INDYCAR’s Grand Prix of Arlington featured in “Phase One” of 2027 schedule
By John Sturbin, Raceday San Antonio
INDYCAR’s second annual Java House Grand Prix of Arlington street race weekend has been confirmed for March 19-21, 2027 as part of “Phase One” of next year’s NTT IndyCar Series schedule.
Mar 14, 2026; Arlington, Texas, USA; Chip Ganassi Racing driver Scott Dixon (9) drives during qualifying for the inaugural 2026 NTT IndyCar Series Java House Grand Prix of Arlington Photo Credit: Michael C. Johnson
The spring event lineup announced Wednesday includes a launch featuring three straight weekends beginning on the Streets of St. Petersburg, Fla., on Sunday, March 7; Phoenix Raceway on Saturday, March 13 and the Streets of Arlington’s Entertainment District on Sunday, March 21. Overall, INDYCAR announced the dates and locations for the first eight races of the 2027 season.
For the third consecutive season, all NTT IndyCar Series races will be broadcast on FOX Sports, with three additional appearances scheduled during two days of qualifying for the 111th Indianapolis 500 presented by Gainbridge and coverage of Miller Lite Carb Day at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
The NTT IndyCar Series is the only premier motorsports series in North America with all races broadcast on network television. Viewership is up 16 percent in 2026 from the previous season _ the highest viewership of the open-wheel championship since 2008.
“It has been another remarkable year of growth through our powerful partnership with FOX Sports, and we look forward to focusing on even greater opportunities through the 2027 NTT IndyCar Series schedule,” Mark Miles, Penske Entertainment Corp. president/CEO, said in a statement from Indianapolis. “We are pleased to confirm ‘Phase One’ of next year’s championship alongside another accelerated start with races in St. Petersburg, Phoenix and Arlington.
“The 2026 season has been proof of concept that our sport is fueled by an expanding presence across marquee events and destinations, and we look forward to carrying that momentum into 2027.”
The Sunday, March 7, race on the Streets of St. Pete will be the 17th time the championship opens in the Sunshine City with the Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg.
One weekend later, the NTT IndyCar Series will return for another joint showcase with NASCAR in partnership with FOX Sports at Phoenix Raceway. The Saturday, March 13, race will be the 66th time INDYCAR has raced on the historic 1-mile desert oval in Avondale, Ariz. The 2026 race featured 565 on-track passes _ the most on record for INDYCAR at Phoenix Raceway.
The series will then return to the Dallas-Fort Worth market on the 2.73-mile/14-turn Streets of Arlington circuit for the second Java House Grand Prix of Arlington on Sunday, March 21. The tentpole event unites three championship organizations _ INDYCAR, the NFL’s Dallas Cowboys and REV Entertainment, official events partner of MLB’s Texas Rangers. The sold-out inaugural race featured the season’s fastest trap speed on a street circuit at 192.298 mph by Kyle Kirkwood before being won by the Andretti Global driver.
Renewal of the contract in North Texas was expected. INDYCAR President J. Douglas Boles confirmed during an interview with racedaySA.com on March 2 the event partners were working under “a multi-year deal, typically from three-to-five years.”
Kirkwood won the inaugural event on March 15 with a late-race pass for the lead against four-time/reigning NTT IndyCar Series champion Alex Palou of Spain and Chip Ganassi Racing. The 70-lap/191.1-miler was staged on a temporary layout designed by Tony Cotman against the backdrop of AT&T Stadium, home to the Cowboys, and Globe Life Field, home to the Rangers.
Event organizers predicted a three-day attendance total of between 75,000 and 80,000 fans based upon ticket sales spanning all 50 states and 20 countries. However, an exact attendance figure was not announced.
Inaugural event highlights in Arlington included:
_ Record merchandise sales for a non-Indianapolis 500 event, albeit without any hard numbers as proof.
_ The largest premium hospitality program fulfilled outside of the Indianapolis 500, with premium experiences and corporate activations across the circuit. Included was a sold-out bank of pit lane suites and two club spaces.
_ A festival-style atmosphere featuring fan zones, live entertainment and interactive experiences that elevated the weekend beyond a traditional race event.
_ Global broadcast exposure showcasing Arlington and the North Texas sports community to millions of viewers worldwide via FOX Sports and its various networks. Race Day TV numbers provided by Nielsen Research confirmed an average of 1,336,000 viewers tuned-in to watch Kirkwood’s winning drive live on FOX. Eyeballs peaked to 1,563,000 from 2 to 2:15 p.m. (EDT).
Recall that FOX Sports purchased 30 percent of Penske Entertainment in the summer of 2025, and is widely viewed as a prime mover in the plan to take more series races to the streets in a bid to attract a new and younger demographic.
Indeed, the Java House Grand Prix of Arlington went into the record book as “the new standard” for hosting and staging a domestic open-wheel street race.
Dubbed “America’s Street Race” by the FOX Sports broadcast team during its Race Day telecast, the hyperbole began days before Kirkwood’s winning pass. “It’s been an incredible event,” said Kirkwood, Andretti Global’s 27-year-old emerging star. “This event was done right. The track was built properly with the fencing, the walls, the branding. It looked clean, exactly how a premier motorsports race should look like at a street-course.”
INDYCAR previously had competed in North Texas on Texas Motor Speedway’s high-banked/1.5-mile oval in Fort Worth, a run that began under President/General Manager Eddie Gossage during the track’s initial season in 1997. Team Penske’s Josef Newgarden won the series’ PPG 375 at “The Great American Speedway” on April 1, 2023 in what proved to be the 36th and final open-wheel event contracted between the sanctioning body and Speedway Motorsports.
“The start to this year’s 2026 season was action-packed, and it’s gratifying to know the stage is set for a return to that frantic pace in 2027,” Boles said. “St. Pete has become an ideal host to begin our season, and the reaction to the series’ return to historic Phoenix Raceway made our partnership with NASCAR and FOX all the more special. To finish that stretch with a marquee event on the Streets of Arlington will be a fitting way to lead into another heated season-long battle for the NTT IndyCar Series championship.”
The spring portion of the 2027 schedule will continue on Sunday, April 4, on the first natural-terrain road-course of the season and a return to the “Augusta National” of racetracks at Barber Motorsports Park in Birmingham, Ala. It will be the 17th INDYCAR weekend at the picturesque, dynamic and physically demanding track.
Two weeks later, the season returns to the palm tree-lined Streets of Long Beach for the Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach on Sunday, April 18. The iconic event set a modern-day record with over 200,000 in attendance in 2026. The 2027 edition will extend the longest-running street circuit event on the calendar, as this will be the 43rd time INDYCAR has raced on the Southern California streets.
Another thrilling Month of May at Indianapolis Motor Speedway will follow and begin on the challenging IMS Road-Course for the Sonsio Grand Prix, Saturday, May 15. It will be the 13th time the 2.439-mile circuit has set the stage for the month’s remaining events.
Attention then turns to the famed 2.5-mile IMS oval the following week leading into PPG Presents Armed Forces Qualifying Weekend on Saturday-Sunday, May 22-23. A week later, the 111th Indianapolis 500 presented by Gainbridge is set for Sunday, May 30. The 2026 edition of “The Greatest Spectacle in Racing” featured a race-record 70 lead changes and closest finish in race history when Felix Rosenqvist of Sweden and Meyer Shank Racing with Curb Agajanian edged David Malukas of Team Penske by just 0.0233-seconds.
The 2027 schedule will continue with a post-May visit to the Streets of Detroit for the Chevrolet Detroit Grand Prix presented by Lear on Sunday, June 6. The 2026 race, won by Palou, featured the most on-track passes on a street circuit this season.
Additionally, the 2027 season calendar will begin with the Unser INDYCAR Open Test on Tuesday-Wednesday, Feb. 23-24, at Phoenix Raceway. The test will not only prepare all teams for the season but also the series’ race at the desert oval the following month. Additional details of the test, named in honor of the Unser family and their accomplishments at their home track, will be announced at a later date.
In preparation for the 111th Indianapolis 500, the Indy 500 Open Test is set for Tuesday-Wednesday, May 4-5 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway _ between series races on the Streets of Long Beach and the IMS Road-Course. The test will offer additional track time for all teams, including rookies looking to complete the Rookie Orientation Program. Testing hours will be shared later.
“Phase Two” of the schedule, featuring the remaining 2027 race dates, will be released in the coming weeks. Tune-in times for next season’s events will be announced at a later date. The 2027 schedule for INDY NXT by Firestone, INDYCAR’s developmental series, also will be announced at a later date.
Next race on the 2026 schedule is the inaugural Ontario Honda Dealers Indy at Markham, Round 14 of the championship on Sunday, Aug. 16. Coverage will begin at noon (EDT) on FOX and FOX One. Audio coverage will be available via INDYCAR Radio powered by OnlyBulls on SiriusXM Channel 218 and the INDYCAR App powered by NTT DATA.
2027 NTT INDYCAR SERIES SCHEDULE/PHASE ONE
Note _ All races will be broadcast on FOX Sports
Sunday, March 7 _ Streets of St. Petersburg, Fla.
Saturday, March 13 _ Phoenix Raceway, Avondale, Ariz.
Sunday, March 21 _ Streets of Arlington, Texas
Sunday, April 4 _ Barber Motorsports Park, Birmingham, Ala.
Sunday, April 18 _ Streets of Long Beach, Calif.
Saturday, May 15 _ Indianapolis Motor Speedway Road-Course
Sunday, May 30 _ 111th Indianapolis 500, Indianapolis Motor Speedway Oval
Sunday, June 6 _ Streets of Downtown Detroit
NTT IndyCar Series Point Standings _ 1, Alex Palou, Chip Ganassi Racing, 510; 2, Kyle Kirkwood, Andretti Global, 400; 3, David Malukas, Team Penske, 392; 4, Christian Lundgaard, Arrow McLaren, 375; 5, Pato O’Ward, Arrow McLaren, 355; 6, Felix Rosenqvist, Meyer Shank Racing, 338; 7, Josef Newgarden, Team Penske, 335; 8, Scott McLaughlin, Team Penske, 321; 9, Marcus Ericsson, Andretti Global, 278; 10, Rinus VeeKay, Juncos Hollinger Racing, 269;
11, Will Power, Andretti Global, 256; 12, Scott Dixon, Chip Ganassi Racing, 252; 13, Graham Rahal, Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing, 236; 14, Kyffin Simpson, Chip Ganassi Racing, 236; 15, Marcus Armstrong, Meyer Shank Racing, 230; 16, Alexander Rossi, Ed Carpenter Racing, 208; 17, Santino Ferrucci, A.J. Foyt Racing, 205; 18, Louis Foster, Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing, 188; 19, Nolan Siegel, Arrow McLaren, 176; 20, Dennis Hauger, Dale Coyne Racing, 174;
21, Romain Grosjean, Dale Coyne Racing, 168; 22, Christian Rasmussen, Ed Carpenter Racing, 157; 23, Caio Collet, A.J. Foyt Racing, 147; 24, Mick Schumacher, Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing, 146; 25, Sting Ray Robb, Juncos Hollinger Racing, 131; 26, Derek Daly, Dryer & Reinbold Racing, 24; 27, Takuma Sato, Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing, 20; 28, Jack Harvey, Dreyer & Reinbold Racing, 8; 29, Jacob Abel, Abel Motorsports, 6; 30, Helio Castroneves, Meyer Shank Racing with Curb Agajanian, 5;
31, Ed Carpenter, Ed Carpenter Racing, 5; 32, Ryan Hunter-Reay, Arrow McLaren, 5; 33, Katherine Legge, HMD Motorsports with A.J. Foyt Racing, 5.
FOX SPORTS’ 2026 NTT INDYCAR SERIES BROADCAST SCHEDULE/(RACE WINNER)
Note _ All times Eastern
Sunday, March 1 _ Streets of St. Petersburg, Fla., (Alex Palou, Chip Ganassi Racing)
Saturday, March 7 _ Phoenix Raceway, Avondale, Ariz., (Josef Newgarden, Team Penske)
Sunday, March 15 _ Streets of Arlington, Texas, (Kyle Kirkwood, Andretti Global)
Sunday, March 29 _ Barber Motorsports Park, Birmingham, Ala., (Alex Palou, Chip Ganassi Racing)
Sunday, April 19 _ Streets of Long Beach, Calif., (Alex Palou, Chip Ganassi Racing)
Saturday, May 9 _ Indianapolis Motor Speedway Road-Course, (Christian Lundgaard, Arrow McLaren)
Sunday, May 24 _ 110th Indianapolis 500, Indianapolis Motor Speedway Oval, (Felix Rosenqvist, Meyer Shank Racing with Curb Agajanian)
Sunday, May 31 _ Streets of Downtown Detroit, (Alex Palou, Chip Ganassi Racing)
Sunday, June 7 _ World Wide Technology Raceway, Madison, Ill., (Josef Newgarden, Team Penske)
Sunday, June 21 _ Road America, Elkhart Lake, Wis., 2 p.m., (Christian Lundgaard, Arrow McLaren)
Sunday, July 5 _ Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course, Lexington, (Pato O’Ward, Arrow McLaren)
Monday, July 20 _ Nashville Superspeedway, Lebanon, Tenn., (Alex Palou, Chip Ganassi Racing)
Sunday, Aug. 9 _ Portland (Ore.) International Raceway, (Alex Palou, Chip Ganassi Racing)
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.
2026 INDYCAR NXT BY FIRESTONE SCHEDULE/(RACE-WINNER)
Sunday, March 1 _ Streets of St. Petersburg, Fla., (Nikita Johnson, Cape Motorsports Powered by ECR)
Sunday, March 15 _ Streets of Arlington, Texas, (Max Taylor, Andretti Global)
Saturday, March 28 _ Barber Motorsports Park, Birmingham, Ala., (Nikita Johnson, Cape Motorsports Powered by ECR)
Sunday, March 29 _ Barber Motorsports Park, Birmingham, Ala., (Alessandro de Tullio, A.J. Foyt Racing)
Friday, May 8 _ Indianapolis Motor Speedway Road-Course Race 1, (Enzo Fittipaldi, HMD Motorsports)
Saturday, May 9 _ Indianapolis Motor Speedway Road-Course Race 2, (Tymek Kucharczyk, HMD Motorsports)
Sunday, May 31 _ Streets of Downtown Detroit, (Enzo Fittipaldi, HMD Motorsports)
Sunday, June 7 _ World Wide Technology Raceway, Madison, Ill., (Myles Rowe, Abel Motorsports)
Saturday, June 20 _ Road America, Elkhart Lake, Wis., Race 1, (Lochie Hughes, Andretti Global)
Sunday, June 21 _ Road America, Elkhart Lake, Wis., Race 2, (Matteo Nannini, Cape Motorsports powered by ECR)
Saturday, July 4 _ Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course, Lexington, Ohio, Race 1 (Enzo Fittipaldi, HMD Motorsports)
Sunday, July 5 _ Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course, Lexington, Ohio, Race 2 (Enzo Fittipaldi, HMD Motorsports)
Sunday, July 19 _ Nashville Superspeedway, Lebanon, Tenn., (Matteo Nannini, Cape Motorsports Powered by ECR)
Sunday, Aug. 9 _ Portland (Ore.) International Raceway, (Allesandro de Tullio, A.J. Foyt Racing)
Sunday, Aug. 30 _ The Milwaukee Mile, West Allis, Wis.
Saturday, Sept. 5 _ Weather Tech Raceway Laguna Seca, Monterey, Calif., Race 1
Sunday, Sept. 6 _ Weather Tech Raceway Laguna Seca, Monterey, Calif., Race 2
