Rumor: 2021 IndyCar race start and TV times (2nd Update)

This rumor is upgraded to ‘fact’ today.  The 2021 IndyCar Series TV starts times and channels announced today are the same as we rumored back on January 26th.

You read it here first.

IndyCar Press Release

NBC Sports and INDYCAR have announced the full 2021 NTT INDYCAR SERIES telecast schedule, featuring a record nine races on broadcast network NBC, including the 105^th Indianapolis 500 presented by Gainbridge on Sunday, May 30 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

Six of the first eight races of the season will air on NBC, including the season-opening Honda Indy Grand Prix of Alabama presented by AmFirst on Sunday, April 18 at Barber Motorsports Park.

The 17-race season, which will be exclusively presented across NBC Sports, also features the inaugural Music City Grand Prix in Nashville, Tennessee, on Sunday, Aug. 8 on NBCSN.

Highlights of NBC Sports’ 2021 INDYCAR schedule include (all times Eastern):

• The 105^th Running of the Indianapolis 500 presented by Gainbridge on Sunday, May 30, with coverage on NBC beginning at 11 a.m. (ET).
• The 2021 season gets underway on network television with the Honda Indy Grand Prix of Alabama presented by AmFirst from Barber Motorsports Park at 3 p.m. Sunday, April 18 on NBC.
• Six of the first eight races of the season will air on NBC, including the Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg (Sunday, April 25), the GMR Grand Prix on the IMS road course (Saturday, May 15) and the Chevrolet Detroit Grand Prix presented by Lear doubleheader (Saturday and Sunday, June 12-13).
• The inaugural Music City Grand Prix in Nashville, Tennessee, at 5:30 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 8 on NBCSN.
• The return of the INDYCAR-NASCAR doubleheader at the IMS road course, headlining a revamped Brickyard Weekend on Aug. 14-15 with the NTT INDYCAR SERIES race at 12:30 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 14 on NBCSN.
• The record nine NTT INDYCAR SERIES races on NBC also include the Honda Indy 200 at Mid-Ohio on Sunday, July 4 and the season-ending West Coast swing of the Grand Prix of Portland on Sunday, Sept. 12 and the Firestone Grand Prix of Monterey at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca on Sunday, Sept. 19.
• The season concludes with one of INDYCAR’s longest-running events, the Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach at 3 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 26 on NBCSN.

With the move of the St. Pete race to April 25th and the move of the Berber race to April 18th, below are the rumored IndyCar race start times.

Note that the Barber race was moved from NBCSN to NBC with the date change – a very good thing.

However, the May15th race on the Indy Speedway road course was moved from NBC to NBCSN and the time changed to 5:00pm – a bad thing.

According to AutoRacing1.com IndyCar inside sources, the 2021 IndyCar race start times will be as listed below.

INDYCAR officials announced a 17-race schedule for the 2021 NTT INDYCAR SERIES, including expanded network TV coverage, two thrilling high-speed races at Texas Motor Speedway before the Indianapolis 500 and a return to its other pillar events.

The 2021 season will begin Sunday, March 7 on the streets of St. Petersburg, Florida, marking the 10^th consecutive year that St. Petersburg will host the launch of a new season.

“The INDYCAR and NBC Sports partnership continues to be mutually beneficial, growing in viewership and providing adrenaline-packed entertainment to a national sports audience,” said Michael Perman, vice president, programming, NBC Sports. “We’re looking forward to providing increased exposure to the series in 2021, including network coverage of the season opener in St. Pete. Additionally, as a marquee event of our Championship Season, we’ll also provide wall-to-wall coverage of the Indy 500 on NBC, an international sporting spectacle filled with speed and exceptional drama.”