 500 on May 30 would present problems, Green replied: "It would definitely present some challenges and it would also have some advantages as well since it would be coming off the first F1 race in North America.

"If it happened, obviously there are a lot of variables to consider."

A source inside F1 said there had been recent discussions about packaging the two races in North America and the two in Asia in 2004.

As it stands now, F1 always runs the Canadian Grand Prix at Montreal in early June and June 6 is the likely date for that race in 2004. In his original proposal, F1 czar Ecclestone pitched the USGP to follow Canada or be the final race of the season but George didn't like the first option because it was too close to Indy and didn't like the other option because of potential bad weather in late October.

Back in the 1960s and 1970s, when Watkins Glen, N.Y., hosted the USGP, F1 would stop at Mosport, Canada, before moving on to The Glen.

	Ferrari drivers Rubens Barrichello (left) and Michael Schumacher finished 1-2 at the USGP in 2002.

Naturally, the immediate concerns might be two-fold.

Right now, the spacing of three of the four major races in this country is easy on everyone since Indy runs in May, NASCAR's Brickyard 400 is the first weekend of August and F1 is late September.

With Indy slated for late May in 2004, it would only give IMS personnel three weeks to clean up the grounds, transform the track into a road course, put up signage and distribute tickets.

And what about downtown? Are back-to-back races detrimental?

"In terms of impact of the event I don't think it will matter when the grand prix is held. I don't see the timing impacting the attendance," said Bob Bedell, president and CEO of the Indianapolis Convention & Visitors Association.

"There could be short-term issues with conventions already under contract. A major convention usually takes up between 1,000 and 4,000 rooms so obviously that could be an issue.

"But the Speedway understands the issues and I haven't been told anything about moving the grand prix yet."

The inaugural USGP here in 2000 was a sellout, filling the estimated 200,000 grandstand seats and also selling several thousand general admissions. However, attendance has steadily declined and there were thought to be a little less than 100,000 last September.

Of course, that was still one of F1's largest gatherings in 2002 and, because Ecclestone controls television, sponsorship and his Paddock Club, plus receiving several million dollars in travel expense from IMS, Indianapolis is one of his top profit centers.

Joey Chitwood, vice president of business operations at IMS, said he didn't know the 2004 date but was for anything that keep the USGP in front of the American consumer.

"Every day we think about what could be better for that race and last month's demonstration run by Jeff Gordon really saw an impact at the box office," said Chitwood, referring to Gordon driving Juan Pablo Montoya's Williams F1 car while the 2000 Indy 500 winner ran the three-time Brickyard 400 king's Chevrolet stock car.

"Speed Channel did a great job of educating and exciting a people about F1 because they saw Jeff Gordon say it was the most exciting thing he's ever done."

It's been rumored Ecclestone might move the USGP back to Long Beach, Calif., or possibly try Las Vegas again after his original five-year contract with Indianapolis expires after 2004. But he does have option years available with George and IMS.

Robin Miller covers open wheel racing for ESPN and ESPN.com.