IndyCar Releases 2026 Calendar
- Hope Van Beek
- Sep 16
- 4 min read
The 2026 NTT INDYCAR SERIES schedule has been announced, delivering 17 races that promise to mix tradition with exciting new venues and broadcast opportunities. Every race will air live on FOX for the second year in a row, keeping the series free on television across the United States.
The new calendar has been built to maintain INDYCAR's recent surge in popularity. The 2025 season averaged 1.36 million viewers per race, making it one of the fastest-growing sports properties in North America. The 2026 calendar builds on that momentum, bringing back beloved races, showcasing legendary tracks, and adding new circuits designed to excite loyal fans while welcoming a new generation of viewers.
The championship opens Sunday, March 1, with the Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg, a now-traditional curtain-raiser on Florida's Gulf Coast. From there, the schedule wastes no time packing the early weeks with action.
Six days later, INDYCAR heads to Phoenix Raceway for a Saturday night show, joining forces with NASCAR on a high-profile weekend at the desert oval. It will be the first INDYCAR event on Phoenix's reconfigured "dogleg" layout.
One week later comes the debut of the Streets of Arlington on Sunday, March 15. The 14-turn circuit is set to wind through the city of Texas with a festival atmosphere anchored by partnerships with the Dallas Cowboys and REV Entertainment. This will be one of the biggest new spectacles on the calendar, combining sport and entertainment in a single weekend.
March then closes at Barber Motorsports Park on March 29, where the championship returns to one of its most scenic and technically demanding permanent road courses. It is the 16th running of the event and continues to be a favourite for both drivers and fans.
April sees the series move west to the palm-lined streets of Long Beach on April 19. The Acura Grand Prix remains INDYCAR's longest-running street race, with crowds topping 200,000 in recent years.
The spotlight then turns to Indianapolis for the Month of May. The road course at the Speedway hosts round six on May 9 before the focus shifts to the oval. Two days of qualifying set the stage for the 110th Indianapolis 500 on Sunday, May 24, for the world's largest single-day sporting event.
The championship resumes one week later with the Chevrolet Detroit Grand Prix on May 31, racing once again on the tight, technical downtown layout that has quickly become a fan favourite.
From there, the summer run intensifies. The series heads under the lights to World Wide Technology Raceway on June 7, one of the most competitive ovals on the schedule. Road America follows June 21, bringing high-speed racing to the natural-terrain circuit in Wisconsin.
The Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course takes its usual Fourth of July slot on Sunday, July 5, with the Honda Indy 200 marking another chapter in the venue's decades-long place in INDYCAR history.
A landmark moment arrives on Sunday, July 19, when Nashville Superspeedway hosts the Borchetta Bourbon Music City Grand Prix. The race will begin immediately after FOX's FIFA World Cup Final broadcast, placing INDYCAR directly in front of a massive global audience. The 400-mile night race promises high drama on the concrete oval under the lights.
August packs four races into less than a month. Portland International Raceway will host its 32nd INDYCAR event on August 9, before the series debuts on the Streets of Markham in Ontario on August 16. The Canadian round introduces a new 12-turn circuit with unique features, including a double-sided pit lane and a high-speed straight.
The Milwaukee Mile returns on August 29-30 with a doubleheader weekend. The historic oval, the oldest still in operation, has recently delivered some of the series's closest and most dramatic racing.
The season builds to its finale at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca on Sunday,
September 6. Known worldwide for its Corkscrew corner and elevation changes, the California circuit again plays host to the crowning of the series champion and the presentation of the Astor Challenge Cup.
The 2026 schedule offers a balanced mix of street circuits, road courses and ovals, testing drivers on everything from high-speed superspeedways to tight city streets and classic American road tracks.
The complete slate will be supported by live radio coverage on the INDYCAR Radio Network, SiriusXM, and the INDYCAR App.
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