IndyCar CEO Teases Huge 2026 Event Additions With Announcement Expected Soon

IndyCar CEO teases major 2026 event addition with an announcement expected imminently.

Jun 23, 2024; Salinas, California, USA; Arrow McLaren SP driver Alexander Rossi (7) of United States leads a group during the Grand Prix Of Monterey at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports / Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports

IndyCar is preparing for a move into new territories, with CEO Mark Miles revealing plans for a major event addition in 2026. The series, which has been contemplating expansion, might soon announce a city center race, a concept initially considered but shelved for 2024 due to negotiation hurdles.

During an interview with BlackBook Motorsport, Miles commented:

“We’re close to adding [a key market] for 2026. And we’ve got irons in the fire with at least one more – potentially two – in that same timeframe.”

"We need to have our schedule evolve to include more up-and-coming, dynamic cities. If you have the right partners and the right promoters, it’ll be one of our tentpole events.

“We won’t bestow a specific status in that regard, but it’s more about the market and the urbanisation and growth of the series through that sort of addition to the calendar.”

Previously, IndyCar had set sights on Nashville, planning a spectacular route down Broadway. However, the adjacent NFL Tennessee Titans' stadium construction led to a location shift to the Nashville Superspeedway. There remains uncertainty about returning to the downtown route as the city undergoes significant development.

Looking beyond U.S. borders, Miles also discussed the preliminary stages of potentially establishing an international IndyCar series. Given that the current season concludes in late August, there exists a window to host overseas races during the off-months, from October to January. He added:

“The idea of creating something new that would be more of an international series in the months available to us after the IndyCar championship is decided continues to be something that we think about and work on.

“We continue to have conversations with places that are interested. We had our track guy visiting a South American opportunity last week, but we’ll see.

“It’s hard enough to find one great event where you know you have a base of IndyCar fans and there’s brand recognition and there’s some recognition of our drivers. To find three or four of them and introduce them at the same time? It’s a long putt but we’re working on it.”