IndyCar’s proposed Dallas street race might help the calendar, but it’s not enough

After a brief break from racing in the Lone Star State, IndyCar is looking set to compete at a street circuit surrounding the AT&T center in Arlington, Texas in 2026.

While it’s a promising step forward for a calendar that has become increasingly focused around the Midwest and the West Coast, the series is going to need to continue bolstering its spread of races around the United States — and the world — to see any tangible growth.

IndyCar eyes Dallas-adjacent street circuit for 2026

As reported by RACER , the NTT IndyCar Series is heading down south once again in 2026. While previous events in Texas have been located at the Texas Motor Speedway oval and the Circuit of The Americas road course, this new track will be a street circuit winding around the AT&T Stadium.

Located in Arlington, Texas, the AT&T Stadium is the home of the Dallas Cowboys NFL team. Part of what makes this stadium such an attractive option for hosting an IndyCar event is the fact that it’s centered in an expansive campus, thus providing ample opportunities for building a track without having to shut down any public roads.

According to RACER, Penske Entertainment has declined to comment on the formation of the race, but that we should expect an official announcement coming next week.

But a street race in a town close to Dallas isn’t the answer to IndyCar’s increasingly monolithic schedule. It’s only a first step — and it’s one that fans haven’t been asking for.

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Despite its growing popularity in the United States, IndyCar has slowly whittled away its schedule to focus on two regions: Driving distance from the series’ home base in Indianapolis, Indiana, and along the West Coast.

Fans have been asking for more races on the East Coast, in the South, and in the Great Plains — as well as for more international events. The series has been somewhat resistant to the idea, instead padding out its schedule by adding a doubleheader event at the classic Milwaukee Mile.

While there have been talks about potentially scheduling an overseas event, the series instead seems focused on talking about street races taking place near Dallas or Denver.

Again, while both of those events would satisfy a current gap in the calendar, many fans feel that there’s more to be done — especially considering the fact that the Dallas street race is scheduled so far in advance that there’s ample time for minds to change.

Fans cracked jokes about the boring nature of stadium-centered street circuits such as the Miami International Autodrome in Miami Gardens and the Nashville street circuit in Tennessee. Others speculated that the race is only happening because series sponsor NTT has a headquarters in Dallas. The primary sentiment is that the event would be another “parking lot race.”

The fans happiest about the event have been the ones who now have an event in driving distance, though several of those fans have also expressed skepticism about the quality of the event.

“It’s probably not going to be good,” a fan named Jim told me, “but at least I can drive to this [IndyCar race].”

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