Race cars drive on a straightaway during the NTT IndyCar Series on March 15 in the Arlington Entertainment District. The race was 70 laps and 191.1 miles long.
Engines roared to life and brightly painted cars streaked down the streets of the Entertainment District, buildings a blur of towering glass as they sped past nationally recognized stadiums, drawing thousands of fans eager for a weekend of speed.
Andretti Global’s Kyle Kirkwood Kyle Kirkwood won the inaugural Java House Grand Prix of Arlington NTT IndyCar Series race, marking the first time Arlington hosted an IndyCar event, transforming the area into a temporary street circuit.
The nine grandstands spread across the track sold out, according to an Arlington Grand Prix Instagram post. The 2.73-mile, 14-turn track, which had drivers going over 100 mph on roads residents use to get to work or school, looped around Arlington landmarks like AT&T Stadium, Globe Life Field and Choctaw Stadium.
Arlington Mayor Jim Ross said the event’s turnout exceeded any expectations he and other event organizers had predicted for the weekend. Ross said some of the drivers said they hadn’t seen attendance like Arlington’s at other first-time races.
“The turnout has been great,” Ross said. “I can’t wait for next year already.”
Andretti Global No. 29 Josh Pierson is pushed off the track during the Indy NXT Series race March 15 in the Arlington Entertainment District. Pierson’s results were hindered by contact on the track on lap 10.
Brent DeRaad, president and CEO of the Arlington Convention and Visitors Bureau, estimated 30,000 visitors would be from out of state for the race weekend, representing roughly 20% to 25% of total attendance, which would place overall attendance between approximately 120,000 to 150,000 people over the three-day event. DeRaad said they estimated direct spending in excess of $30 million by spectators and those involved with the race.
Arlington police Sgt. Richard Coleman, the department’s public information officer, said the event highlights the city’s ability to host large-scale events, which is important with the 2026 FIFA World Cup coming to the city this summer.
“We host a lot of major events, but nothing like this,” Coleman said. “It’s just interesting to see the uniqueness of this event.”
Fort Worth resident Dave Babbs, 46, said he got into racing and fast cars thanks to his father and has been drag racing since 1995.
Dallas Cowboys cheerleaders perform before the NTT IndyCar Series’ commencement March 15 in the Arlington Entertainment District. Texas Rangers cheerleaders were also present at the Java House Grand Prix of Arlington.
While Babbs said he doesn’t know IndyCar as much as other racing series, such as Formula 1, he still looked forward to seeing faster racing and more sunshine during Sunday’s race.
“I don’t follow it as much as I would love to, but I follow F1 a lot, and obviously, IndyCar being very similar to F1 and having a lot of street courses like this is something that I’ve always looked forward to watching live,” Valdez said.
Valdez, who donned a big sombrero with the colors of the Mexican flag, said he started rooting for Arrow McLaren’s Pato O’Ward because of his Mexican heritage and looked forward to wearing the country’s flag during the race. Valdez said he didn’t have the words to describe how it felt to have a big racing event come to Arlington.
“I never thought that they will ever turn these roads that I’ve driven my whole life, day in and day out, into an actual driving course,” he said.
The No. 17 Toyota GR86 rounds a corner during practice sessions at the Java House Grand Prix of Arlington on March 13 in the Entertainment District. The GR Cup series mission is to provide a competitive and affordable race series.
O’Ward was a favorite among the crowd, as 8-year-old Mason Mora, along with dozens of other attendees, was decked out in the McLaren driver’s merch, wearing his jersey and waving an orange checkered flag. Mora’s family members said they usually go to Walt Disney World during spring break but decided to go to the racing event instead.
While some attendees were new to IndyCar, others knew the sport all too well.
Weatherford, Texas, resident Jasey Andrews, 33, said his father used to work for Firestone, and the two used to go to the Texas Motor Speedway in Fort Worth to see the races every year. Andrews said he has kept up with IndyCar his whole life, since the ’90s when the IndyCar Series was known as the Indy Racing League.
Having been to about 15 to 20 IndyCar races and seen Texas Rangers games in Arlington, he said he was surprised to see those two worlds collide.
Scott McLaughlin leads the field in the No. 3 Team Penske car as drivers take the green flag during the Java House Grand Prix of Arlington on March 15 in the Entertainment District. McLaughlin finished 11th of 25 in the race, and he averaged a speed of 98 mph.
“It’s honestly pretty crazy to see, been going to baseball games here my whole life. Never would have thought I would see a race here,” Andrews said.
For other attendees, the event gave them an opportunity to spend time with family.
McKinney, Texas, resident Bryson Knowles, 18, said his uncle surprised him with tickets for the weekend. Knowles said he only gets to see his uncle maybe once every two years, with the last time being at a NASCAR race at the speedway about 2 1/2 years ago.
“I want to be able to have a good time with my uncle,” he said. “Obviously, the racing aspect is amazing and loud, but family matters a lot to me.”
Team Penske driver Scott McLaughlin said in an Instagram post that the track made him feel like a little kid again.
A sign marks a 200 mph speed limit for IndyCar drivers during the Grand Prix of Arlington on March 15 in the Entertainment District. The street circuit wove around ATt&T Stadium and Globe Life Field.
Various drivers shared positive feedback about the track, with Chip Ganassi Racing’s Alex Palou going as far as saying the track was his favorite street circuit.
“This is by far the best street course race that I’ve been part of, and it’s really fun. It’s really fun to see so many people on the stands. The energy was incredible. I cannot wait to be back here next year,” Palou said.
He said he had high expectations going into the event because of the people involved in making it happen, and the event exceeded them tenfold.
“You can see that we have a wide track, long street track. It’s been a 10 out of 10,” Palou said. “There’s nothing that you can say that this was bad. The attendance was incredible. The fans were incredible.”
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