IndyCar’s announcement earlier this week of inaugural Grand Prix of Arlington set for 2026 has introduced a excessive degree of widespread anticipation, with the road circuit structure additionally getting everybody’s consideration.
A collaborative effort between Penske Leisure, the Dallas Cowboys, and REV Leisure, the official occasions associate of the Texas Rangers, the IndyCar Collection will return to the Lone Star State following a two-year absence in 2024-25. North America’s premier open-wheel championship beforehand ran at Texas Motor Speedway, primarily based close by in Fort Price, from 1997-2023.
Whereas the collective group of companions will play a major half in elevating the occasion to heights the game is striving for, the principle attraction nonetheless stays on monitor with the 14-turn, 2.73-mile road circuit. For reference, the longest road circuit the collection raced on this previous season was the 1.968-mile structure in Lengthy Seashore.
The total unveiling of the monitor structure happened on Tuesday at Texas Stay!, an leisure heart situated between AT&T Stadium, dwelling of the Cowboys, and Globe Life Discipline, dwelling of the Rangers.
The circuit, which was designed by IndyCar’s longtime road monitor architect Tony Cotman, actually raised loads of eyebrows with a contemporary movement that rivals that of System 1’s Miami Grand Prix, which wraps across the stadium of the Miami Dolphins.
Arlington Grand Prix monitor map
Picture by: Penske Leisure
The Arlington road course incorporates a straightaway that extends .9-mile, which is more likely to see drivers push over 180 mph earlier than being challenged with an attractive braking earlier than a hard-braking level of a right-hander in Flip 10. There are different apparent passing zones in Flip 1, Flip 12 and Flip 14, whereas additionally presenting a novel “horseshoe” carousel that makes up Flip 6. A double-sided pit lane, related to what’s presently used for the Detroit road race, will even be highlighted. Moreover, the monitor will go beneath hospitality and suites in two completely different areas.
Workforce Penske’s Josef Newgarden was amongst these in attendance on the unveiling in Arlington, together with Chip Ganassi Racing’s Alex Palou and AJ Foyt Racing’s Santino Ferrucci.
Arlington Grand Prix monitor map
Picture by: Penske Leisure
Newgarden, the two-time defending winner of the Indianapolis 500 and a two-time IndyCar Collection champion, shared his ideas on the monitor and what sort of racing could possibly be anticipated.
“Yeah, it’s type of obtained every part,” Newgarden advised Motorsport.com. “It’s obtained the everyday low-speed sections that you’d discover on a road course, however then it has some complicated double apex corners that type of wrap across the stadium seating, in order that shall be actually distinctive for followers. It’s obtained one fairly high-speed nook that leads onto the longest straight. After which the straightaways are very lengthy, so I believe understanding effectivity with downforce goes to be a subject right here that’s not essentially a subject on different road circuits. So, that could possibly be an fascinating factor.
“How are you going to remain out entrance in the event you’re main this factor? I believe you’re going to be uncovered round a monitor like this. So, it could possibly be very entertaining to observe. It could possibly be a draft fest on that lengthy straightaway. So yeah, that’s what you’re going to be coping with and we’ll determine it out as we do.”
