IndyCar President Addresses Unpopular Schedule Decision

The IndyCar series has faced criticism over its 2026 schedule, which swaps the season finale from Nashville’s oval spectacle to the Laguna Seca road circuit. Some fans felt that an oval race was a fitting way to end the season, citing the high viewership numbers of the 2025 Borchetta Bourbon Music City GP in Nashville, which drew an average of 1.142 million viewers on FOX.

In response to the backlash, IndyCar President Doug Boles explained the reasoning behind the decision. He hopes that fans will understand the strategic move to use the FIFA World Cup final as a lead-in to the IndyCar race on FOX. The Nashville race has been rescheduled to July 19, the same day as the World Cup final, as a night race. Boles believes that the excitement of the oval racing, combined with the World Cup lead-in, will attract new fans to the series.

The 2025 season finale in Nashville was a thrilling event, with 502 on-track passes and a win by home hero Josef Newgarden. Boles emphasized that the oval racing is a key part of the series’ excitement and that the Nashville race will still be a great event, despite no longer being the season finale.

The 2026 season finale will return to the WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca, a historic track with a famous “corkscrew” corner. Boles encourages fans to attend the race, describing it as a “bucket list” item. He praises the track’s beauty, the community’s love of racing, and the surrounding area’s attractions, such as restaurants, beaches, and golf courses.

In addition to the rescheduling of Nashville and Laguna Seca, the 2026 IndyCar schedule includes three major additions: the inaugural Arlington GP, a return to Phoenix for a double-header with NASCAR, and a move from Toronto to Markham for the Canadian race. These changes aim to bring new excitement and challenges to the series, and fans will be watching closely to see how they play out.