INDYCAR Poised for Another Historic Season on FOX Sports

The 2026 NTT INDYCAR SERIES is set to roar to life with the fastest, most jam-packed start in series history—four races in March alone—and a compelling 18-race championship schedule that promises wall-to-wall excitement from coast to coast.

The season opens Sunday, March 1, with the Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg on the Streets of St. Petersburg, Florida. From there, fans will see the return of the iconic Phoenix Raceway, the highly anticipated debut on the Streets of Arlington, and another visit to the demanding Barber Motorsports Park—all part of a calendar that marks the first 18-race season since 2014.

For the second straight year, FOX Sports will deliver unprecedented coverage: every on-track session across all 18 races will air live on FOX or FS1/FS2, with all 18 races themselves broadcast on the FOX network. Add in two special network windows for PPG Presents Armed Forces Qualifying ahead of the 110th Indianapolis 500, and FOX will provide a record 20 prime-time network broadcasts of “The Fastest Racing on Earth.”

The NTT INDYCAR SERIES remains the only premier North American motorsport series with every race on network television. All sessions will also stream live on FOX One and the FOX Sports app.

“Coming off a 2025 season of massive and historic growth with FOX Sports, 2026 has all the makings of another incredible year,” said INDYCAR President J. Douglas Boles. “The addition of new events at Phoenix, Arlington, Markham and Washington D.C., combined with integration around this summer’s FIFA World Cup 2026™ on FOX, will provide even greater opportunity to showcase the ultra-competitive, wheel-to-wheel racing and dynamic driver personalities that the NTT INDYCAR SERIES is known for.

“We cannot wait to see what happens during the 2026 championship and the battle for the Astor Challenge Cup, beginning with the Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg.”

Milestones in the Making

Several historic achievements are within reach in 2026. The next first-time winner will become the 300th different driver to win an INDYCAR SERIES race.

Four-time champion Alex Palou of Chip Ganassi Racing will chase a rare feat — becoming just the second driver in series history to win four consecutive titles, joining Sébastien Bourdais (2004-07).

Six-time champion Scott Dixon will push his own legendary records even further:
– Most seasons with a win (currently 23)
– Most consecutive seasons with a win (21)
– Most consecutive starts (356)
– Most career starts (419)
– Most podiums (145)
– Most top-five finishes (216)

Will Power, now with Andretti Global, will look to add to his all-time pole-position record (71).

A handful of drivers are also closing in on their 100th career NTT INDYCAR SERIES start:
– Palou — Phoenix Raceway
– Rinus VeeKay — Streets of Arlington
– Santino Ferrucci — Indianapolis 500
– Scott McLaughlin — Milwaukee Mile (Race 1)

Street-Circuit Tire Strategy Gets Tougher

To deliver even more exciting racing on street and road courses, INDYCAR is increasing alternate-tire usage beginning at St. Petersburg. Teams will now be required to use one set of primary tires and two sets of alternate (red) tires—one more alternate set than before. There are no restrictions on sticker (new) tires, but the rule requiring two green-flag laps per set remains in effect.

Firestone has engineered the 2026 alternate tires with reduced drop-off, giving teams and drivers more strategic flexibility while encouraging harder, closer racing.

“INDYCAR is always looking into ways to improve the quality of what is already exceptional on-track action,” said INDYCAR Senior Vice President of Competition and Operations Mark Sibla. “This street-circuit update will challenge drivers and strategists alike and provide an avenue for even more memorable wheel-to-wheel action at our fan-favored street events in 2026.”

More Late-Race Drama and Better Practice Sessions

To create closer racing in the final stages, INDYCAR is expanding the lap-down “wave-around” windows at nearly every event. Practice formats are also evolving: Practice 2 will now follow the same odd/even group format as Practice 1, with qualifying groups determined by the previous race’s results (or 2025 points for the season opener). Traditional warm-up sessions grow from 25 to 30 minutes, and FOX Sports will expand warm-up coverage to full one-hour telecasts.

Safety Focus at the Indianapolis 500

In partnership with Dallara, INDYCAR will require new superspeedway tire ramp flaps on all cars at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, including the Indy 500. The carbon-fiber flaps deploy during a spin to disrupt lift and improve stability. Computational testing shows they reduce the chance of a car lifting after a 180-degree spin by nearly 9 percent.

Additionally, oval testing by 500 champions Alexander Rossi and Takuma Sato validated a new, more predictable and responsive brake package from Performance Friction Corporation, addressing past issues entering pit lane off Turn 4.

INDY NXT by Firestone: Bigger, Better, More Visible

INDY NXT continues its meteoric rise with a record 17 races airing live on television—15 on FS1 and two on FS2—plus full practice and qualifying coverage across FOX platforms.

The 17-race schedule features four March races and three new doubleheader weekends, giving young drivers more seat time to prepare for the jump to INDYCAR. A 24-driver field representing 11 countries will take the green at St. Petersburg—the largest season-opening grid since 2009.

New and returning teams add depth: AJ Foyt Racing returns full-time for the first time since 2004, Cusick Morgan Motorsports debuts with two cars, Chip Ganassi Racing expands to four entries, Cape Motorsports powered by ECR joins with two cars, and Juncos Hollinger Racing returns for its 10th season.

“The 2026 INDY NXT by Firestone season reflects the momentum our series has built over the past few years,” said INDY NXT Director Kirk Dooley. “That added on-track action comes alongside growth in car counts and new teams joining the grid, making 2026 one of our most exciting seasons yet.”

Group qualifying on road and street courses has been lengthened to 10 minutes with a red-flag clock-stop provision, aligning even more closely with the NTT INDYCAR SERIES.

The champion will earn an $850,000 purse package that includes testing, the 2027 Indy 500 entry, and more—part of a total series purse just over $1 million.

Tune In

Coverage of the 2026 NTT INDYCAR SERIES season begins at noon ET Sunday, March 1, on FOX (Spanish-language broadcast on FOX Deportes). INDY NXT opens the day at 10 a.m. ET on FS1.

The award-winning INDYCAR Radio Network will broadcast every session on SiriusXM 218 and the INDYCAR App powered by NTT DATA.

Buckle up—2026 is going to be fast, furious, and unforgettable.