IndyCar News: Simpson tops IndyCar final race warmup in Arlington

Arlington, Texas – As the sun rose over the streets of Arlington on race day morning, the NTT INDYCAR SERIES drivers hit the track for their final warmup session before the highly anticipated inaugural Java House Grand Prix of Arlington.

–by Mark Cipolloni–

This new street circuit, weaving through the Entertainment District around AT&T Stadium and Globe Life Field, has already proven to be a challenging and exciting addition to the 2026 calendar as the third round of the season.

In a session marked by razor-thin margins at the top, Chip Ganassi Racing’s Kyffin Simpson laid down the fastest lap of 1m34.7588 seconds, achieving a top speed of 103.716 mph over his 10 laps. The young Cayman Islands driver edged out Ed Carpenter Racing’s Rinus VeeKay by a mere 0.0116 seconds, showcasing the intense competition expected in today’s race.

Veteran Scott Dixon, also from Chip Ganassi Racing, rounded out the top three with a time of 1m34.8027s, just 0.0439s off Simpson’s pace. Team Penske’s Josef Newgarden followed closely in fourth, while Dale Coyne Racing’s Dennis Hauger impressed in fifth, highlighting a strong showing from the rookies and newcomers on this unfamiliar layout.

The top 10 was incredibly tight, with less than 0.54 seconds separating the leader from tenth-placed Alex Palou. Notable performances included Christian Rasmussen in sixth for Ed Carpenter Racing (but later Rasmussen sustained damage to his No. 21 ending warmup) and Kyle Kirkwood in seventh for Andretti. However, some big names struggled: Championship contender Will Power could only manage 17th, while Arrow McLaren’s Pato O’Ward was down in 21st. At the back, Mick Schumacher, making his INDYCAR debut with Rahal Letteman Lanigan, finished 25th, 3.4742s off the pace as he continues to adapt to the series.

This warmup sets the stage for an unpredictable race on the 2.73-mile, 14-turn street course, where tire management and traffic will be key. With Marcus Ericsson on pole from yesterday’s qualifying, expect fireworks when the green flag drops at 12:17 p.m. ET. Stay tuned for full coverage as INDYCAR makes history in Arlington!

Sunday Morning Warmup Times for Java House GP of Arlington