IndyCar’s announcement on Monday (Oct. 7) that the Grand Prix of Arlington would be held in 2026 was the latest in what seems to many to be a never-ending string of questionable decisions by America’s premier open-wheel series. Whether the current direction of the series is objectively right or wrong, IndyCar seems to be falling further and further out of favor with its fanbase.
Tuesday featured a celebration ceremony at the Texas Live! Entertainment Complex where Texas Rangers executive Chuck Morgan, Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones, the omnipresent Roger Penske, defending IndyCar champion Alex Palou and defending Indianapolis 500 winner Josef Newgarden, among others, expressed their enthusiasm about the event.
Most anticipated from this ceremony was the reveal of the track layout, which features a double-sided pitlane as seen at the current Detroit street circuit, and which looks rather similar to the Miami International Autodrome which hosts Formula 1’s Miami Grand Prix.
The 14-turn, 2.73-mile street circuit is situated near AT&T Stadium and GlobeLife Field, reflecting the joint venture between Penske, the Rangers and the Cowboys which has given rise to the 2026 race. This marks the NTT IndyCar Series’ first return to the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex (DFW) since Texas Motor Speedway (TMS), which most recently hosted the PPG 375, dropped off the schedule for 2024 and 2025.
Texas’ removal from the schedule was, remains, and will continue to be nothing short of unpopular. And, to be frank, IndyCar has no choice but to play a bit of damage control as it looks to get back into the DFW market.
While many fans and observers will understandably be quick to point fingers at the leadership of INDYCAR and Penske Entertainment, respectively, the story of TMS’ fall off the calendar is less straightforward than the ups and downs of recent memories suggest.
Two weeks back, Nathan Brown of The Indianapolis Star posted a hefty tweet detailing a stalemate of interests between INDYCAR and Speedway Motorsports, commonly known as SMI. Speedway Motorsports owns several major racetracks in the United States, including Atlanta Motor Speedway, Bristol Motor Speedway, Charlott Motor Speedway, Nashville Superspeedway and Texas Super Speedway.
According to Brown, TMS’ removal from the 2024 and 2025 schedule resulted from a deadly blend of differing scheduling desires and difficulties working out a manageable broadcast…
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