IndyCar confirms first eight races of 2027 schedule

Credit: Chris Owens

IndyCar has confirmed an unchanged first eight races to kick off the 2027 season, with all races returning to network television on FOX.

As has been the case since 2022, the Streets of St. Petersburg will host the season opener, which will take place a week later in 2027 on March 7th. The three races in three weeks that started 2026 will continue into 2027, with IndyCar returning to Phoenix Raceway in a double-header weekend with NASCAR on Saturday, March 13th. That stretch will be completed by IndyCar's marquee street course event on the Streets of Arlington on March 21st.

A two-week break than follows as Barber Motorsports Park returns to its traditional date on the first Sunday of April, which will be on the 4th next year. Another two-week break then follows as the series returns to the Streets of Long Beach on April 18th.

The 'Month of May' will be underway on Saturday, May 15th on the Indianapolis Motor Speedway road course with the 111th Running of the Indianapolis 500 taking place on May 30th, with qualifying hosted the weekend prior. The Streets of Detroit will continue in its position in the week following the Indianapolis 500 on June 6th.

“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 schedule,” Penske Entertainment Corp. President and CEO Mark Miles said. “We are pleased to confirm Phase One of next year’s championship alongside another accelerated start with races in St. Petersburg, Phoenix and Arlington. 2026 has been proof of concept that our sport is fuelled by an expanding presence across marquee events and destinations, and we look forward to carrying that momentum into 2027.”

“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,” IndyCar President J. Douglas Boles added. “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 IndyCar championship.”

The series has also confirmed the dates of several Open Tests in the first half of the year. The Unser Open Test will return to Phoenix Raceway in a two-day test held between February 23rd-24th. The annual Indianapolis 500 Open Test will be held between May 4th-5th, breaking up a four-week stretch between Long Beach and the Indy GP.

Confirmed 2027 calendar:

March 7th - St. Petersburg

March 13th - Phoenix

March 21st - Arlington

April 4th - Barber

April 18th - Long Beach

May 15th - Indy GP

May 30th - 111th Indianapolis 500

June 6th - Detroit

The second phase of the calendar is planned to be announced in the coming weeks, with Indy NXT's calendar also being announced in due course.