The dates have been set for maybe the biggest hoedown in INDYCAR history as the drivers will weave their way around the stadiums of the Dallas Cowboys and the Texas Rangers.
The inaugural INDYCAR Grand Prix of Arlington is set for March 13-15, 2026, with the race encompassing a 2.73-mile, 14-turn circuit that will feature AT&T Stadium (Cowboys), Globe Life Field (Rangers) and Choctaw Stadium (the former Rangers home) as it weaves through the entertainment district.
"Texans love racing, and they love big events," Arrow McLaren driver Pato O'Ward said in a news release. "So this is going to be mega. Hopefully it will set the new standard for a street circuit race in North America."
The race is being promoted by series-owning Penske Entertainment in partnership with the Cowboys and the Rangers-operating REV Entertainment.
"The course layout is really unique and will let us reach top speeds, making the racing incredibly exciting for all the fans," said A.J. Foyt Racing driver Santino Ferrucci, a Dallas resident.
The track layout for the INDYCAR Grand Prix of Arlington in 2026.
The event is the first race to be announced in the 2026 schedule and came exactly one year from when the cars will first hit the track. IMSA announced its 2026 schedule Thursday, and if the INDYCAR race weekends at Long Beach and Detroit remain as part of an IMSA-INDYCAR weekend, that would put Long Beach on April 19th and Detroit on May 31st, a week after the traditional Memorial Day weekend Indianapolis 500.
The Texas date works well in the INDYCAR calendar as it should allow for at most a one-week break from the opener at St. Petersburg (assuming it is the opener and keeps an early March date). It also would allow for the track build and completion of the event between the seasons of the Cowboys and the Rangers.
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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