ARLINGTON, Texas — One week after taking the NTT IndyCar Series  points lead with his thrilling win at Phoenix Raceway, Josef Newgarden heads to Texas in hopes of keeping his dominance in the state.

Newgarden won the last two IndyCar races in the state – claiming oval wins at Texas Motor Speedway in 2022 and 2023.

IndyCar will use an updated race qualifying format on the streets of Arlington, Texas. The “knockout” format of Segments 1 and 2 will remain unchanged, the Firestone Fast Six segment will be adjusted to single-car, single-lap qualifying beginning with the sixth-fastest qualifier from Segment 2 and working toward the fastest from the previous round.

During the Firestone Fast Six at Arlington, drivers will leave pit lane and get an opportunity for one lap – starting and ending at the alternate start/finish line. Once the car enters pit lane following that driver’s attempt, the next car will be released for its attempt. Tire allotments and tire rules will remain unchanged throughout the event.

Lone Star Links

Even though there aren’t any native Texans in the field for the inaugural Java House Grand Prix of Arlington, there are several ties to Texas throughout the ield.

Santino Ferrucci lives in Dallas and races for Lone Star State legend A.J. Foyt.

Arrow McLaren’s Pato O’Ward and his family moved to San Antonio when he was a boy, and he lived there through high school, attending Texas Military Institute in San Antonio.

Will Power is a Texan by marriage, as his wife, Liz, hails from Plano.

Other Notes

• The Java House Grand Prix of Arlington will be the first IndyCar event on the streets of Arlington. However, it’s not the first time that Indy cars have raced in Arlington, Texas. Arlington Downs Racetrack, a one-mile dirt oval whose site is less than a half-mile from the current race track, held three points-paying races and two non-championship sweepstakes races from 1947 to 1950.

• The Streets of Arlington is the fourth road or street circuit to debut on the IndyCar calendar since 2021. Chip Ganassi Racing drivers won the previous three debut races. Marcus Ericsson won the inaugural Big Machine Music City Grand Prix on the streets of Nashville in 2021. Alex Palou won the Chevrolet Detroit Grand Prix presented by Lear when it debuted its new course in downtown Detroit in 2023 and at The Thermal Club in 2025.

• The Java House Grand Prix of Arlington is the second of six temporary street course races on this year’s schedule. Alex Palou won the first street race of the season at St. Petersburg on March 1. The other street course events are scheduled for the Streets of Long Beach on April 19, Streets of Detroit on May 31, the Streets of Markham, Ontario, on Aug. 16 and the Streets of Washington, D.C., on Aug. 23.

• Scott Dixon is expected to make his IndyCar start, extending his record. Dixon has made 358 consecutive starts heading into the weekend, which is the longest streak in series history…Rinus VeeKay is scheduled to make his 100th start in Arlington…Josef Newgarden needs to lead 58 laps to pass Dario Franchitti for ninth on the all-time laps led list.

 

 

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