Phillip Abbott/Motorsport Images
IndyCar exploring options for new venues
The NTT IndyCar Series’ desire to grow its 17-race calendar in the coming years is being met by an increasing number of options to explore.
As RACER chronicled in July, the series harbors an interest in expanding its schedule to reach upwards of 19-20 races per season in an incremental fashion by adding one new event in 2024, 2025, and possibly 2026.
Of the known venues on IndyCar’s radar, a return to the Milwaukee Mile (main image), which recently announced a reconnection with NASCAR through its Trucks series in 2023, and a trip to Mexico at one of its road courses, are among the leading candidates on the series’ short list.
Although series officials were unwilling to speak on the record, RACER has confirmed three more tracks have emerged as potential destinations, starting with a group that wants to bring IndyCar back to the streets of Denver. Held during a two-year span from 1990-1991 for the CART IndyCar Series, the downtown event was popular, despite being short-lived, and it returned under CART’s successor, Champ Car, from 2002-2006.
Considered to be in its formative stages, a return to Denver would take some time to develop before it would be considered a viable option to place on an IndyCar calendar. Another return has also gained traction within the series as the NASCAR-owned short oval in Richmond, Virginia, has resurfaced as a venue of interest.
Under its former guise as the Indy Racing League, the IndyCar Series raced at Richmond International Raceway from 2001-2009, and prior to the arrival of COVID-19, the series and former RIR president Dennis Bickmeier concluded a deal for IndyCar to return to the 0.75-mile short track in 2020. Lost as a race when the series trimmed its delayed season to 14 rounds, getting RIR back and adding to IndyCar’s oval offerings remains as a goal. The track appointed Lori Collier Waran as its new president in June.
Having confirmed that the proposed Pittsburgh street race sits idle, the last new option sits on the other side of the country. RACER has learned the series is in contact with unspecified road course out west that is under consideration for hosting IndyCar races in the near future. More details on the track are expected to be revealed in the near future.
Marshall Pruett
The 2026 season marks Marshall Pruett's 40th year working in the sport. In his role today for RACER, Pruett covers open-wheel and sports car racing as a writer, reporter, photographer, and filmmaker. In his previous career, he served as a mechanic, engineer, and team manager in a variety of series, including IndyCar, IMSA, and World Challenge.
Read Marshall Pruett's articles
Latest News
Comments
Comments are disabled until you accept Social Networking Cookies. Update cookie preferences
If the dialog doesn't appear, ad-blockers are often the cause; try disabling yours or see our Social Features Support.