The NTT IndyCar Series has announced a date for the first running on the new Grand Prix of Arlington street event, which will take place in one year’s time.

It was previously announced that the new event would take place in early 2026, but the race weekend has now been solidified as taking place 13-15 March.

The event looks set to have a typical road course weekend format, which includes cars on track for Friday, Saturday, and Sunday.

Drivers will navigate a 2.73-mile street course that weaves around the Dallas Cowboys NFL stadium and the Texas Rangers baseball venue, which sit next to each other squarely between the large cities of Dallas and Fort Worth.

A layout for the track was previously announced, with slick promotion materials showing off the backdrop that will be recognizable to a wide range of sports fans in the US.

“As someone who calls this area ‘home,’ I’m super excited to see the NTT IndyCar Series coming to DFW,” said Santino Ferrucci, a Dallas-area resident.

“The course layout is really unique and will let us reach top speeds, making the racing incredibly exciting for all the fans.”

The race being placed on the third weekend of March means that it is likely to be the second race on the 2026 IndyCar schedule, two weeks after the normal timeframe for the series’ traditional first round on the streets of St. Petersburg.

The street course also effectively takes over from the Texas Motor Speedway oval, which is only 23 miles away and lost its IndyCar race dates beginning with the 2024 season.

Other race dates on the 2026 IndyCar calendar have not yet been confirmed, although it is almost certain that the 110th Indianapolis 500 will take place on May 24, 2026, Memorial Day weekend.

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The NTT IndyCar Series has released the schedule for the 2024 season, featuring a few drastic changes compared to recent years.

Instead of the relatively static schedule that the series has run the past few seasons, next year will see a number of shake-ups for America’s premiere open wheel class.

St. Petersburg will continue to host the season-opener on the first weekend of March in 2024, but things start to look different soon after.

One of the bigger changes is the addition of the previously-announced exhibition round at The Thermal Club, which takes place following the first race on March 24.

The event serves as an open test as well as a shootout for a $1 million prize, and also helps to fill the gap that has traditionally come in the early spring portion of the calendar.

What is missing from the early season slot is a visit to Texas Motor Speedway. Scheduling troubles meant that there was not a feasible place to stick the high speed oval, and it has been left off the schedule for the first time in over 25 years.

The Milwaukee Mile makes a return, however, with a double header event near the end of the season.

IndyCar will race on the historic oval for the first time since 2015, answering fans’ hopes for another oval track to show off close racing on the banking that the series is known for.

“There is such a great tradition and history of IndyCar racing at the Milwaukee Mile, and we are excited to build on that legacy with a Labor Day weekend NTT IndyCar Series doubleheader beginning in 2024,” said Roger Penske.

“We appreciate all the loyal and passionate IndyCar fans in Milwaukee and across the state of Wisconsin, and thanks to our partnership with the Wisconsin State Fair Park, we can’t wait to return to the Mile next season.”

There is a sizeable gap in the schedule to accommodate the Summer Olympics from Paris, which runs July 24 through August 11.

NBC is the United States’ television provider for both the Olympics and IndyCar, and there are not adequate resources or television space available to cover both simultaneously.

After the late-season summer break, IndyCar returns to action with a Saturday night race at World Wide Technology Raceway.

It is one of two events that will be held on Saturday evening, and will bring action back under the lights after 2023 held all of its races in the middle of the afternoon.

The season wraps up with a race around downtown Nashville, with a new date that pushes the event a couple months later than usual.

There will be two races that will be shown exclusively on the streaming platform Peacock in the United States, up from one event the past two years.

Start times will be released at a later date, as the series works with NBC to lock in all the details for the year.

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Pato O’Ward has weighed in on how he feels the NTT IndyCar Series should approach any potential international races that are added to the calendar, and being a full round of the championship is high on his list of priorities.

The Arrow McLaren IndyCar Team driver hails from Monterrey, Mexico, and has a large following of fans from his home country.

He is by no means the only driver from outside the United States currently racing in IndyCar, but he is, along with rookie Argentinian driver Agustin Canapino, among of the most popular international racers in the series.

Motorsportweek.com talked with O’Ward recently about his thoughts on adding a race in Latin America, and if it should be a points-paying race in the championship or a standalone exhibition race.

“No, man,” exclaimed O’Ward when the idea of an exhibition round was mentioned. “Part of the championship! Why an exhibition? No, part of the championship.

“We can have IndyCar be a championship that is not global like it was a good amount of years ago, but there are so many different countries racing in the series that it’s a no-brainer to tap into those markets.

“Two of those markets are pretty much a given they would be sold out. And they’re both Latin, and they are Argentina and Mexico.

“I’m sure returning to Australia with [Will] Power still in the series and being the champion last year, and with McLaren coming into the series and setting the bar with how a brand should be, that’s obviously bringing a lot of people from Europe too. A lot of interest from Europe.

“There’s just so much potential there. It’s there, all we have to do is crack into it.”

Currently the only international round on the IndyCar schedule is a yearly visit to the streets of Toronto, Canada.

The last time the series visited a country outside of the United States and Canada was in 2013 for a race on the streets of Sao Paulo, Brazil.

IndyCar raced at Surfers Paradise, Australia in 2008, with the event taking place shortly after the reunification of Champ Car and IRL in 2008 and was staged as a non-championship round. That type of arrangement has not been seen since, however.

There have been many conversations in recent years about the series adding one or two additional international rounds to the schedule to take advantage of the popularity of some of its foreign-born drivers.

Executives from IndyCar even travelled to Argentina recently to tour the Autodromo Termas de Rio Hondo, with team owner Ricardo Juncos helping to make a case to hold a race at the track, but no concrete plans have been made up to this point.

“I understand the series doesn’t want to be global,” continued O’Ward. “But I sure as hell think they can have massive growth in Latin communities: Argentina, Mexico, Colombia, Brazil, anywhere in Latin America. For IndyCar, it would be huge.

“Is it going to happen, from the looks of it, anytime soon? Probably not. I just feel like the series has so much potential, and it can be so much bigger than what it already is because the racing product is phenomenal.”

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The NTT IndyCar Series has released the 2023 season schedule, providing details for the next year’s 17-race championship.

The schedule is very similar to this past year’s calendar, with only minor changes to the formula that brought nine different winners and a championship battle that continued right through to the finale this past season.

The year once again kicks off at St. Petersburg, Florida, although the event will be shifted one week later to the first weekend of March and will match up with Formula 1’s first race of the season.

After an initial one-month gap between the first two races, there are fewer off weeks in the early part of the season, helping to alleviate some of the downtime that fans were critical of in the lead-up to the busy summer stretch.

Texas Motor Speedway also sees a confirmed return after there was some doubt surrounding its continued place on the calendar.

The series has raced at the 1.5-mile oval every year for over 25 years, and a new multi-year deal means that it will be back for at least the near future despite concerns over the racing quality on the ageing track.

Texas continues to be the only high-speed oval on the schedule aside from the Indy 500, and is one of five oval events across the season.

There are no new locations on the schedule, but there is one new track. Detroit is shifting to a downtown street course this next season and leaving the well-liked Belle Isle behind, which will give drivers a large unknown immediately following the Indy 500.

Iowa Speedway once again will have the season’s only double header event, with races taking place on consecutive weekends in late July.

There are seven natural road courses and five street courses that fill out the 17-race calendar, mirroring the 2022 schedule.

Laguna Seca will once again provide the backdrop for the season finale in September, with the season wrapping up just as the American Football season begins on September 10.

Also provided in the release was the confirmation that there will once again be one race exclusively on NBC’s streaming service Peacock.  The lone international race from Toronto is again the race that will require fans to have something other than a traditional TV package to watch.

13 of the 17 races will be broadcast over the air, however, which will continue to allow a wider audience to access a bulk of the races.

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The NTT IndyCar Series has released the 2022 schedule, which includes 17 rounds running from February 27 through September 11.

One of the more interesting parts of the schedule is the early start, with the opening round from St. Petersburg taking place in late February.

The early-season start gives some flexibility in the schedule, should events need to be delayed on account of surges in the ongoing COVID pandemic.

Included in the schedule is a return to Iowa Speedway, which was previously announced as part of a partnership with local grocery chain Hy-Vee.

The Iowa race is now the year’s only double-header, and it also sits among back-to-back weekends of racing, giving an additional challenge to drivers and teams alike on the short oval.

Texas Motor Speedway and Detroit are now single races, shifting from the double-headers that have been present in recent years.

Texas also shifts forward to March, much earlier than its traditional spot in June.  This should help alleviate concerns around the Lone Star State’s extreme summer heat.

There is also the return of a shared weekend with NASCAR, with both top series running the Indianapolis road course on the last weekend in July.

“This schedule continues to build on the growth and momentum the NTT IndyCar Series has achieved, especially in 2021,” Penske President and CEO Mark Miles said in a statement.

“Our terrific partnership with NBC Sports has led to a fantastic opportunity to place an unparalleled 14 events on broadcast television while completing the rest of the schedule with USA Network and Peacock.

“Our drivers and teams will give the fans a strong, earlier start with six consecutive races on NBC, building even more anticipation for the crown jewel of the Indianapolis 500 in May.

“Our summer schedule also is full of action, with no extended breaks in the calendar, leading into the crowning of a champion on the West Coast with our last two races also on NBC.”

As previously announced, one race from Toronto will not be shown on traditional television in America, and will only be shown on NBC’s streaming service Peacock.

14 of the races will take prime positioning on NBC’s over-the-air channels, however, giving larger audiences the opportunity to view a majority of the season.

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IndyCar will be returning to the streets of Nashville next year for the 2022 Music City Grand Prix, the promoter has confirmed.

The race will maintain its current spot on the calendar, and the 2.17-mile temporary course will host high-speed action during the weekend of August 7.

Keeping with the theme of the vibrant city, multiple music stages will again be set up on-site to provide live entertainment each night after the racing is complete.

For the inaugural race a few weeks ago, Marcus Ericsson took a shock victory after having been launched high into the air on an early restart.

A change of the damaged nose by his Chip Ganassi Racing crew, and some steady driving that mitigated the rest of the damage, allowed the Swede to take his second IndyCar victory.

Running in the shadow of the Tennessee Titans football stadium and crossing the iconic Korean Veterans Memorial Bridge, the event instantly became a memorable one.

There were a few growing pains during the first race weekend to take place in Nashville, including some grandstands that were completed just hours before the race began.

Nothing went majorly wrong with the event, however, and nearly 110,000 people came out over the course of the weekend to witness an exciting race.

With the race keeping its date in early August, it is almost guaranteed that the hot and humid conditions seen this year will be present again next year as well.

The race from Nashville is part of a growing list of venues that have confirmed their dates for next season, including the 106th Indianapolis 500 on May 29, and the double-header from Iowa Speedway on July 23 and 24.

A full 2022 IndyCar schedule has not yet been announced, but is expected in the near future.

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Iowa Speedway will feature on the 2022 IndyCar calendar once again, after having been left off the schedule this season.

Next year’s event will be a double-header taking place in late July, and will be sponsored by the grocery chain Hy-Vee, which has growing ties with Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing.

The 7/8-mile oval often put on a good show in previous years, and was a popular course for fans who enjoyed the close racing provided by the short oval.

IndyCar had raced at the track each year since 2007, including a double-header weekend during the pandemic-affected 2020 season.

The two races from last season played host to an incident-filled weekend, including the dramatic moment when Colton Herta launched over the top of Rinus VeeKay’s car on a restart.

Andretti Autosport holds the crown for most victories at the track with seven, but in recent years Team Penske has set up shop in victory lane and claimed four of the last five trophies.

“We’re extremely pleased to return Iowa Speedway to the NTT IndyCar Series calendar,” said Roger Penske, owner of the NTT IndyCar Series.

“The state is rich with racing history and has a strong appreciation for IndyCar and its terrific drivers and teams.  The fantastic addition of Hy-Vee and their commitment to our sport underscores the added value.

“Over the years, Iowa has proven to be a fitting showcase for North America’s premier open-wheel series. A key oval and a hallmark on our schedule, we deeply missed seeing our fans in Iowa this year and look forward to what’s ahead.

With fewer and fewer oval courses being included in IndyCar’s schedule over the years, the resumption of the race from Newton, Iowa will be good news for fans.

This year, the only short oval on the schedule is this weekend’s upcoming race from World Wide Technology Raceway, a 1.25-mile oval located just outside St. Louis.

The two races from Iowa are scheduled to take place on July 23 and July 24, with the remainder of the 2022 schedule set to be announced at a later date.

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The IndyCar Series has announced that it will continue racing on the 4.014-mile Road America circuit for years to come.

The series has raced at the venue each year since 2016, including a double-header in the pandemic-affected season last year.

Road America, with its long straights and tricky braking zones, almost always produces top notch racing, with 194 on-track passes for position being registered in the most recent race in June.

In that race, points leader Alex Palou took the lead from Josef Newgarden on a late race restart on account of the latter having gearbox issues after having led most of the race to that point.

“IndyCar is pleased to continue its relationship with Road America,” said Penske Entertainment Corp. President and CEO Mark Miles in the release.

“It is clear that NTT IndyCar Series events in Wisconsin’s scenic Kettle Moraine have developed into exciting and favored weekends for our fans and athletes, as well.

“Last year, Road America became a central figure in the series’ return to racing during the global pandemic and the first to host a doubleheader.

“It has been a fantastic addition to our championship, and it is gratifying to know that it will remain a mainstay on our calendar.”

The race in 2022 will be the 33rd time IndyCar has visited Road America, and is one of the first confirmed events of next season.

“The NTT IndyCar Series is clearly one of the greatest forms of open-wheel racing ever to grace our beautiful 4-mile road course,” added Road America President and General Manager Mike Kertscher.

“We’ve had a strong relationship since its return in 2016, and we are very proud to continue the tradition.”

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The NTT IndyCar Series is interested in returning to Iowa Speedway as soon as next year, which will have the welcome effect of adding an additional short oval to the schedule.

The series only has four oval events on this year’s 16-race calendar, a number which has been trending lower in recent years, to the disappointment of many fans.

Oval racing can bring close and exciting racing lap after lap, and tends to showcase the drivers’ mental stamina better than a road course can.

Iowa Speedway, a 0.894-mile short oval, had been visited by IndyCar every season since 2007, but was left off the 2021 schedule when it was released back in October of last year.

Talking with RACER.com, IndyCar series owner Roger Penske revealed that he is looking to achieve a better balance of track types in the coming years, and would be happy to bring back Iowa.

“When we’re looking at the entire schedule, I want to have a mix of big ovals, like Indianapolis and Texas, and then you want to have short ovals,” Penske said.

“We’d like to get to Iowa, which NASCAR controls, so we’re not in any position now to say yes, we will or we won’t, but that’s a real opportunity for us.

“And then, with the road and the street courses, what we need to do is maintain that date equity.

“That’s my biggest area of focus so that we can have date equity and people can plan to come each year, and at a time that’s convenient for them, and one that they’re used to.

“I would say that the schedule will have somewhere around 16, 17, or 18 races next year.

“We don’t have anything to send out yet, but that would be in that range for our goals, with a good mixture and seeing where we can get extra ovals.  We’re certainly focusing on that.”

A return of Iowa, or a different short oval such as Richmond International Raceway, would be a welcome addition in the eyes of many fans.

This season the only oval track left of the schedule is World Wide Technology Raceway, better known as Gateway, which will host the IndyCar series on August 21.

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NASCAR adopted single-day weekend schedules after its return from a hiatus because of the COVID-19 pandemic last season. The sanctioning body will continue with single-day weekend schedules, void of practice and qualifying sessions, for 28 of its 36 points-paying NASCAR Cup Series race weekends. For the other eight races, practice and qualifying sessions will be held.

Races for which Cup Series competitors will practice and qualify include the season-opening Daytona 500 on Feb. 14, the March 28 dirt race at Bristol Motor Speedway, the May 23 race at Circuit of the Americas, the Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway on May 30, Nashville Superspeedway on June 20, July 4 at Road America, Aug. 15 on the Indianapolis Motor Speedway road course and the Nov. 7 season-finale at Phoenix Raceway.

Circuit of the Americas, Nashville Suerpseedway and Road America are new venues for the Cup Series. Also, the series has never raced on a dirt surface at Bristol nor the road course at Indianapolis.

The amount of practice time for each of those races and the qualifying format[s] will be announced at a later date.

Without qualifying and practice for most of the races in 2020, blind drawings were used to set starting grids for the first several races before NASCAR adopted a formula that included finishes and fastest lap times from the previous race and car owner points to set grids for the remainder of the season. The sanctioning body has yet to announce how starting grids will be set on race weekends that won’t include qualifying.

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