IndyCar unveils Phase One of 2027 schedule

Building on a 16% increase in television viewership this year – its highest audience numbers since 2008 – IndyCar announced Phase One of the 2027 IndyCar Series schedule on Wednesday.

The preliminary eight-race lineup opens with a three-week stretch in March, shifts Barber Motorsports Park back to early April, and guarantees network television coverage on FOX for every race for the third consecutive season.

For just the fifth time in the series’ 118-year history, the season will launch with races on three consecutive weekends:

• March 7: The season kicks off on the Streets of St. Petersburg, Florida, marking the 17th time the event has served as the season opener.
• March 13: Teams head to the desert for a Saturday night clash at Phoenix Raceway in a joint showcase with NASCAR. The 1-mile oval returned to the schedule in 2026, delivering a track-record 565 on-track passes. 
• March 21: The opening sprint wraps up on the 14-turn, 2.73-mile Streets of Arlington for the second annual Java House Grand Prix of Arlington, a joint effort between IndyCar, the Dallas Cowboys, and REV Entertainment.

“The start to this year’s 2026 season was action-packed, and it’s gratifying to know the stage is set for a return to that frantic pace in 2027,” said IndyCar President J. Douglas Boles. “To finish that stretch with a marquee event on the Streets of Arlington will be a fitting way to lead into another heated season-long battle.”

Following a brief breather, action resumes Sunday, April 4, with a return to Barber Motorsports Park in Birmingham, Alabama, restoring the natural terrain road course to its traditional April spot. Two weeks later, on April 18, the paddock travels west for the 43rd running of the Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach, following a 2026 event that drew a modern-record crowd of over 200,000 spectators.

The schedule then turns to Indianapolis Motor Speedway: 

• May 15: The Sonsio Grand Prix on the IMS road course kicks off the Month of May.
• May 22–23: PPG Presents Armed Forces Qualifying Weekend.
• May 30: The 111th Running of the Indianapolis 500 The Phase One slate concludes on Sunday, June 6, with the Chevrolet Detroit Grand Prix along the downtown riverfront.

Every race on the 2027 schedule will air live on FOX, making IndyCar the only premier motorsport series in North America with its entire calendar on broadcast network television. FOX will also air two days of Indy 500 qualifying and Carb Day coverage.

“It has been another remarkable year of growth through our powerful partnership with FOX Sports, and we look forward to focusing on even greater opportunities through the 2027 NTT IndyCar Series schedule,” said Mark Miles, President and CEO of Penske Entertainment Corp.

Teams will have two major open tests ahead of their respective events: 

• Feb. 23–24: The Unser IndyCar Open Test at Phoenix Raceway.
• May 4–5: The Indy 500 Open Test at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, featuring the Rookie Orientation Program. 

IndyCar officials stated that Phase Two of the 2027 schedule, detailing the summer and season-ending races alongside broadcast start times and the Indy NXT by Firestone schedule, will be released in the coming weeks.

2027 NTT INDYCAR SERIES Schedule (Phase One)