Breaking Down INDYCAR’s Test Sessions: What Really Happens Behind Closed Gates in 2026
In all of Motorsports, including IndyCar, testing is the unsung hero. It’s where those crucial tenths of a second are, where bad teams become good, good teams become great, and great teams become champions. There was even a time when testing was unlimited in many motorsports.
But IndyCar doesn’t do that anymore. So now, if teams want to keep improving, they have to get creative with how they test. This is why we see a wide range of testing methods today.
The IndyCar Testing Rules
One of the most important parts of testing the limited amount of Firestone Firehawk Racing Tires each team is given to save costs. This adds another challenge to planning to maximize every run. But even more drivers must be precise on race day. Having to balance speed and tire wear perfectly.
What’s also limited is the number of days each team can enter in a test section. If you’re a team that fields in at least 12 races per season, you’re allowed only two testing days. And you can use these two days from anywhere between the day after the season finale through the next season finale. Or for this upcoming season, it started Monday, Sept. 1, 2025, and runs through Sunday, Sept. 6, 2026.
Indycar’s Most Conventional Testing Day
The testing day you hear the most about in IndyCar is the open test. An NTT INDYCAR SERIES-sanctioned test open to all teams. Making the second most important practice day of the year. Only beaten by the final practice of the Indy 500.This year, there are two open tests on two different tracks.
Phoenix Raceway (Feb. 17-18) and the Indianapolis Motor Speedway oval (April 28-29). Most interesting about this is the lack of an open test on a road course. Meaning teams with lower budgets have to either get creative with their other tests to gain advantages there. Or have a better simulator than everyone else in their budget range.
The Rookie Test
The second-most-common test in IndyCar is the rookie test! A test that’s required for any driver take before they drive in the Indianapolis 500 presented by Gainbridge. But the Indy 500 is not a race to take lightly, so one test won’t cut it. So before they compete in the rookie test, they must first complete a speedway oval test.
This IndyCar season sees three rookies making their way to the grid in Dennis Hauger, Caio Collet, and the most talked-about Mick Schumacher. Two of them have already done a test, which then led to Indy 500 testing later in 2026. Hauger and Collet completed their oval test on Nov. 6 at Nashville Superspeedway, while Schumacher is scheduled to test next month on the Homestead-Miami Speedway oval.
Rookies give teams a unique advantage, as they have two additional test days that can only be used by the rookie. The Norwegian Hauger used one of those days, on Oct. 1 at the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course. Collet and Schumacher each still have two available in 2026.
Driver Evaluation Test Day
But there’s one day of testing others drivers can do, and that’s a driver evaluation. A team can only do this if they have a driver who’s done 10 or fewer INDYCAR SERIES starts or has not competed in an NTT IndyCar SERIES event within the previous 24 months. And the drivers are only allowed one every season.
But the team is allowed an extra evaluation test day if they decide to evaluate a current or former INDY NXT by Firestone driver. This also allows a driver an extra evaluation test if they fit both criteria. Like with Lochie Hughes, a driver for Andretti in IndyNXT, who has already tested for Andretti Global on Oct. 13 on the Indianapolis Motor Speedway road course.
The Australian remains eligible for one more evaluation test in the IndyCar Series.The resurgent midpack team, A.J. Foyt, has also taken advantage of this. With rookie Collet having done an evaluation day and an INDY NXT test for Collet on Oct. 1 at Mid-Ohio and Oct. 13 at the IMS road course.
The Extra Team Test Day
Right now, in IndyCar, there are three teams: Andretti Global, Chip Ganassi Racing, and Juncos Hollinger Racing. These three teams are eligible for an extra team test day.
The Firestone Manufacturer Tests
And the most important test for the series is the Firestone manufacturer tests! A test to make sure the tires hold up as well as they can to ensure a better racing product and driver safety! Each team is allowed two of this kind of test a year. Like earlier this offseason, when at Phoenix Raceway, a Firestone manufacturer test was done with four different teams.
The first being to Nov. 6-7 with Scott Dixon (Chip Ganassi Racing) and Alexander Rossi (Ed Carpenter Racing). Another test was scheduled last week at Phoenix with Will Power (Andretti Global) and Josef Newgarden (Team Penske). Thanks a bunch for reading!
