Opinion and Story
By Penske Entertainment and Roy J. Akers from www.skyviewsports.net
Indy Car has announced a new racing venue for 2026 and the series has announced yet another race billed as a ‘race to the streets of Arlington, Texas. It most likely has a chance to succeed as Penske Entertainment will partner with MLB’s Texas Rangers and the NFL’s Dallas Cowboys.
Depending on your view, some people like myself prefer the ovals as you can see the entire track (except Indy) and plenty of passing and racing in general. Others prefer the festivities of racing in the city. This type of racing gives the fans a view of one or two turns out of about a dozen. Now, the story and some Indy car fan opinions.
The Story from Indy Car
NTT INDYCAR SERIES Race Coming to Arlington Entertainment District in March 2026
ARLINGTON, Texas (Monday, Oct. 7, 2024) – Three championship organizations are uniting to bring an NTT INDYCAR SERIES race to the streets of Arlington, Texas. Penske Entertainment, the Dallas Cowboys and REV Entertainment, the official events partner of the Texas Rangers, have announced a first-of-its-kind joint venture to establish and operate the INDYCAR Grand Prix of Arlington, with the initial race set for March 2026.
The 2.73-mile track layout will feature two iconic sporting venues recognized by fans around the world: AT&T Stadium, home of the National Football League’s Dallas Cowboys, and Globe Life Field, home of Major League Baseball’s Texas Rangers. The track will weave through Arlington’s core sports and entertainment district, which features an all-star lineup of events and venues and annually sells more than 1.6 million tickets to spectators near and far.
A celebration ceremony will take place tomorrow morning at Texas Live!, a special entertainment center located between AT&T Stadium and Globe Life Field. The ceremony will unveil additional details about the proposed event, including a video that showcases the full track layout. Tomorrow’s gathering is closed to the public, any media attending must RSVP using this link.
The new racing event will provide the city of Arlington and its organizers a national network television showcase, with FOX set to provide live coverage through its recently unveiled partnership with INDYCAR.
Why Arlington?
The NTT INDYCAR SERIES is North America’s premier open-wheel racing competition, featuring stars from across the globe competing at speeds faster than 230 mph. Along with hosting the world-famous Indianapolis 500 presented by Gainbridge, the series boasts a mix of oval, temporary street circuit and permanent road course races across North America, with the INDYCAR Grand Prix of Arlington set to become its newest high-octane marquee event. The NTT INDYCAR SERIES is sanctioned by INDYCAR, the governing body for North America’s premier open-wheel racing series and part of the Penske Entertainment family.
WHAT THEY’RE SAYING – EVENT LEADERSHIP
“Through a truly remarkable and innovative partnership, we’re going to build racing’s next global spectacle. Everyone involved is fully committed to delivering an incredible and unique event weekend for the city of Arlington, anchored by the stars of the NTT INDYCAR SERIES. We’re grateful to the Cowboys, Rangers and REV Entertainment for entering into this partnership with us, and, of course, to Arlington’s leadership team for their excitement and ongoing support.” – Roger Penske, Penske Corporation chairman
“We are thrilled to join forces with the Texas Rangers, Penske Entertainment, and the city of Arlington to bring Grand Prix racing to the streets of the Arlington Entertainment District. The collaboration between our organizations will make the INDYCAR Grand Prix of Arlington special, providing a unique NTT INDYCAR SERIES race experience for fans attending, while also creating a showcase with our friends at FOX and those watching around the world. An event of this magnitude is another great reflection of what we imagined over 15 years ago that AT&T Stadium could be a part of.” – Jerry Jones, Dallas Cowboys owner, president and general manager
“Today is a historic day for the Texas Rangers and REV Entertainment. We are proud to be at the forefront of the INDYCAR Grand Prix of Arlington alongside such esteemed organizations in Penske Entertainment and the Dallas Cowboys. This event will set a new standard for the Arlington Entertainment District, and we look forward to welcoming fans from around the world to experience what Arlington has to offer.” – Neil Leibman, Texas Rangers chief operating officer
“We are truly thankful to our partners for their vision and dedication to bringing the INDYCAR Grand Prix of Arlington here to The American Dream City. I can’t think of a more beautiful and vibrant backdrop for this competition than Arlington’s world-class Entertainment District, which has proven again and again to be a premier destination for sports and entertainment. This announcement is an economic win for North Texas, and we’re looking forward to welcoming this incredible racing series and its fans for an unforgettable experience.” – Jim Ross, Arlington mayor
www.skyviewsports.net opinion and those of Indy Car Fans
The 2025 Indy Car schedule looks much like the 2024 schedule with a few exceptions. In my mind, Indy Car is a business and they have to do whatever they can to grow their business and that means putting butts in the seats and viewers on Fox. As for the racing, the pure speed of the machines draws hardcore fans. The trick is to grow the audience. When you have three major sports connecting (Indy Car, MLB, the NFL) and they can use their data bases to sell tickets and to make this a premier event on the Indy Car calendar. IF the model works right, other tracks can use some of the promotions. Imagine in Detroit, if the Detroit Tigers and Lions partnered with Indy Car and they raced along the stadiums and Woodward Avenue. Currently, very little of the Detroit River is seen on TV and the Renaissance Center is rumored to hit the wrecking ball.
Indy Car Facebook Fans Speak
My Take: The fans of the ovals do not like to hear about more road courses going on the schedule. It is understood. If you are a true fan of watching the racing, the road courses are an annoyance. These races do draw both race fans and those people that are interested in the backdrop of the racing, but bring their families to take in the city and the activities around the race course. You also cannot see empty stands.
New Racing Fans
Indy Car does have a contingent of fans that follows the circuit to nearly all of the races or those regionally. The race at Arlington is looking to draw fans that used to go to Texas Motor Speedway and build new fans that would like to take their family to a weekend of festivities and visit a city that they might not go to. Here is an opinion that sums up this viewpoint.
The Pragmatic Indy Car Fan
Some people that visit the Indy Car FB page make good points such as attendance issues at the oval races and Indy Car decisions. My argument is its all about the money. The reader rightly said that tracks/cities have to pay the sanction fees. That is correct. Any money coming into the sport from the outside helps Indy Car. My argument is oval and street venues must do a better job of having activities for the entire family and affordable food and activities. My opinion is Pocono is filled with NASCAR fans. The track is deemed unsafe to race at for Indy Car. MIS is out in the boonies, an hour outside of Ann Arbor using the back roads.
MORE ABOUT THE INDYCAR GRAND PRIX OF ARLINGTON
Planning and preparation for the race weekend is underway, with veteran motorsport industry executive Bill Miller announced today as president of the INDYCAR Grand Prix of Arlington. Miller brings more than three decades of experience to the role, including previously serving as president of California Speedway and senior vice president of operations at the Specialty Equipment Market Association (SEMA), a leading worldwide voice for more than 7,000 companies in the automotive aftermarket.
The INDYCAR Grand Prix of Arlington will provide a full weekend of racing and entertainment, with general admission, reserved seating, VIP hospitality and party zone areas available. Fans can register their interest by visiting the newly launched website: www.gparlington.com.
visit REVEntertainment.com.
Send Us Your opinions
Roy J. Akers is a multi-media reporter and covers several sports for www.skyviewsports.net