As NASCAR has made some announcements about its schedule over the last several weeks, the INDYCAR paddock is awaiting word on several races for next year.
Should INDYCAR return to Iowa Speedway after a sparsely attended doubleheader weekend? Will INDYCAR go to Mexico City?
Alex Palou celebrates in victory lane with his team during the INDYCAR Series Sukup Race Weekend Race 2 at Iowa Speedway on July 13, 2025
Those questions remain top of mind for 2026, a year for which one new event — the Grand Prix of Arlington in March — has already been announced.
New events often generate buzz and excitement. The race around the Cowboys and Rangers stadiums should be a sight to see.
Mexico City would be a second new race for 2026 and also an incredible sight. A Mexico race has been a major priority with the popularity of Pato O’Ward, who is optimistic about having a race at Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez.
But going to Mexico City is more than just about O’Ward.
Pato O’Ward celebrates after a race
It would be the lone place where INDYCAR would race on the same circuit as Formula 1, giving fans an idea of the similarities and the differences between the two series.
One of the world’s biggest cities, Mexico City would provide the exposure INDYCAR needs to help the brands of the sport’s biggest names beyond O’Ward.
As far as Iowa, it is a NASCAR-owned track that has been rented out by INDYCAR to host events. In other words, the track owner doesn’t pay a sanction fee and then makes money by selling tickets. Instead, INDYCAR has handled the ticket sales to cover its costs of renting the track.
Sponsorship revenue can also cover those costs, and after Hy-Vee ended its sponsorship of the Iowa doubleheader, that obviously impacted the weekend with no big concerts and in-market activations.
It would be nice to see how Iowa could do with a single-race weekend (rather than a doubleheader). With it being so close to one of sprint-car racing’s most iconic tracks (Knoxville Raceway), it only seems right that the fastest open-wheel cars race nearby. But that might be more of a desire of the heart than a sound business decision.
INDYCAR Series Open Testing at The Thermal Club on February 3, 2023
INDYCAR needs to have ovals, and preferably a variety of them, so if Iowa is dropped, where would INDYCAR go next? Could that be Homestead? Could that be Richmond? Could that be Phoenix? All of those are owned by NASCAR and they have had INDYCAR races in their track history.
Richmond would fill in a much-needed hole in the schedule, which currently doesn’t have a race in the mid-Atlantic or the Northeast. A return to Pocono, where INDYCAR has seen its share of injuries and loss, is unlikely. Watkins Glen (another NASCAR-owned track) doesn’t seem to be in the conversation.
Thermal won’t be on the 2026 race schedule. Having races at the private club near Palm Springs was intriguing, but the race lacked that big-event vibe. It makes for a great potential testing facility but not necessarily a great location for a race.
INDYCAR is at its best as the anchor for a big event where people want to come and hang with friends and see fast cars. And then also the place where die-hard fans can come see and root for their favorite drivers (or against the ones they dislike most).
So it needs diverse places. It needs diverse facilities. Hopefully the 2026 schedule has all of that.
Bob Pockrass covers NASCAR and INDYCAR for FOX Sports. He has spent decades covering motorsports, including over 30 Daytona 500s, with stints at ESPN, Sporting News, NASCAR Scene magazine and The (Daytona Beach) News-Journal. Follow him on Twitter @bobpockrass.
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