2026 IndyCar schedule still taking shape

The IndyCar Series released its 2025 schedule last year on June 13, and with fans anxiously awaiting to learn what’s in store for next season, series president Doug Boles says everyone at Penske Entertainment and its partners are working through the final details.

“In my mind, it needs to be before the end of the season and the sooner we can get the schedule out, the better for everybody,” Boles told RACER. “It’s better for teams. It’s better for partners. It’s better for TV. It’s better for fans. On this side, you’re working with promoters, some of which have other events that they have to work through, as well. You’re working with a TV partner with FOX, because you want to be in the best TV windows to the extent we can continue to be on network versus other (cable) channels. We’re trying to work through that, so it becomes a bit of a puzzle.”

Publishing the current schedule early last year was made possible by the continuation with every track on the schedule barring Texas Motor Speedway, as many were in long-term agreements and others went into 2025 in the final year on their contracts.

A number of tracks are believed to be up for renewal this time around, including Laguna Seca, Portland, and Toronto, which has the World Cup taking place at the same time that the Honda Indy Toronto is traditionally held.

“Our intent is to be at all three,” Boles said. “And I think the promoters would tell you the same thing, so I’d be really surprised if we weren’t in all three of those markets.”

A trip to Mexico is highly anticipated, and then there’s the fate of a beloved staple like the site of this weekend’s doubleheader at Iowa Speedway. Both stand as large pieces of the scheduling puzzle to resolve before a calendar can be published.

The Iowa event produced sizable crowds through 2024 thanks to the vast marketing efforts and expenditures by former title sponsor Hy-Vee, but with the company’s exit from the race, which also coincided with what turned out to be two of the least entertaining races of the year, a keen eye is being kept on how Saturday’s Synk 275 Powered by Sukup and Sunday’s Farm to Finish 275 Powered by Sukup uphold the race’s lofty standards.

Renown for hosting some of IndyCar’s most memorable short oval races since the inaugural event in 2007, the recent repaving of the 0.875-mile track — but only on the low lane — coincided with a steep downturn in passing.

Changes to the technical specifications of the cars are being made by IndyCar to improve the odds of producing the same caliber of Iowa Speedway action fans expect, and if it’s successful, the venue’s place on the schedule should be secure.