Note: The Penske Entertainment editorial staff is looking back at the 10 biggest moments of 2025 in the NTT INDYCAR SERIES in this year-end series, with one installment appearing on the site per day in countdown fashion from Dec. 22-31.

A return to a popular oval track and a new street race location highlighted the 2026 schedule that was announced in mid-September.

The NTT INDYCAR SERIES last raced at Phoenix Raceway in 2018, a race won by Josef Newgarden. The return will be the second event of the season, and it will take place in tandem with NASCAR. The race will be held Saturday, March 7. Sixty-four previous INDYCAR races have been staged on the 1-mile oval, the first won by A.J. Foyt in 1964.

The Phoenix race will take place six days after the annual Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg, the season-opening race Sunday, March 1. This event will be the first race for the fifth consecutive year and 16th time overall, and it will begin a supercharged set of races on three straight weekends to kick off the season.

All races during the season will air live on FOX for the second year in a row.

Two street circuits will make their series debuts in 2026. The first will be Sunday, March 15 in Arlington, Texas. The path encompassing 14 turns and 2.73 miles will pass by AT&T Stadium, which is home to the NFL’s Dallas Cowboys, and Globe Life Field, where Major League Baseball’s Texas Rangers play. In a first-of-its-kind venture, both professional sports franchises will partner with INDYCAR to promote the event.

Two weeks later, the month of March finishes on the series’ first natural terrain road course, with a return to beautiful Barber Motorsports Park for a race Sunday, March 29. This will be the first time North America’s premier open-wheel series will compete on four weekends in March.

The season highlight will again be the Indianapolis 500 presented by Gainbridge, which will be staged for the 110th year at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Four-time series champion Alex Palou will look to earn a second likeness on the famed Borg-Warner Trophy on Sunday, May 24.

There will be more prime-time racing under the lights on ovals, at both World Wide Technology Raceway (Sunday, June 7) and Nashville Superspeedway (Sunday, July 19). Last year’s Bommarito Automotive Group 500 presented by Axalta and Valvoline featured 14 different leaders and tied the event record with 254 on-track passes for position. The Nashville race is strategically positioned following FIFA’s World Cup 26 Final, which should serve as a historic broadcast lead-in.

INDYCAR has raced in Toronto since 1986, but the traditional layout at Exhibition Place was not available in 2026. Thus, the Ontario Honda Dealers Indy at Markham will be held on a 12-turn, 2.19-mile layout in the northern suburb of Markham on Sunday, Aug. 16. Like in Arlington and Detroit, the course will feature a double-sided pit lane.

Markham, as part of the young and diverse York Region of Ontario, is experiencing significant growth at a population of more than 1.25 million. The 2026 race will mark the 38th year the series has competed in Ontario and 40th INDYCAR SERIES race in the province.

There will be a popular doubleheader Saturday, Aug. 29 and Sunday, Aug. 30 at the famed Milwaukee Mile, and WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca will host the season finale Sunday, Sept. 6. It will be the first time an NTT INDYCAR SERIES champion has been crowned at the picturesque road course with demanding elevation since 2023.