By Bruce Martin,Contributor,Firestone In
Copyright forbes
The 2026 INDY NXT By Firestone Schedule released by IndyCar.
IndyCar Photo
One of the foundations of the NTT IndyCar Series is to ensure a strong feeder series. In recent years, the focus on the INDY NXT By Firestone Series has helped provide a pipeline of new talent into IndyCar with more teams attracting young race drivers from all over the world.
Dennis Hauger of Norway won the 2025 INDY NXT championship in his rookie season and will move up to IndyCar in 2026 as a rookie driver with Dale Coyne Racing.
On September 25, IndyCar announced a 17-race schedule for the 2026 INDY NXT by Firestone season, which includes a series record-tying four races in March and the addition of three new doubleheader weekends. IndyCar’s developmental series intends to better prepare drivers and team personnel for the skills required to advance to NTT IndyCar Series competition.
FOX Sports will once again provide a broadcast platform for every race, helping to build on record-setting growth across the 2025 season.
INDY NXT Schedule Highlights
The 17-race schedule is the most for the series since 2021 and is highlighted by participation in the much-anticipated inaugural IndyCar Grand Prix of Arlington. The Sunday, March 15 race on the new 14-turn, 2.73-mile Streets of Arlington circuit is a tentpole event during the 2026 IndyCar calendar.
The weekend is a first-of-its-kind venture uniting three championship organizations: IndyCar, the Dallas Cowboys and REV Entertainment, the official events partner of the Texas Rangers.
The mix of wheel-to-wheel action on ovals, road courses and street circuits in 2026 includes a total of five doubleheader weekends, culminating with one at the season finale at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca. The historic road course returns as the season finale for the 15th time in series history.
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INDY NXT By Firestone Champion Dennis Hauger at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca in Monterey, California. (Photo by Scott Dinn/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
For the second consecutive season, the 2026 schedule in the United States will be featured on live television with all events broadcast on either FOX Sports’ FS1 or FS2. Additionally, all practice and qualifying sessions will be featured on those networks. As part of a multiyear partnership between IndyCar and FOX Sports, 2025 was a breakout year for INDY NXT with every race being featured on live television for the first time. As a result, the 2025 season generated well over five times more viewership than the previous season.
“Like with the NTT IndyCar Series the 2026 INDY NXT by Firestone season begins with supercharged action in March and only grows more intense from there,” Penske Entertainment Corp. President and CEO Mark Miles said. “Additional doubleheaders at fan-favorite events will add to the challenge of winning a season championship, which again will be celebrated at iconic WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca.
“Combined with the exceptional showcase of another full season of races on FS1 and FS2, we again look forward to seeing the young stars of INDY NXT challenge for the title and advancing to the NTT IndyCar Series.”
For the 16th time and fifth straight year, the season opens Sunday, March 1 on the sun-splashed Streets of St. Petersburg, Florida. Challenging doubleheaders at Barber Motorsports Park, Road America and Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course add intrigue to the traditional series doubleheaders on the Indianapolis Motor Speedway road course and Laguna Seca.
The schedule also includes visits to the ovals at World Wide Technology Raceway, Nashville Superspeedway and the Milwaukee Mile, which all featured series records for on-track passes in 2025.
All 17 races will, once again, take place during NTT IndyCar Series event weekends. Since taking over operational control of the development series in 2023, INDY NXT has enjoyed unprecedented growth by averaging over 19 starters at each race and the largest fields since the 2009 season.
INDY NXT Alumni Success In IndyCar
Five of the seven race winners during the 2025 NTT IndyCar Series season were former INDY NXT drivers. The 109th Indianapolis 500 presented by Gainbridge featured 20 drivers with INDY NXT experience.
FOX Sports’ network assignments and tune-in times for the 2026 events will be announced at a later date.
Outside of the United States, the streaming service INDYCAR LIVE will continue to provide live coverage of all 17 INDY NXT races along with all practice and qualifying sessions.
2026 INDY NXT BY FIRESTONE SCHEDULE
Sunday, March 1 – Streets of St. Petersburg
Sunday, March 15 – Streets of Arlington
Saturday, March 28 – Barber Motorsports Park Race 1
Sunday, March 29 – Barber Motorsports Park Race 2
Friday, May 8 – Indianapolis Motor Speedway Road Course Race 1
Saturday, May 9 – Indianapolis Motor Speedway Road Course Race 2
Sunday, May 31 – Streets of Detroit
Sunday, June 7 – World Wide Technology Raceway
Saturday, June 20 – Road America Race 1
Sunday, June 21 – Road America Race 2
Saturday, July 4 – Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course Race 1
Sunday, July 5 – Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course Race 2
Sunday, July 19 – Nashville Superspeedway
Sunday, Aug. 9 – Portland International Raceway
Sunday, Aug. 30 – Milwaukee Mile
Saturday, Sept. 5 – WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca Race 1
Sunday, Sept. 6 – WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca Race 2
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