Arrow McLaren unveils the McLaren Racing Center and the 2026 Arrow McLaren Chevrolet liveries in Indianapolis. (Photo courtesy of McLaren Racing)

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 renovation significantly expanded the facility’s footprint, adding an immersive lobby, extended the second-floor mezzanine and introduced a state-of-the-art fitness and recovery center.

“This event marked a significant milestone and the start of a new chapter for Arrow McLaren,” Team President Kevin Thimjon said. “The McLaren Racing Center reflects the legacy our racing teams have built since Bruce (McLaren) paved the way in 1963. We wanted the design to scream McLaren and be a state-of-the-art home for the organization in North America. We are proud to share this moment with our partners and guests.”

Nearly tripling the team’s previous operational footprint, the McLaren Racing Center will serve as McLaren Racing’s North American headquarters. The opening coincides with a period of success across the organization, highlighted by the McLaren Mastercard Formula 1 Team’s Constructors and Drivers Championships in 2025 with Lando Norris of Great Britain. Teammate Oscar Piastri, a 24-year-old native of Australia, finished third in the final standings.

Norris, 26, finished third in the season-ending Abu Dhabi Grand Prix to secure his first F1 World Championship. Norris finished two points ahead of race-winner/four-time World Champion Max Verstappen of Belgium to clinch the title.

In addition, Arrow McLaren enjoyed its most successful NTT IndyCar Series campaign to-date in 2025. O’Ward, a 26-year-old native of Mexico with family ties to San Antonio, Texas, won two races en route to finishing second in the final driver standings to four-time/reigning INDYCAR champion Alex Palou of Spain and Chip Ganassi Racing. Lundgaard, a 24-year-old native of Denmark, finished fifth while native Californian Siegel, 21, placed 22^nd overall.

“We’re very excited to be operating out of the McLaren Racing Center with the space, technology and infrastructure we need all under one roof,” said Team Principal Tony Kanaan, a former INDYCAR and Indianapolis 500 champion from Brazil. “Our focus hasn’t changed: continued growth, winning the Indy 500 and fighting for the championship remain the standard as we move forward in our new home. We set the bar high in 2025, and we’re only looking higher this season. We’ve got the team in place to keep fighting.”

Arrow McLaren collaborated with its Official Supplier Partners _ including California Closets, NewAge and Secret Lab _ to equip the building with products tailored to the team’s new space. The team also worked with Expand Machinery, an Official Partner, and Stratasys, its Official 3D Printing Partner, to enhance competition capabilities through advanced machinery and 3D printing equipment. Additional McLaren Racing partners _ including Cisco, DeWalt and NTT DATA _ also supported the renovation with their respective areas of expertise.

During the event, Arrow McLaren unveiled the three liveries for its full-time entries: O’Ward’s No. 5 Arrow McLaren Chevrolet, Siegel’s No. 6 NTT DATA Arrow McLaren Chevrolet and the No. 7 VELO Arrow McLaren Chevrolet of Lundgaard.

Arrow McLaren IndyCar Team continues the tradition of native New Zealander Bruce McLaren, who founded Bruce McLaren Motor Racing Ltd. In 1963. A race-winning driver, McLaren also was known for his hands-on engineering as he designed and built championship winning cars for Formula 1 and Can-Am competition.

Within INDYCAR, the team’s legacy includes three McLaren Indianapolis 500 victories _ 1972 with Mark Donohue in a car fielded by Team Penske, and factory entries in 1974 and 1976 with Johnny Rutherford of Fort Worth, Texas. McLaren Racing’s INDYCAR resume features a total of 27 wins, 30 poles and 87 podium finishes.

Following a dominant run in the 1970s, McLaren Racing re-entered INDYCAR 40 years later with Indianapolis 500 entries in 2017 and 2019 for two-time (2005-2006) Formula 1 World Driving Champion Fernando Alonso of Spain. In 2020, McLaren Racing solidified its full-season return through a partnership with Arrow Schmidt Peterson Motorsports before securing majority ownership in 2021 and full ownership at the end of 2024.

In addition to full-timers O’Ward, Lundgaard and Siegel, Ryan Hunter-Reay will compete with the team at the 110th Indianapolis 500 in the No. 31 Arrow McLaren Chevrolet. Hunter-Reay, a 45-year-old resident of Florida nicknamed “Captain America,” won the INDYCAR championship in 2012 and the Indy 500 in 2014.

NTT IndyCar Series teams will participate in the Unser INDYCAR Open Test at Phoenix Raceway Feb. 17-18 in preparation for the Good Ranchers 250 on Saturday, March 7.

The INDCAR event _ Round 2 of an expanded 18-race schedule _ will be part of a busy weekend at the famed 1-mile oval alongside NASCAR, providing a joint showcase of North American racing in partnership with FOX Sports.

INDYCAR most recently raced at Phoenix Raceway on April 7, 2018, an event won by Josef Newgarden of Team Penske. It was the last event contested on the track’s original configuration before it was reconfigured _the former Turn 3 is now Turn 1 _ and repaved.

The test honors the open-wheel legacy of brothers Al and Bobby Unser, the natives of Albuquerque, N.M., who combined to win 10 races at the track formerly known as Phoenix International Raceway. Al Unser won a record six INDYCAR races and added six poles at the facility in Avondale, Ariz., from 1969 to 1985. In addition to his four victories, Bobby Unser scored a track-record 11 poles.

Two-time INDYCAR champion and two-time Indianapolis 500 winner Al Unser Jr. finished runner-up at Phoenix four times.

“I’ll speak for our family and say how pleased we are to be honored in this way by INDYCAR,” Little Al said. “Dad simply loved racing at Phoenix, and no one took it to the edge in qualifying there quite like Uncle Bobby. It was exciting to see the track added to the schedule this year, and the Open Test will be crucial for drivers and teams as they get ready for the race in March. I can’t wait to see the NTT IndyCar Series back at Phoenix.”

On-track testing will take place from 2-7 p.m. EST (noon-5 p.m. MST) on Tuesday, Feb. 17, and 11 a.m.-2 p.m. EST (9 a.m.- noon) and 3:30-6:30 p.m. EST (1:30-4:30 p.m.) on Wednesday, Feb. 18.

Four-time/reigning NTT IndyCar Series champion Alex Palou of Spain and Chip Ganassi Racing and nine-time INDYCAR race-winner Pato O’Ward of Mexico and Arrow McLaren will be part of a news conference at 12:30 p.m. EST (10:30 a.m. MST) on Tuesday.

The Unser INDYCAR Open Test at Phoenix Raceway will only be open to fans on Feb. 18. Access will be free and include an autograph session from 12:45-1:15 p.m. (MST) for the first 300 fans to visit the Phoenix Raceway display in the Midway.

The 2026 NTT IndyCar Series season will begin with the Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg, Fla., street race on Sunday, March 1. The recently revised 18-race schedule includes new venues in Arlington, Texas, in the Dallas-Fort Worth market; Markham, Ontario, Canada and Washington, D.C. For information about the series or teams, visit www.indycar.com.

Former Team Penske President Tim Cindric, one of three executives fired by Roger S. Penske last May for an Indianapolis 500 technical infraction, has rejoined the organization as Scott McLaughlin’s strategist for the upcoming NTT IndyCar Series season.

The Associated Press speculated that Cindric’s role as race strategist, announced on Jan. 29, is likely a weekend-only job.

“Tim Cindric brings decades of experience to Scott’s timing stand, and given his experience and time within our organization, he will be a great addition to our lineup on race day in the role of race strategist,” Jonathan Diuguid, the current team president, said in a statement.

Cindric had served as longtime Team President, as well as race strategist for two-time Indianapolis 500 winner Josef Newgarden. Cindric had stepped back from many of his larger roles following the 2024 season, but when Newgarden and Will Power’s cars failed inspection moments before they were due to run for pole at Indianapolis Motor Speedway last May, 88-year-old team-founder Penske canned his three top executives.

The second major technical infraction for Team Penske in just over one year forced Penske’s stunning decision. The two other executives have landed new jobs with different teams.

McLaughlin, who finished 10th in the 2025 final NTT IndyCar Series driver standings in the No. 3 Chevrolet, endorsed the hiring.

“Tim Cindric is a huge part of why I was able to make the journey from Australia to the (NTT) IndyCar Series,” said McLaughlin, a 32-year-old native of Christchurch, N.Z. “We’ve had a very close relationship for many years and he’s been a tremendous help to my career.

“I’ve wanted to have TC on my stand from the moment I got here. His experience, knowledge and focus are world-class.”

Final 2025 NTT IndyCar Series Point Standings _ 1, Alex Palou, Chip Ganassi Racing, 711; 2, Pato O’Ward, Arrow McLaren, 515; 3, Scott Dixon, Chip Ganassi Racing, 452; 4, Kyle Kirkwood, Andretti Global, 433; 5, Christian Lundgaard, Arrow McLaren, 431; 6, Felix Rosenqvist, Meyer Shank Racing, 372; 7, Colton Herta, Andretti Global, 372; 8, Marcus Armstrong, Meyer Shank Racing, 364; 9, Will Power, Team Penske, 357; 10, Scott McLaughlin, Team Penske, 356;

11, David Malukas, A.J. Foyt Racing, 318; 12, Josef Newgarden, Team Penske, 316; 13, Christian Rasmussen, Ed Carpenter Racing, 313; 14, Rinus VeeKay, Dale Coyne Racing, 305; 15, Alexander Rossi, Ed Carpenter Racing, 297; 16, Santino Ferrucci, A.J. Foyt Racing, 293; 17, Kyffin Simpson, Chip Ganassi Racing, 282; 18, Conor Daly, Juncos Hollinger Racing, 268; 19, Graham Rahal, Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing, 260; 20, Marcus Ericsson, Andretti Global, 234;

21, Callum Ilott, PREMA Racing, 218; 22, Nolan Siegel, Arrow McLaren, 213; 23, Louis Foster, Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing, 213; 24, Robert Shwartzman, PREMA Racing, 211; 25, Sting Ray Robb, Juncos Hollinger Racing, 181; 26, Devlin DeFrancesco, Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing, 171; 27, Jacob Abel, Dale Coyne Racing, 123; 28, Takuma Sato, Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing, 36; 29, Helio Castroneves, Meyer Shank Racing, 20; 30, Ed Carpenter, Ed Carpenter Racing, 16;

31, Jack Harvey, Dreyer & Reinbold Racing/Cusick Motorsports, 12; 32, Ryan Hunter-Reay, Dreyer & Reinbold Racing/Cusick Motorsports, 10; 33, Kyle Larson, Arrow McLaren with Henrick Motorsports, 6; 34, Marco Andretti, Andretti Herta with Marco & Curb-Agajanian, 5.

FOX SPORTS’ 2026 NTT INDYCAR SERIES RACE BROADCAST SCHEDULE

Note _ All times Eastern

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

Saturday, March 7 _ Phoenix Raceway, Avondale, Ariz., 3 p.m.

Sunday, March 15 _ Streets of Arlington, Texas, 12:30 p.m.

Sunday, March 29 _ Barber Motorsports Park, Birmingham, Ala., 1 p.m.

Sunday, April 19 _ Streets of Long Beach, Calif., 5:30 p.m.

Saturday, May 9 _ Indianapolis Motor Speedway Road-Course, 4:30 p.m.

Sunday, May 24 _ 110^th Indianapolis 500, Indianapolis Motor Speedway Oval, 10 a.m.

Sunday, May 31 _ Streets of Detroit, 12:30 p.m.

Sunday, June 7 _ World Wide Technology Raceway, Madison, Ill., 9 p.m.

Sunday, June 21 _ Road America, Elkhart Lake, Wis., 2 p.m.

Sunday, July 5 _ Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course, Lexington, Ohio, 12:30 p.m.

Sunday, July 19 _ Nashville Superspeedway, Lebanon, Tenn., TBA

Sunday, Aug. 9 _ Portland (Ore.) International Raceway, 4 p.m.

Sunday, Aug. 16 _ Streets of Markham, Canada, Noon

Sunday, Aug. 23 _ Freedom 250 Grand Prix of Washington, D.C., TBA

Saturday, Aug. 29 _ The Milwaukee Mile Race 1, West Allis, Wis., 2:30 p.m.

Sunday, Aug. 30 _ The Milwaukee Mile Race 2, West Allis, Wis., 1 p.m.

Sunday, Sept. 6 _ WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca, Monterey, Calif., 2:30 p.m.

Note _ Dates and times subject to change.