NASCAR And IndyCar Will Join Forces Next Year
For the first time in series history, the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series will take to a street circuit.
Key Points
- The NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series will race on a street circuit for the first time in 2026, joining IndyCar’s season-opening weekend in St. Petersburg, Florida.
- The trucks will run on Saturday, February 28, with IndyCar opening its 16th consecutive season on the same course the following day, both broadcast on FOX Sports.
- NASCAR executives see the St. Pete collaboration as a test case for future partnerships with IndyCar, potentially opening the door to more joint events.
When NASCAR announced its 2026 schedule this week, tucked among the expected changes was news that the trucks will join IndyCar’s season opener on the streets of St. Petersburg, Florida.
The inaugural street race for the division is set for Saturday, February 28, 2026, as part of the Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg weekend. IndyCar will then open its 16th consecutive season on the same track a day later. Both events will be broadcast on FOX Sports, whose shared coverage of the two series was crucial to the new partnership.
The St. Pete weekend will also coincide with NASCAR’s Cup and Xfinity Series events at the Circuit of the Americas in Texas—it's actually unbelievable how crowded the late-February calendar has become for American motorsport, which really can only exist on American television between the Super Bowl and the MLB Playoffs.
For NASCAR, the collaboration represents an experiment in cross-promotion with IndyCar, and could act as a potential blueprint for future partnerships. The two major league American racing series have shared a weekend before, notably at Indianapolis, Iowa, and Richmond, but that was before both series existed on the same broadcast network.
NASCAR is increasingly willing to test unconventional formats as its core audience continues to dwindle. For the Truck Series, which is known for its old-school crashing and bashing, navigating the concrete canyons in Florida will test every ounce of driver skill compared to ovals or conventional road courses.
IndyCar hopes that the influx of NASCAR fans will help introduce the series to a new audience, as the series finds itself in third place behind Formula 1 and NASCAR in terms of popularity with American racing fans.
Become an AutoGuide insider. Get the latest from the automotive world first by subscribing to our newsletter here.
An experienced automotive storyteller and accomplished photographer known for engaging and insightful content. Michael also brings a wealth of technical knowledge—he was part of the Ford GT program at Multimatic, oversaw a fleet of Audi TCR race cars, ziptied Lamborghini Super Trofeo cars back together, been over the wall during the Rolex 24, and worked in the intense world of IndyCar.
More by Michael Accardi
Comments
Join the conversation
NASCAR is self destructing itself