IndyCar confirms 17-race 2026 schedule for sophomore season on Fox

• Phoenix will stage joint race weekend with IndyCar and Nascar
• Further new additions with street races in Arlington and Markham
• Thermal Club, Iowa Speedway and Streets of Toronto drop off schedule
• Nashville race to start immediately after 2026 Fifa World Cup final on Fox

IndyCar has confirmed a 17-race schedule for next season, its sophomore year with broadcast partner Fox.

The 2026 campaign will kick off as usual with the Streets of St Petersburg on 1st March, but a surprising shift will see Laguna Seca host the season finale for the first time since 2023. The season will conclude on 6th September. Once again, all 17 races will be broadcast on the main Fox channel.

After the opening race in St Petersburg, two new additions to the calendar will feature: Phoenix Raceway and the Streets of Arlington. Notably, these races will take place across three consecutive weekends, addressing IndyCar’s typical issue of spreading its initial races too far apart.

The Phoenix race will be a joint weekend with Nascar, marking the first event of its kind. IndyCar’s race will take place on the Saturday, likely before the Nascar O’Reilly Auto Parts event, according to Fox Sports’ Bob Pockrass. 

Pockrass also reported that IndyCar has signed a one-year deal to race in Phoenix, with a decision on its return in 2027 yet to be made.

“We’re going to kickstart the season in fitting fashion, with four races in five weeks,” said IndyCar president J Douglas Boles. “Our joint weekend in partnership with Nascar and Fox at Phoenix Raceway will be a can’t-miss for motorsport fans across the country and a truly special celebration of fast, fearless racing across the motorsport landscape.”

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After the debut race in Arlington, IndyCar will make its earliest visit to Barber Motorsports Park on 29th March, before the Streets of Long Beach hosts the fifth race of the season on 13th April.

The traditional run of races around the Month of May will remain in place and it has now been confirmed that next year’s Indianapolis 500 will not clash with Formula One’s Canadian Grand Prix. The Indy 500 will likely start at 12:45pm ET, while executives from both series have coordinated to set the Canadian Grand Prix start time at 4pm ET.

“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, president and chief executive of Penske Entertainment.

“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.”

Races in Detroit and Gateway will take place in the two weeks following the Indy 500, ensuring that Fox can maintain as much audience momentum as possible after the series’ flagship event.

The race at Gateway will also be a primetime event, just as it was this season. Nashville will also receive a primetime slot, with its new calendar date set for 19th July. Prior to Nashville, Road America and Mid-Ohio will continue to occupy their usual summer slots.

Notably, Road America, Mid-Ohio and Nashville will all take place during the 2026 Fifa World Cup, which is being staged across the US, Canada and Mexico. IndyCar has strategically set Nashville’s start time directly after the World Cup final on 19th July, with Fox also carrying the media rights for one of the biggest sporting events in the world.

As previously reported, logistical complications around the World Cup caused Mexico City to drop off next season’s IndyCar schedule. The event is expected to be revisited for 2027.

Towards the end of the season, Portland and a new Canadian race in Markham will stage back-to-back race weekends, with the latter replacing IndyCar’s previous visit to Toronto.

The Milwaukee Mile will return to a double-header weekend, as it was in 2024, before the season finale at Laguna Seca. As a result, IndyCar will not return to Thermal Club and Iowa Speedway in 2026 as originally expected.