IndyCar to Start 2027 Season with Triple-Header in St. Pete, Phoenix, Arlington

IndyCar has chosen a different approach to reveal its 2027 calendar. Instead of releasing the full schedule at once, the series will stagger the rollout through early June — and the first phase already delivers a mouth-watering opening package: a triple-header across three different circuits.

The season will kick off on the streets of St. Petersburg on March 8 (AEDT), then head to Phoenix on March 14, and close on the streets of Arlington on March 22. The second weekend in Phoenix will see IndyCar share the billing with the NASCAR Cup Series, which races a day later.

“The start to this year’s 2026 season was action-packed, and it’s gratifying to know the stage is set for a return to that frantic pace in 2027,” said IndyCar president J. Douglas Boles. “St. Pete has become an ideal host to begin our season, and the reaction to the series’ return to historic Phoenix Raceway made our partnership with NASCAR and Fox all the more special.”

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For Boles, finishing the opening stretch with a marquee event on the Streets of Arlington is a fitting way to lead into another heated season-long battle for the championship. After the triple-header, the series will head to Barber Motorsports Park on April 5 and then Long Beach on April 19.

Indianapolis retains its road course date on May 16 before the 111th Indianapolis 500 on May 31. There will be no rest, with Detroit one week later on June 7.

Testing dates have also been locked in. The two-day pre-season Unser IndyCar Open Test will take place at Phoenix on February 24-25, and Indianapolis will host a two-day, mid-week test on May 4-5.

“It has been another remarkable year of growth through our powerful partnership with Fox Sports, and we look forward to focusing on even greater opportunities through the 2027 IndyCar Series schedule,” said Penske Entertainment president and CEO Mark Miles. “Phase one of next year’s championship shows the same accelerated start as before.”

Phase two of the calendar will be released in the coming weeks. But from this first phase, IndyCar clearly wants to keep the momentum of its rising popularity — with a packed opener and cross-series collaboration.