Here is a rundown of what got me thinking...
Max Verstappen got on the board with a victory in the Japanese Grand Prix. McLaren had two challengers and neither could get that close. Suzuka was a tinder box until race day. God bless the rain. The weather significantly shortened the Supercross main events from Foxborough, and it was a great equalizer though not the highest standard of competition. Some drivers have soured over NASCAR's throwback weekend, and perhaps the wrong drivers have. Some people forget that Martin Truex, Jr. once led 588 of 600 miles in a race and won! After another week to think about it, I have fixed IndyCar's schedule problem.
I Fixed IndyCar Scheduling
Problem solved. To be honest, this came to me right after I finished last week's Musings.
How do you get rid of the gaps in the IndyCar schedule?
The answer is add more races, but how many and where and is it realistic?
I hate doing fantasy schedules because they are almost universally bad and not grounded in reality.
"Go back to Cleveland." Cleveland is gone. There is no interest from the city or anyone of note in the paddock for it to return.
"Return to Chicagoland." Have you been paying attention to the last six years?
"Go to Australia." Who is paying?
"Return to Indianapolis 500 practice starting May 1st." Just stop.
Most of these fantasies are garbage. If you have been paying attention, IndyCar is never going to do something completely radical when it comes to the schedule. It isn't going to do anything radical period. However, if there is a hope for some kind of spark for something new, there are reasonable changes that could be made. One day, you have to think IndyCar will take a swing, even if it isn't the most stunning thing in the history of mankind.
There is a way for IndyCar to completely eliminate multi-week gaps in the 2026 schedule. One piece has already fallen in place. It only requires adding two more race weekends to get there. IndyCar has been slow to add one more weekend, and the inclusion of the Grand Prix of Arlington is one down, what are the odds of getting two more? Low, but IndyCar must make a step and there is a way it can expand the schedule without being crazy, but in a beneficial way for the series.
Strategy is also key. IndyCar should be strategic when scheduling races when it comes to NASCAR races and start times. It isn't just picking out the same weekends, but choosing weekends and race times that will maximize viewership.
We also don't know what the 2026 NASCAR schedule will look like. The best we can do is use 2025 as a template and possibly little to nothing changes.
Shall we begin?
March 8: St. Petersburg
March 15: Arlington
IndyCar has not started a season with consecutive races since 2021, and that was because of the pandemic and St. Petersburg moved to late-April. The last time it was scheduled that way was 2012, and that was when the season was 15 races and it began on March 25. IndyCar needs momentum to start a season. Two races off the crack of the bat will do it.
March 22: Off
March 29: Thermal
April 5: Off
To make this works, Thermal must stay on the schedule. IndyCar isn't going to find another venue, and we can live with it. The race wasn't bad. I don't know how IndyCar can make that venue more inclusive, but perhaps the series and the club can work together.
It is going to be head-to-head with the NASCAR race. That would likely also be the case for Arlington. St. Petersburg could still be leading into a Cup race.
With Easter on the April 5, this is the only occasion with one race split by off weeks. In every other case, there will be consecutive races.
April 12: Barber
April 19: Long Beach
April 26: Richmond
This is where eyes will pop, but here me out.
Long Beach is already scheduled (thanks IMSA). IndyCar cannot afford to be off after Easter week. Move Barber up mostly because the weekend of April 26 will likely be Talladega weekend for NASCAR. That's not going to work. It would move Barber against Bristol or Darlington. Barber could start early enough that it is nearly over when the Cup race starts.
Why put Richmond in on April 26?
1. It gets IndyCar back in the Northeast.
2. It is spring time and the conditions should be favorable.
3. Richmond hosted a NASCAR weekend in April for a long time.
4. Richmond's only NASCAR weekend is in the middle of August, which means this is a prime spot to hold a race and not worry about splitting ticket buyers over one race or another.
5. This will likely be Talladega for NASCAR, and that is a Fox race. IndyCar could have its first oval race of the season lead into what will be a well-viewed NASCAR race. Richmond could start at 12:30 p.m. Eastern and lead right into Talladega. That is a television window IndyCar must take advantage of, and if it let's one of those slip, it isn't doing the best it can to play to the audience.
May 3: Off
May 9: Grand Prix of Indianapolis
May 16-17: Indianapolis 500 Qualifying
May 24: Indianapolis 500
May 31: Detroit
June 6; Gateway
Nothing in the month of May needs to change. Roger Penske isn't going to move Detroit from being the weekend after the "500."
The one change that I think is realistic is moving Gateway to a Saturday night race.
It would get Gateway off a NASCAR Sunday, and instead of running head-to-head with Michigan, it could run on a night of its own.
Also, IndyCar could make a trade. Right now, Fox is loading up Friday and Saturday nights with UFL games. There can be one weekend where UFL gets a Sunday afternoon and IndyCar gets a Saturday night. After all, what is the difference between a football game that might barely draw one million viewers and an auto race that might draw one million viewers? It seems like a wash on the programming front.
I will go one step further. Make Gateway 300 laps. Add 40 laps for the sake of adding laps. It is a full race and it will fill the television window.
June 14: Off
June 21: Road America
June 28: Mid-Ohio
July 5: Off
After a busy end to spring, IndyCar gets off and it falls on Le Mans weekend, so people can get happy that drivers can theoretically run Le Mans when all we will get is Callum Ilott and Nolan Siegel filling LMP2 pro-am entries. Fun!
Summer 2026 gets a little complicated with the 2026 FIFA World Cup taking place in the United States, Canada and Mexico, and Fox is the broadcasting partner in the United States. Like the Summer Olympics with NBC, the World Cup is a major property for Fox, and it take precedence over almost every other property.
The tournament begins on Thursday June 11 and it will run through Sunday July 19. The last World Cup in Qatar had matches start locally at 1:00 p.m., 4:00 p.m., 7:00 p.m. and 10:00 p.m. nearly every day of the group stage. With at least four matches a day for basically the entire first half of the tournament, it does pose a small problem of when a race could get in on Fox. It should be noted those starts were a favorable time for Europe. A 10:00 p.m. Eastern start is not ideal for Europe. When the World Cup was last in the Western Hemisphere for Brazil 2014, matches began at noon, 3:00 p.m. and 6:00 p.m. Eastern.
What falls in IndyCar's favor is the World Cup has two Sundays with no scheduled games. Obviously, those should be fair game for a race. It is the other weekends where it gets tricky. If Fox is splitting up its matches and having at least one or two on FS1 each day, it opens the door for an IndyCar race on Fox. However, there is a chance Fox will want to go wall-to-wall World Cup on a Sunday afternoon and from noon until midnight there will be nothing but soccer.
If the real estate is not on network television, does IndyCar eat a race on cable and FS1? It would likely be no more than one or two races. I think that is worth it. Take the sacrifice.
I would say run Road America on June 21, whether it be on Fox or FS1. It would likely be head-to-head with a NASCAR race, but that is going to be the case no matter what weekend Road America runs. June 28 is one of the two Sundays with no World Cup games. That is the date for Mid-Ohio then, which moves up from Independence Day weekend.
The other plus-side, besides avoiding the World Cup, Mid-Ohio would not be head-to-head with the NASCAR street race from Chicago. Mid-Ohio moves to an open Sunday afternoon because NASCAR races on Saturday night that weekend at Atlanta. For some reason, IndyCar is letting that Sunday slip through its fingers this year. IndyCar cannot afford to do that. It is borderline stupid. It should have adjusted its schedule this year when it saw such a gift left on the table.
July 12 Toronto
July 18 OR July 19: Iowa
July 26: Off
The other Sunday without a World Cup match is July 12. This is prime for Toronto and with good reason. July 19 is the final. Racing against the World Cup final would be complete lunacy.
Here is the U.S. viewership of the last four World Cup finals:
2010: 24,700,000 (2:30 p.m. kick off)
2014: 27,250,000 (3:00 p.m.)
2018: 17,830,000 (11:00 a.m.)
2022: 25,783,000 (11:00 a.m. and on December 21)
Flip Toronto and Iowa to give Toronto the open Sunday. Toronto might be against a Cup, but this is one occasions where you just have to accept it.
We know the dates for every World Cup match, but we do not know the times. Historically, the World Cup Final and third-place game have started at a favorable time for Europe even when the match has been in the Western Hemisphere. The 1994 final from the Rose Bowl started at 12:30 p.m. Pasadena time.
There is a world where the third-place game and final each start in the middle of the afternoon in the United States. Those are not the most ideal conditions the locations of those matches, Miami for the third-place game, and East Rutherford, New Jersey for the final, but it is better for viewers all around the globe.
In that case, the nights are open.
Iowa becomes a single-race weekend to make up for the additional races, but it is a night race. Fox is already willing to show Iowa's first race this year at 5:00 p.m. Eastern on a Saturday. I am sure a 7:00 p.m. or 8:00 p.m. start could be found on a Saturday night. After all, it is a throwaway Saturday night in the summer, and it would avoid the Cup race. What else is Fox is showing?
The only other possibility I would consider is could the IndyCar race from Iowa follow the World Cup Final on July 19? If that match starts at 3:00 p.m. Eastern, it will be done long by 6:00 p.m. even if it goes to penalties. Does IndyCar have a race at 7:00 p.m. on a Sunday night or 7:30 p.m. or whenever Fox decides to conclude its post-game window? The final could possibly have 30 million viewers in the United States. IndyCar will never have a better lead-in program for a race. If the final starts in the afternoon, I am keen on having Iowa follow the World Cup final. And I am talking no bullshit at the start of the broadcast. When Fox's post-game ends it tosses to the cars ready to roll off for the pace laps. Get right into the race and give the audience something to remain engaged on.
The series should be keen on that as well.
I am going to go a step further. If anyone in IndyCar's front office has a pulse, they would already be setting this up for 2026. All the pieces are there. You have an oval that can host a night race. You are in Fox's ear and Fox likes big events. You can turn the day in Iowa into a watch party for the World Cup final with a race to follow. Don't let this opportunity slip pass you! Take initiative and do something big!
To make up for Iowa going down to one race, increase the Iowa race to 400 laps. Make it the longest Iowa race we have seen. That is adding maybe a half-hour of action. In the history of Iowa races, only two of seven 300-lap races took more than two hours to complete, and those races took two hours, one minute and 59 seconds and the other took two hours, three minutes and 50 seconds. The second race of last year's doubleheader saw 250 laps completed in an hour and 26 minutes. A 400-lap race would be fine.
August 2: Portland
August 9: Laguna Seca
August 16: Off
These western races have to take place at some time, and this is the time we get. There will be some overlap with the NASCAR. You just have to accept it. NASCAR is starting all of its races at 3:00 p.m. It is never going to start a race at 1:00 p.m. Eastern again, allowing for a West Coast race to start at 4:00 p.m. with no overlap. That is the reality in the year 2025 A.D. This concludes the road course portion of the schedule, and IndyCar could have a fun oval run-in to end the season.
August 23: Pocono
August 30: Milwaukee
September 6: Nashville
It is incredible that IndyCar has left Pocono twice and both times have been inimical divorces. The crazy things is after 2019, Pocono still kind of wanted to keep IndyCar. Mostly because its NASCAR weekend in 2020 was becoming a doubleheader and Pocono needed another event weekend, but IndyCar passed. That might have been the wrong decision for IndyCar. Either way, the two are no longer together, but the opportunity exists for a reunion after a much more brief second separation.
1. It would be a second race in the Northeast.
2. It would be in late summer after Richmond was in the middle of spring.
3. It would be a 500-mile race to kick off a three-race oval sprint to the championship.
4. It would run on a Sunday afternoon when NASCAR has raced on Saturday night at Richmond.
There must be a way the series and track can work together. I know people left Pocono on walking on eggshells, but there is a way to hold these races and keep all the competitors safe.
We could have the season end with a big oval, little oval and an intermediate oval, and all three would not be head-to-head against NASCAR Cup races. Pocono would be the day after the Richmond night race. Milwaukee would be the day after the Daytona night race. Nashville would be in the afternoon and end well before the Southern 500 begins. I am not sure IndyCar could ask for a better way to end its season.
There is one other thing IndyCar could do to help these oval events and increase viewership...
Pay Kyle Larson $2 million to run the final six oval races.
There is no way Larson could run Richmond if it ends within an hour of the Talladega race beginning, but the other six oval races on the schedule all take place when not against a Cup race.
Indianapolis and Charlotte are the same day, but that is the appeal of The Double.
Gateway would be the day before a Cup race, and how many times has Larson run a dirt race the night before a Cup race? This would end at a much better hour and be closer to a major airport. The same would go for Iowa if it is on a Saturday. If Iowa is on a Sunday, perhaps Larson does a "reverse double," a NASCAR race before running an IndyCar race! Would NASCAR run a race head-to-head with the World Cup Final in the United States? It ran head-to-head with the 2014 final, which is the most recent TNT race (It was at Loudon). Iowa could be tricky.
Then you would have Pocono and Milwaukee happen the day after a Cup race. That could pose a problem if there is a rainout at the NASCAR race, but it is worth rolling the dice. Larson could have a chance at a second double (or possibly third) to end the season, and that would be much more friendly than the first one. Nashville to Darlington would likely take around 90 minutes. Larson got from Indianapolis to North Wilkesboro in a little over 90 minutes last year on qualifying weekend.
Why attempt a second double? Why not if you are Kyle Larson? Why not do something completely unheard of before? Many have done Indianapolis to Charlotte. Has anyone run an IndyCar race before the running the Southern 500? No! Break the mold! Besides, Nashville would only be 300 miles, barely anything that would break a sweat for Larson.
At $2 million, you would think Larson wouldn't say no. Where else would he get $2 million to run six races? Keep him in the McLaren, have the series cover his salary, it is an investment that would pay for itself. Hell, throw $1 million at Rick Hendrick just to get him to say yes. Are any of these IndyCar oval races more dangerous than some of the dirt races he participates in? Arguably, no.
IndyCar needs some buzz. If Kyle Larson was competing in essentially all the oval races while still full-time in Cup, people would tune in. Paying $3 million to have Larson run a half-dozen races is likely the best marketing strategy IndyCar can come up with. What else is going to get people to watch? We have tried selling "fastest racing on the planet." People do not care that there are 400 passes in a street race and there are more passes in one race than an entire Formula One season.
Aim for stunts! Make people turn their heads and say, "IndyCar did what?!?!" The series has nothing else to lose. IndyCar could be the fun uncle series. It splashes around a lot of cash and always keeps it interesting. I realize this is IndyCar I am talking about. It doesn't splash much of anything around.
The Larson thing is a stretch, but the rest of the schedule seems reasonable. It is at least grounded. It would take some work, but IndyCar is that close to a good thing. In a blink, IndyCar can go from a frustrating schedule where it is inactive for the better part of a month immediately after it gets started to regularly active and in sight from the start of March through Labor Day weekend. It can also return to the Northeast to a pair of encouraging facilities in the process.
IndyCar has nothing else to lose. Will it cost more to have two more races? Yes, but this is what it takes. If adding two races is what breaks Dale Coyne Racing and causes the team to close its doors, well, it has been a great four-decade run. Would it be a bad thing if IndyCar went down to 23-24 full-time entries with 19 races? It is time for an evolution, and if you cannot evolve, it was nice knowing you.
If IndyCar put out this schedule... some people would find fault with it. It's IndyCar. Someone will be upset about something. Thermal would still be there. There you go. Ridiculous anger aside, this schedule would draw more vigor and excitement IndyCar has not seen for a long time. There would be more ovals and longer races. You would never have multiple weeks off and other than on one occasion there would be races on consecutive weekends on a regular basis.
Ever since the pandemic, IndyCar has thrilled nobody. This would be a wonderful chance to change the tide and get IndyCar on the right path.
Winners From the Weekend
You know about Max Verstappen, but did you know...
Denny Hamlin won the NASCAR Cup race from Darlington, his second career victory. Brandon Jones won the Grand National Series race, ending a 98-race winless streak.
The #83 AF Corse Oreca of François Perrodo, Alessio Rovera and Mathieu Vaxiviére won the 4 Hours of Barcelona. The #17 CLX Motorsport Ligier of Adrien Closmenil, Theodor Jensen and Paul Lanchère won in LMP3. The #85 Iron Dames Porsche of Sarah Bovy, Michelle Gatting and Célia Martin won in GT3.
Aaron Plessinger won the Supercross race from Foxborough. Chance Hymas won the 250cc race, his first career victory.
Coming Up This Weekend
IndyCar moves onto Long Beach.
IMSA will also be in Long Beach as will GT America.
Formula One has a night race in Bahrain.
MotoGP has a night race in Qatar.
World Superbike has a round at Assen.
Supercars head east to Taupō.
NASCAR will be at Bristol.
Super GT opens its season at Okayama.
Formula E has its first round at Homestead-Miami Speedway.
Supercross will be in Philadelphia.
