logo

IndyCar and NASCAR Plan More Doubleheader Events After Phoenix Success

After a strong turnout at Phoenix Raceway, leaders from IndyCar and NASCAR are considering expanding their joint race weekends. The collaboration between these two top North American racing series drew attention during the Autosport Business Exchange in New York.

Earlier this year, both series joined forces for the Desert Double weekend at Phoenix Raceway in March. The IndyCar race spanned 250 laps and featured 565 total passes, including 18 lead changes among 11 drivers. Team Penske’s Josef Newgarden took a late victory on Saturday, ahead of the NASCAR O'Reilly Auto Parts Series race that evening. The weekend wrapped up with the NASCAR Cup Series event on Sunday.

This successful format is set to return to Phoenix Raceway from March 12–14, 2027. Once again, IndyCar and the O'Reilly Series will share the Saturday schedule before Sunday’s Cup race. There’s talk that next year IndyCar could even headline the Saturday night event.

The idea of shared weekends isn’t entirely new. It started during the 2020 pandemic when IndyCar and the NASCAR O'Reilly (then Xfinity) Series raced on the Indianapolis Motor Speedway infield road course on Saturday, followed by the NASCAR Cup Series on Sunday. This dual-header ran through 2023 but paused when NASCAR brought the Brickyard 400 back to the oval track.

Reflections on the Phoenix Weekend

Jonathan Gibson, Executive Vice President of Marketing and Business Development at Penske Corporation, highlighted notable increases in ticket sales and fan interest from the joint events.

"Phoenix wasn’t our first effort. We began at Indianapolis Motor Speedway with the road course event in 2021, where Jimmie Johnson was present. We saw a huge lift—last year’s Saturday at Phoenix doubled ticket sales with IndyCar and the O'Reilly Series running together. Drivers enjoy being part of the broader racing ecosystem, and fans love it too. We won’t do this every weekend, but we’re committed to Phoenix and exploring other chances to collaborate," Gibson said.

Tim Clark, NASCAR’s Executive Vice President and Chief Brand Officer, shared his enthusiasm about the crossover's appeal to fans and drivers alike.

"I agree. It was fascinating to watch. Usually, when our drivers aren’t on track, they try to relax, but during the IndyCar sessions, everyone was watching. For motorsports fans—not just followers of one discipline—it’s fantastic to see both series so close together. IndyCar ran, and just over an hour later, our O'Reilly Series hit the track. Seeing those differences side by side is great for the sport, and I think there’s more to come between NASCAR and IndyCar," Clark explained.

Recent Headlines Related to IndyCar and NASCAR

  • How Spanish engineering and Alex Palou brought IndyCar to Barcelona
  • It’s all over but the dog and pony show as Kyle Larson nears third Cup

Related Articles