Hours before the MAVTV 500 that made him the series champion, Andretti Autosport confirmed that Ryan Hunter-Reay has signed a new deal that will keep him with Andretti's IZOD IndyCar Series team for the next two seasons. The announcement followed a report by the Associated Press that that a team spokesman confirmed on Friday night that Hunter-Reay had reached an agreement on a deal.

"I have a lot of deep-rooted relationships with the team and the team sponsors and I'm looking forward to continuing and further developing those relationships," said Hunter-Reay. "I'm happy to be able to enjoy the off season knowing what the next two years hold. I'm looking forward to my return with Andretti Autosport and hope to have the opportunity to speak more on it soon, but today we are focused on leaving Fontana tonight with a championship."

"We are happy to have Ryan back with us for the 2013 and 2014 IndyCar seasons," said Michael Andretti. "He is a tough competitor and has become an important part of our team. He is the ultimate team player and I know we can count on him, along with his teammates, to continue to be a foundation for us. We believe that he, Marco (Andretti) and James (Hinchcliffe) will continue to work together and take the team to great places with great success."