October 8th 2024
IndyCar GP of Arlington confirmed for 2026
The NTT IndyCar Series is headed to Arlington, Texas, in 2026 for a street race that will fire around the Dallas Cowboy’s National Football League stadium and the Texas Rangers’ Major League Baseball stadium.
Set for March, the same month where IndyCar traditionally launches its season at St. Petersburg in Florida, the 2.73-mile track “will weave through Arlington’s core sports and entertainment district, which features an all-star line-up of events and venues and annually sells more than 1.6 million tickets to spectators near and far,” according to IndyCar.
Thoughts of a Dallas-area street race bubbled up in the middle of the 2010s with a possible run around the Rangers’ stadium as the first concept to be floated, and with a new engagement from Cowboys’ owner Jerry Jones, Arlington mayor Jim Ross, and REV Entertainment, a larger spectacle has been created.
“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,” Jones said. “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.”
Rangers COO Neil Liebman added, “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.”
Rangers COO Neil Liebman added, “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.”
IndyCar Series owner Roger Penske is confident the GP of Arlington will be a major success.
“Through a truly remarkable and innovative partnership, we’re going to build racing’s next global spectacle,” he said. “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.”
Across its various names and ownership groups, IndyCar has a long-held presence in Texas dating back to the 1970s, with a mix of oval, road course and street races dotted throughout its history. Its most recent street race also made use of sports stadiums as the backdrop for the Houston Grand Prix which ran through 2014, and its last visit to the state came in 2023 at Texas Motor Speedway in Fort Worth.