By John Sturbin, Raceday San Antonio Texas-centric Hall of Famers DeMarcus Ware and Iván “Pudge” Rodríguez will serve as Co-Grand Marshals for INDYCAR’s inaugural Java House Grand Prix of Arlington street race on Sunday, March 15. Ware and Rodríguez will deliver the command, “Drivers, start your engines!” ahead of Race No. 3 on the 2026 NTT IndyCar Series schedule, adding hometown star-power to open-wheel racing’s return to the Dallas-Fort Worth market. Ware, a former Dallas Cowboys linebacker, built a Pro Football Hall of Fame career as the franchise’s all-time sack leader with 117.0 _ and two fumbles returned for touchdowns…
Author: John Sturbin
John Sturbin
John Sturbin is a Fort Worth-based journalist specializing in motorsports. During a near 30-year career with the Fort Worth Star-Telegram, he won the Bloys Britt Award for top motorsports story of the year (1991) as judged by The Associated Press; received the National Hot Rod Association’s Media Award (1995) and several in-house Star-Telegram honors. He also was inaugural recipient of the Texas Motor Speedway Excellence in Journalism Award (2009). Email John Sturbin at jsturbin@hotmail.com.
By John Sturbin, Raceday San Antonio The McLaren Racing Center in Indianapolis is redefining the term “garage majal.” Arrow McLaren IndyCar Team officially unveiled its new home during its recent 2026 season kickoff event. McLaren CEO Zak Brown and drivers Pato O’Ward, Christian Lundgaard and Nolan Siegel welcomed more than 200 partners, industry and community guests and select fans for an evening of live programming, guided tours and on-site experiences. The event was live-streamed on the NTT IndyCar Series’ YouTube channel and is now available to watch on demand. Arrow McLaren acquired the building in June 2025. A fast-paced, six-month…
By John Sturbin, Raceday San Antonio Mick Schumacher described his first INDYCAR oval-track test laps with Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing as “a bit weird and awkward” Wednesday at Homestead-Miami Speedway. “It can only go better from here,” said Schumacher, who will contest the full, 18-race 2026 NTT IndyCar Series schedule with RLLR. Six oval races, including the 110th Indianapolis 500 on Indianapolis Motor Speedway’s famed 2.5-mile oval, are featured on the schedule. The 26-year-old son of seven-time Formula One World Driving Champion Michael Schumacher, Mick’s racing resume includes 43 F1 starts with a best finish of sixth, along with three…
By John Sturbin, Raceday San Antonio The NHRA Funny Car rivalry between corporate atagonists John Force Racing and Bob Tasca Racing was amped-up Thursday, when two-time/reigning world champion Austin Prock was introduced as driver of Tasca’s Ford Mustang beginning with the 2026 Mission Foods Drag Racing Series season. Prock and the tuning pairing led by his father, Jimmy, and brother, Thomas, were introduced live on stage by Mark Rushbrook, Ford Racing’s global director, during the 2026 Ford Racing Season Launch Event at Michigan Central Station in Detroit. Prock’s PPG Nitro Mustang Dark Horse Funny Car will carry the No. 1…
By John Sturbin, Raceday San Antonio Three-time Cup Series champion Tony Stewart will return to his NASCAR roots next month at Daytona International Speedway as first driver of Kaulig Racing’s innovative Dodge Free Agent Driver Program in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series. Inducted into the NASCAR Hall of Fame in 2020, Stewart will wheel the No. 25 Ram Trucks entry during the season-opening Fresh From Florida 250 on Friday, Feb. 13, around DIS’ high-banked/2.5-mile trioval. “Having Tony Stewart in one of our Ram trucks is the kind of thing you dream about,” said Matt Kaulig, founder/owner of Kaulig Racing.…
By John Sturbin, Raceday San Antonio FORT WORTH _ Televised coverage of INDYCAR’s inaugural Java House Grand Prix of Arlington on Sunday, March 15, will begin with a 30-minute pre-race block at 11:30 a.m. (CT), according to a broadcast schedule announced by FOX Sports. The NTT IndyCar Series will return to the Dallas-Fort Worth market to compete on a temporary 2.73-mile/14-turn Streets of Arlington circuit anchored by AT&T Stadium. 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…
By John Sturbin, Raceday San Antonio Dallas-based Sunoco’s trademark three-color logo will return to the NTT IndyCar Series in 2026 as full-time primary partner on the No. 8 Honda driven by Kyffin Simpson. The multi-year agreement with Chip Ganassi Racing marks Sunoco’s first full-season of primary partnership in INDYCAR since 1973. Sunoco _ largest independent fuel distributor in the Americas _ previously served as the primary fuel supplier of INDYCAR from 2010-2018 and the Indianapolis Motor Speedway from 2015-2018. The company’s return to the “Fastest Racing on Earth” marks a committed re-entry into domestic open-wheel racing in partnership with…
By John Sturbin, Raceday San Antonio A self-described “big fan of single-seater racing,” Mick Schumacher confirmed today he will contest the full 2026 NTT IndyCar Series season with Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing. The 26-year-old son of seven-time Formula One World Driving Champion Michael Schumacher, Mick’s racing resume includes 43 F1 starts with a best finish of sixth, along with three podiums in World Endurance Championship competition. The Swiss-born driver will compete in the No. 47 Honda-powered entry alongside INDYCAR veteran Graham Rahal, 36, and 2025 Rookie of the Year Louis Foster, 22, of Great Britain. Sponsorship details for the…
By John Sturbin, Raceday San Antonio A.J. Foyt Racing’s signature No. 14 Chevrolet will feature a patriotic livery during the full, 17-event 2026 NTT IndyCar Series schedule as part of a unique marketing campaign dedicated to improving the quality of life for America’s military veterans. An Indianapolis 500-centric program with driver Santino Ferrucci that raised millions of dollars for Homes For Our Troops (hfot.org) has been expanded with new marketing partners Hendricks Commercial Properties and Geronimo Hospitality Group. Hendricks Holding Co., Inc., is the parent company of the new partners as well as that of former partner ABC Supply…
By John Sturbin, Raceday San Antonio A.J. Foyt Racing’s aggressive, youth-oriented offseason has added Brazilian Caio Collett to its driver lineup for the 2026 NTT IndyCar Series season. Championship runnerup in the 2025 INDY NXT by Firestone standings, Collett will wheel Foyt Racing’s No. 4 Chevrolet during an expanded 17-race schedule, with sponsorship from Combitrans Amazonia. Collett replaces native Chicagoan David Malukas, who joined Team Penske in mid-September after the exit of free agent Will Power of Australia. Waller, Texas-based Foyt Racing has a technical partnership with Team Penske, the most successful organization in domestic open-wheel history. Malukas finished…