IndyCar announces 17-round 2026 calendar

The IndyCar Series has finally announced a 17-round schedule for the 2026 season after months of speculation.

While some of the new additions were already known, it is notable that the championship will begin with four races in March – with three consecutive weekends – including the return to Phoenix for the first time since 2018 as the second round.

Unlike the 2025 calendar, Iowa Speedway and Thermal Club will not be part of next year’s IndyCar events. Mexico will also be absent and a street race in Washington D.C., which had been part of earlier speculation, will not take place either.

The 2026 season will open on 1 March with the Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg, marking the fifth consecutive year IndyCar begins its season on the sun-drenched streets of Florida.

Next up is Phoenix Raceway on 7 March for its first race on the track’s reconfigured ‘dogleg’ layout, coinciding with a joint NASCAR-IndyCar weekend.

The inaugural IndyCar Grand Prix of Arlington is set to follow on 15 March, introducing a brand-new 14-turn, 2.73-mile street circuit and marking the first collaborative event between IndyCar, the Dallas Cowboys, and REV Entertainment. 

March 2026 then concludes at Barber Motorsports Park on the 29th, returning to the picturesque natural-terrain road course for round four of next year’s campaign.

After a spring break, the series will resume on 19 April for the Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach, entering its 42nd edition. May will feature the traditional Month of May at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, including a road course race on the 9th, qualifying for the Indianapolis 500 on the 16th and 17th, plus the main event itself on the 24th.

Summer racing heats up with the Detroit Grand Prix on 31 May, followed by prime-time oval racing at World Wide Technology Raceway on 7 June. The series then heads to Road America on 21 June and Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course on 5 July, continuing the mix of street, oval, and road course challenges.

The Music City Grand Prix at Nashville Superspeedway will move to 19 July, the day of the FIFA World Cup final at MetLife Stadium. The race will take place under the lights on the 1.33-mile concrete oval.

August will feature four consecutive events, including Portland International Raceway on the 9th, the new Streets of Markham in Ontario on the 16th, and a doubleheader at the historic Milwaukee Mile on the 29th and 30th. The season will culminate with the Grand Prix of Monterey at Laguna Seca on 6 September. 

J. Douglas Boles, president of IndyCar, said: “We’re going to kickstart the season in fitting fashion, with four races in five weeks.

“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.”