Arlington has always been a city built for big events and big crowds. 

Practical and expansive, it is ready to handle millions of visitors flowing in and out for football games, baseball series, concerts, and mega-events that arrive with military precision and leave behind full hotels and busy restaurants. This March, that infrastructure will face a new challenge when race cars replace tour buses, and the streets between AT&T Stadium and Globe Life Field transform into a temporary street circuit for the inaugural Java House Grand Prix of Arlington.

After two years of planning, the organizers of this race have released the full schedule for the inaugural event, set for March 13 – 15. The three-day weekend will mark the first time the NTT INDYCAR SERIES has raced through Arlington’s entertainment district, a carefully managed grid of wide roads, parking lots, and venue-adjacent corridors designed for scale, not scenery.

The 2.73-mile course, unveiled in Oct. of 2024, winds through the heart of the district, tracing the perimeter of AT&T Stadium and Globe Life Field. This is not a downtown street race in the European sense. It is a purpose-built temporary circuit laid across a zone already accustomed to shutdowns, rerouted traffic, and event-day choreography. More than 1.6 million spectators pass through the district annually, a number expected to rise even further this year with FIFA World Cup matches scheduled at AT&T Stadium.

For IndyCar, the Arlington race represents both a return and a recalibration. The series raced at Texas Motor Speedway from 1997 through 2023, but the end of that relationship left a conspicuous hole on the calendar. Arlington offers something different, a street race that emphasizes precision and braking over raw speed while still delivering the scale and spectacle that modern motorsports demands.

City officials have been direct about the financial upside. The race is expected to draw international attention to North Texas and generate significant economic activity for Arlington and the surrounding communities. “This announcement is an economic win for North Texas, and we’re looking forward to welcoming this incredible racing series and its fans for an unforgettable experience,” Mayor Jim Ross said in Oct. of 2024.

Running the operation is Bill Miller, a veteran motorsports executive with more than three decades in the industry, including leadership roles at California Speedway and SEMA. His mandate is to turn the Grand Prix into more than a Sunday race, a full weekend that blends competition with fan access, support series, and entertainment spread across the district.

The event is backed by Penske Entertainment and supported by the city of Arlington, the Texas Rangers, and the Dallas Cowboys. Cowboys owner Jerry Jones framed the race as a global showcase for the city and the series. Additional entertainment announcements are expected next week, further signaling that the Grand Prix is being positioned as a multi-day destination event.

The Java House Grand Prix of Arlington is not trying to turn Arlington into something it isn’t. Instead, it builds on what the city already does well: hosting massive events efficiently, repeatedly, and at scale, adding the intensity of street racing to the mix. As Roger Penske said when the project was announced, “Through a truly remarkable and innovative partnership, we’re going to build racing’s next global spectacle.”

Schedule

(All times are listed in CT and may be subject to change.)

Friday, March 13, 2026

9:00 am: All Admission Gates Open
9:05 am – 9:35 am: Toyota GR Cup Series Practice 1
11:30 am – 12:05 pm: USF Pro 2000 Practice
12:35 pm – 1:05 pm: Toyota GR Cup Series Practice 2
2:00 pm – 2:45 pm: INDY NXT by Firestone Practice 1
3:05 pm – 4:25 pm: NTT INDYCAR SERIES Practice 1
4:45 pm – 5:00 pm: Toyota GR Cup Series Qualifying (Race 1)
5:15 pm – 5:45 pm: USF Pro 2000 Qualifying

Saturday, March 14, 2026

8:00 am: All Admission Gates Open
8:35 am – 9:55 am: NTT INDYCAR SERIES Practice 2
10:15 am – 11:00 am: INDY NXT by Firestone Practice 2
11:20 am – 12:05 pm: Toyota GR Cup Series Race 1
12:25 pm – 1:05 pm: USF Pro 2000 Race
11:35 pm – 3:00 pm: NTT INDYCAR SERIES Qualifying
3:30 pm – 4:00 pm: INDY NXT by Firestone Qualifying
4:20 pm – 4:35 pm: Toyota GR Cup Series Qualifying (Race 2)
4:55 pm – 5:35 pm: USF Pro 2000 Race 2

Sunday, March 15, 2026

7:30 am: All Admission Gates Open
8:00 am – 8:45 am: Toyota GR Cup Series Race 2
9:05 am – 9:35 am: NTT INDYCAR SERIES Warm-Up
10:00 am – 11:00 am: INDY NXT by Firestone Race
11:15 am – 12:10 pm: NTT INDYCAR SERIES Pre Race
12:10 pm: NTT INDYCAR SERIES Race