INDYCAR’s 2026 schedule features return visits to familiar metro markets

by racedaysaeditor | Posted on Wednesday, September 17th, 2025

For the second consecutive season, all 17 races will be broadcast on FOX, with additional appearances during two days of qualifying for the 110^th Indianapolis 500 presented by Gainbridge. Photo courtesy of the NTT IndyCar Series

INDYCAR’s return to the key metropolitan Phoenix and Dallas-Fort Worth markets highlights multiple new events on the revised 2026 NTT IndyCar Series schedule.

Event talking points include:

_ A set of three consecutive race weekends in March to launch the season, including new events at Phoenix Raceway in suburban Avondale, Ariz., and the Streets of Arlington, Texas.

_ An innovative crossover showcase at Nashville Superspeedway in Lebanon, Tenn., with FOX’s telecast of the FIFA World Cup 26™ Final serving as an historic lead-in.

_ More prime-time racing under the lights on ovals at both World Wide Technology Raceway in Madison, Ill., and the aforementioned Nashville Superspeedway.

_ A return of the season-finale and crowning of the 2026 driver’s champion to renowned WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca in Monterey, Calif.

In the first year of a multi-year partnership with FOX Sports, viewership of the 2025 schedule was up 27 percent from the previous season, generating the fastest growth curve of any major sport. An average of 1.36-million viewers watched the 17-race schedule that led to the history-making championship of Spaniard Alex Palou of Chip Ganassi Racing, the first three-peat title winner in 14 years.

“Our growth is industry-leading and will only accelerate faster as we continue our powerful partnership with FOX Sports and increase investment in our events,” said Mark Miles, Penske Entertainment Corp. president/CEO. “The 2026 NTT IndyCar Series schedule provides a dynamic showcase for our sport and its stars, blending fan-favorite race weekends with incredible showcases at exciting new venues. We cannot wait for 2026.”

For the first time in the sport’s history, INDYCAR will compete during four dates in March. The 2026 season will open on Sunday, March 1, on the Streets of St. Petersburg, Fla., with the Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg. It will be the 16th time and fifth consecutive year INDYCAR has opened the season on the sun-splashed Streets of St. Pete.

Following its visit to Florida’s Gulf Coast, the series will travel to Phoenix Raceway in Avondale as part of a shared weekend alongside NASCAR. INDYCAR’s Saturday, March 7, race will mark the 65th time the series has competed on the historic 1-mile oval and first event on the track’s reconfigured D-shaped “dogleg” layout. The weekend will provide a joint-showcase with NASCAR in partnership with FOX Sports.

“We’re going to kick-start the season in fitting fashion, with four races in five weeks,” INDYCAR President J. Douglas Boles said. “Our joint weekend in partnership with NASCAR and FOX at Phoenix Raceway will be a can’t-miss for motorsport fans across the country.”

INDYCAR first raced in the Phoenix market in 1964. Past winners are a list of legendary champions including A.J. Foyt Jr., Mario Andretti, Bobby Unser, Al Unser, Gordon Johncock, Johnny Rutherford, Tom Sneva, Bobby Rahal, Rick Mears, Helio Castroneves, Tony Kanaan, Scott Dixon and Josef Newgarden.

A week later, the series will race on the new 2.73-mile/14-turn Streets of Arlington circuit for the inaugural INDYCAR Grand Prix of Arlington, Texas. A “tent-pole” event during the 2026 championship, the weekend is a first-of-its-kind venture uniting three championship organizations _ INDYCAR, the NFL’s Dallas Cowboys and REV Entertainment, official events partner of MLB’s Texas Rangers.

The Sunday, March 15, Arlington race marks a return to a North Texas market that previously hosted INDYCAR on Texas Motor Speedway’s high-banked/1.5-mile oval in Fort Worth from 1997 to 2023. The race will anchor an all-star lineup of fan activations in the popular Arlington Entertainment District.

Two weeks later, the March schedule will finish on the series’ first natural-terrain road-course of 2026 with a return to Barber Motorsports Park for Round 4 of the championship on Sunday, March 29. This will be the series’ 16th race on the picturesque and physically demanding layout in Birmingham, Ala.

The schedule will resume Sunday, April 19, on the palm tree-lined streets of Southern California for the iconic Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach. It will be the 42nd time the series has raced on the famed street circuit as the event enters its sixth decade. In 2025, a modern event-record of more than 200,000 fans attended California’s “200 mph beach party” at INDYCAR’s longest-running street-circuit event.

A few weeks later, the series moves into the traditional Month of May at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Activity will begin with a race on the IMS Road-Course on Saturday, May 9. Attention will then shift to the famed 2.5-mile oval for two days of qualifying on Saturday-Sunday, May 16-17, building toward the 110th edition of “The Greatest Spectacle in Racing” _ the world’s largest single-day sporting event _ on Sunday, May 24.

INDYCAR’s traditional post-Memorial Day weekend visit to the Streets of Detroit will start a summer stretch of on-track action through the Fourth of July holiday.

The Chevrolet Detroit Grand Prix presented by Lear is scheduled for Sunday, May 31, with racing on a 1.645-mile street circuit in Downtown Motown for the fourth straight year. The layout has featured the most on-track passes on a street-course in nearly three years.

One week later, the series will move to Sunday prime-time oval racing at World Wide Technology Raceway for the 10th Annual Bommarito Automotive Group 500 presented by Axalta and Valvoline on Sunday, June 7. The 2025 night race in Madison, Ill., outside St. Louis produced an event-record 14 different leaders and tied the event-record with 254 on-track passes for position.

A return to tradition-rich Road America and the XPEL Grand Prix at Road America Presented by AMR is scheduled for Sunday, June 21. Last year’s race on the picturesque circuit in Elkhart Lake, Wis., produced a race-record nine different leaders and second-most passing numbers at the track.

Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course in Lexington, Ohio, will continue the series’ tradition of a Fourth of July trackside celebration by hosting the series on Sunday, July 5. The Honda Indy 200 at Mid-Ohio matches Long Beach as it will host INDYCAR for the 42nd year in 2026.

The FIFA World Cup™ Final on FOX promises to provide a unique lead-in and showcase as the series begins the last six races of the 2026 INDYCAR championship.

Following FOX’s full telecast of the FIFA World Cup™ Final and Trophy ceremony on Sunday, July 19, the series will take the green flag at Nashville Superspeedway. The expected start time of the Borchetta Bourbon Music City Grand Prix will take the wheel-to-wheel action to a checkered flag finish under the lights on the 1.33-mile concrete oval in Lebanon, Tenn. Additionally, the race length has been set for 400 miles on the demanding concrete oval.

The season’s schedule continues into August with a flurry of four races beginning at Portland International (Ore.) Raceway and the BITNILE.COM Grand Prix of Portland on Sunday, Aug. 9. It will be the 32nd INDYCAR weekend in the scenic Pacific Northwest city.

A week later, the series will return to Canada to compete on the new Streets of Markham layout on Sunday, Aug. 16. As recently announced, the Ontario Honda Dealers Indy at Markham will continue the series’ history of racing in the metro Toronto area. Major investments from the city are creating a 2.19-mile/12-turn layout, which will include a double-sided pit lane, a high-speed straight and technically challenging sectors.

As part of the young and diverse York Region of Ontario, Markham is experiencing significant growth at a population of more than 1.25-million. The 2026 race will mark the 38th year the series has competed in Ontario and 40th INDYCAR race in the province.

A popular double-header at The Milwaukee Mile will mark a crucial championship stretch Saturday and Sunday, Aug. 29-30. In recent years, the 250-lap races in West Allis, Wis., have featured the most on-track passes on record at the oldest continuously operated motor speedway in the world.

The climactic ending of the 2026 NTT IndyCar Series championship and presentation of the Astor Challenge Cup will return to WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca in California for the INDYCAR Grand Prix of Monterey on Sunday, Sept. 6. The historic venue is known for its challenging corners, unique and demanding elevation changes and the world-famous Corkscrew. The event recently has benefited from significant investment and fan-focused renovations through the leadership of “Friends of Laguna Seca,” a local non-profit that now manages the venue.

Overall, the 2026 schedule includes a nearly even mix of ovals, road-courses and street circuits. “This championship format and diverse schedule tests driver and team adaptability,” Boles said, “and truly celebrates the most complete driver and team at the end of the season.”

For the record, the 2026 schedule has dropped a March race conducted at The Thermal Club resort near Palm Springs, Calif., and a double-header at Iowa Speedway in Newton.

The INDYCAR Radio Network again will provide audio coverage of all NTT IndyCar Series sessions via SiriusXM Channel 218 and the INDYCAR App powered by NTT DATA.

Start times for the 2026 events will be announced at a later date. The 2026 schedule for INDY NXT by Firestone, INDYCAR’s developmental series, will be announced soon.

2026 NTT INDYCAR SERIES SCHEDULE

Sunday, March 1 _ Streets of St. Petersburg, Fla.

Saturday, March 7 _ Phoenix Raceway, Avondale, Ariz.

Sunday, March 15 _ Streets of Arlington, Texas

Sunday, March 29 _ Barber Motorsports Park, Birmingham, Ala.

Sunday, April 19 _ Streets of Long Beach, Calif.

Saturday, May 9 _ Indianapolis Motor Speedway Road-Course

Sunday, May 24 _ 110^th Indianapolis 500, Indianapolis Motor Speedway Oval

Sunday, May 31 _ Streets of Detroit

Sunday, June 7 _ World Wide Technology Raceway, Madison, Ill.

Sunday, June 21 _ Road America, Elkhart Lake, Wis.

Sunday, July 5 _ Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course, Lexington, Ohio