TEXAS — The rubber is meeting the road at the inaugural Java House Grand Prix of Arlington. Things were speeding up for those fans who burned rubber to make it outside the Texas Live! entertainment district to watch some legal street racing.
Joel Martin was one of them.
“It’s amazing. I’m a huge INDYCAR fan, and this is my hometown, so I had to come home to attend the race,” Martin said.
Drivers hit the starting line early Friday for a high-stakes race on city streets around AT&T Stadium and Globe Life Field, where fans have gathered for the first annual event. The Grand Prix and its staff are based in Detroit, Michigan.
“They are projecting cars to go 180 miles-plus around the city of Arlington streets,” said Chris Funches, a city traffic engineer.
The near-warp speed event is happening as other events unfold across Texas throughout the weekend, including SXSW and the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo, all of which are drawing crowds from near and far to catch some of the Lone Star State action.
Funches said planning the race didn’t happen overnight.
“With it being the inaugural year, there’s a lot of things that we have to prepare and do, so one of the things was pretty much working with Grand Prix of Arlington and our partners, in addition to making sure that the racetrack would be there,” he said.
Rolling in with the race cars and the planning process are tons of road closures.
The city is using message boards and social media apps to provide updates and keep drivers informed.
“We want people to come out and have fun. We also want to make sure that people not attending the event are not being affected by the traffic either,” Funches said, regarding the city’s efforts to promote safe travels for fans and racers.
The Grand Prix of Arlington runs March 13-15, 2026.