FOX Sports and INDYCAR Drop 2026 Schedule and Race Start Times
It’s the news every race fan has been waiting for since the checkered flag dropped on the last season. We finally have the full rundown of broadcast start times for the 2026 NTT INDYCAR SERIES. And folks, if you thought the collaboration between INDYCAR and FOX Sports was big news before, just wait until you see how they’ve stacked the deck for this upcoming season.
For the second year running, we are looking at a powerhouse partnership that puts open-wheel racing front and center. FOX is going all-in again, highlighting the championship across a record-tying 19 network windows. That means every single one of the 17 races will be broadcast on television. Let that sink in for a second.
In a landscape where sports content is increasingly hidden behind paywalls and streaming subscriptions, INDYCAR stands alone as the only premier motorsports series in North America, putting every single lap of its season on network TV. That is a massive win for the fans.
2026 Start Times Aligned With Global Sports
Now, let’s talk about the summer stretch, because this is where things get really interesting. We all know 2026 is a World Cup year, and usually, that means other sports scramble to find airtime that doesn’t get swallowed up by soccer mania. Instead of hiding, INDYCAR is drafting right off the bumper of the world’s biggest sporting event.
FOX Sports has cleverly aligned the start times to create a massive lead-in audience. On Sunday, June 21, the opening match of the FIFA World Cup 2026™ will roll right into the XPEL Grand Prix at Road America. We’re talking about one of the most demanding, old-school road courses on the planet, getting a global audience lead-in at 2 p.m. Eastern.
It happens again on July 5. The Round of 16 action will set the stage for the Honda Indy 200 at Mid-Ohio. And perhaps the most significant opportunity of them all comes later in July. The World Cup Final, arguably the most-watched sporting event on Earth, will serve as the lead-in for the Nashville Superspeedway race. While the specific tune-in time for the Borchetta Bourbon Music City Grand Prix is still TBD, the potential for new eyeballs on the sport is unprecedented.
A Season of Can’t-Miss Moments
Looking at the 2026 INDYCAR schedule, there are plenty of dates you need to circle in red Sharpie right now. The season kicks off with a triple-header of weekends in March, a month that features a record four races. We are going back to Phoenix Raceway for the Good Ranchers 250 on Saturday, March 7, with a 3 p.m. start.
Then, we head to Texas for what might be the most anticipated debut on the calendar: the inaugural Java House Grand Prix of Arlington. This street race is getting the red-carpet treatment with a 30-minute pre-race show starting at 12:30 p.m. on Sunday, March 15.
Of course, all roads eventually lead to the Brickyard. The May coverage will be extensive. We’ve got the PPG Presents Armed Forces Qualifying on May 16-17, setting the field for the big show. And on Sunday, May 24, clear your schedule. FOX is bringing back the six-hour broadcast window for the 110th Running of the Indianapolis 500. Coverage starts at 10 a.m., giving “The Greatest Spectacle in Racing” the reverence and build-up it deserves.
We also see the return of prime-time racing under the lights at World Wide Technology Raceway on June 7, and a brand new street course layout in Markham, Canada, on August 16. The season wraps up with a frantic dash to the finish, including the Milwaukee Mile doubleheader in late August and the championship decider at Laguna Seca on September 6.
What The Drivers Are Thinking
The paddock is buzzing about this consistency in start times and network exposure. Alex Palou, who is chasing a fourth straight championship in the No. 10 DHL Chip Ganassi Racing Honda, called 2025 an “incredible year” for the sport’s relationship with FOX and is ready to build on it.
Pato O’Ward is particularly pumped about the new venue in Arlington, calling it one of the most exciting additions to the calendar in years. And for guys like Kyle Kirkwood at Andretti Global, the synergy with the World Cup is a major highlight. “I’m a big sports fan, so having the 2026 INDYCAR schedule share the stage with FOX’s coverage of the World Cup next summer is going to be exciting,” Kirkwood noted.
The numbers back up the excitement. In the first year of the FOX partnership, viewership jumped 27 percent. That is the fastest growth curve in major sports right now. Penske Entertainment Corp. President and CEO Mark Miles put it best: FOX is providing an “unparalleled platform.”
Full 2026 INDYCAR Broadcast Schedule
Here is the complete rundown of start times so you can plan your race weekends accordingly. All times are Eastern.
- Sunday, March 1: Streets of St. Petersburg | FOX | Noon
- Saturday, March 7: Phoenix Raceway | FOX | 3 p.m.
- Sunday, March 15: Streets of Arlington | FOX | 12:30 p.m.
- Sunday, March 29: Barber Motorsports Park | FOX | 1 p.m.
- Sunday, April 19: Streets of Long Beach | FOX | 5:30 p.m.
- Saturday, May 9: Indianapolis Motor Speedway Road Course | FOX | 4:30 p.m.
- Sunday, May 24: The 110th Indianapolis 500 | FOX | 10 a.m.
- Sunday, May 31: Streets of Detroit | FOX | 12:30 p.m.
- Sunday, June 7: World Wide Technology Raceway | FOX | 9 p.m.
- Sunday, June 21: Road America | FOX | 2 p.m.
- Sunday, July 5: Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course | FOX | 12:30 p.m.
- Sunday, July 19: Nashville Superspeedway | FOX | TBA
- Sunday, Aug. 9: Portland International Raceway | FOX | 4 p.m.
- Sunday, Aug. 16: Streets of Markham | FOX | Noon
- Saturday, Aug. 29: Milwaukee Mile Race 1 | FOX | 2:30 p.m.
- Sunday, Aug. 30: Milwaukee Mile Race 2 | FOX | 1 p.m.
- Sunday, Sept. 6: WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca | FOX | 2:30 p.m.
Where to Watch
Practice and qualifying sessions will be scattered across FS1, FS2, FOX One, and the app, so keep an eye out for those listings. But for the main events? It’s all FOX, all season long. It’s going to be a wild ride.
