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2026 IndyCar Series Preview
The 2026 season of the IndyCar series is the 31st season under the current sanction and the 115th official championship, with the season starting in Florida in early March and ending in Tennessee in late August.
Firestone will continue as the supplier of tyres, having extended their contract in 2024 until 2030 and following the stake acquisition of Fox Corporation for one third of Penske Entertainment, Fox Sports TV contract was extended until 2030.
Which Bookie is Best for IndyCar? To help answer this question, we have created an article that looks at The Ultimate Guide to Motorsport Betting Sites in the UK, so head over to that. We also have a Motor Racing Betting Advice article, which you may also find helpful.
If you are interested in other motor racing, then we have other blogs that may be of interest to you:
- NASCAR Cup Series Betting Guide
- Who will win the F1 Drivers' Championship
- Constructors Championship Betting Guide
The Top Motorsport Betting Sites 2025
Past IndyCar Series Champions
The most successful driver under the current sanctioning body (since 1996) is New Zealander Scott Dixon, who has won six championships, two ahead of British driver Dario Franchitti, who won four between 2007 & 2011.
Following his win in 2025, Spaniard Álex Palou has now joined Franchitti with four wins and has become the first back-to-back-to-back winner since Franchitti achieved this in 2011.
The only other three drivers to record multiple championships are American drivers Sam Hornish Jr. (2001, 2002 & 2006), Josef Newgarden (2017 & 2019) and Australian Will Power (2014 & 2022).
If you look at everything as a whole, then A. J. Foyt is the most successful driver, having won seven championships, all came during the USAC era (1956-79).
If you are planning on having a bet on who will be the next champion, then make sure to visit our Best Betting Sites in the UK to find yourself a bookie.
| Year | Driver | Engine |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 10. Álex Palou (28yo) Chip Ganassi Racing | Honda |
| 2024 | 10. Álex Palou (27yo) Chip Ganassi Racing | Honda |
| 2023 | 10. Álex Palou (26yo) Chip Ganassi Racing | Honda |
| 2022 | 12. Will Power (41yo) Team Penske | Chevrolet |
| 2021 | 10. Álex Palou (24yo) Chip Ganassi Racing | Honda |
| 2020 | 9. Scott Dixon (40yo) Chip Ganassi Racing | Honda |
| 2019 | 2. Josef Newgarden (28yo) Team Penske | Chevrolet |
| 2018 | 9. Scott Dixon (38yo) Chip Ganassi Racing | Honda |
| 2017 | 2. Josef Newgarden (26yo) Team Penske | Chevrolet |
| 2016 | 22. Simon Pagenaud (32yo) Team Penske | Chevrolet |
As well to the driver championship, there are also other awards given out each season, the IndyCar Rookie of the Year was awarded to the first-year driver who has collected the most points, the 2026 season those who have not featured in more than four IndyCar races in a season or those who have featured in less than eight races in their career are considered as rookies.
Last Five IndyCar Rookie of the Year Winners
- 2025: Louis Foster
- 2024: Linus Lundqvist
- 2023: Marcus Armstrong
- 2022: Christian Lundgaard
- 2021: Scott McLaughlin
Start Your Engines: The Ultimate Beginner's Guide to Betting on Motor Racing
Past IndyCar Series Manufacturers Champions
When it comes to the IndyCar series, it is a straight battle between the Chevrolet and Honda manufacturers for this championship.
Chevrolet won six back-to-back championships between 2012 & 2017; however, Honda then won four championships on the bounce between 2018 & 2021 before Chevrolet ended that run in 2022 and backed that up in 2023 & 2024, but it was Honda again in 2025.
Since the start of the IndyCar Series in 1996, Chevrolet has led the way with ten championships compared to Honda's seven.
| Year | Manufacturer | Pts |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Honda | 1,550 |
| 2024 | Chevrolet | 1,475 |
| 2023 | Chevrolet | 1,437 |
| 2022 | Chevrolet | 1,510 |
| 2021 | Honda | 1,401 |
| 2020 | Honda | 1,122 |
| 2019 | Honda | 1,436 |
| 2018 | Honda | 1,467 |
| 2017 | Chevrolet | 1,489 |
| 2016 | Chevrolet | 1,992 |
2026 IndyCar Series Schedule
The first three races of the 2026 schedule have been confirmed, with five others confirmed without dates as of the 1st of September.
Confirmed changes for 2026 are the dropping of the Thermal Club, which has only survived two seasons. A new street race in Arlington has been added, which means the series returns to Texas, and the Phoenix Raceway returns eight years after last hosting a race.
Below is the schedule which was used for the 2025 season. Once the schedule has been completed for 2026, we will update it here.
Remember, we have a Motor Racing Betting Tips page where you can see predictions across various motorsports, and our Best Motor Racing Tipsters page details profitable tipsters on OLBG.
IndyCar Series 2025 Schedule
| Round | Race |
|---|---|
| Round 1 Sunday 2nd March | Grand Prix of St. Petersburg Streets of St. Petersburg |
| Round 2 Sunday 23rd March | $1 Million Challenge The Thermal Club |
| Round 3 Sunday 13th April | Grand Prix of Long Beach Streets of Long Beach |
| Round 4 Sunday 4th May | Indy Grand Prix of Alabama Barber Motorsports Park |
| Round 5 Saturday 10th May | Sonsio Grand Prix Indianapolis Motor Speedway Road Course |
| Round 6 Sunday 25th May | Indianapolis 500 Indianapolis Motor Speedway |
| Round 7 Sunday 1st June | Detroit Grand Prix Streets of Detroit |
| Round 8 Sunday 15th June | Bommarito Automotive Group 500 World Wide Technology Raceway |
| Round 9 Sunday 22nd June | Grand Prix of Road America Road America |
| Round 10 Sunday 6th July | Honda Indy 200 at Mid-Ohio Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course |
| Round 11 Saturday 12th July | Synk 275 Iowa Speedway |
| Round 12 Sunday 13th July | One Step 275 Iowa Speedway |
| Round 13 Sunday 20th July | Honda Indy Toronto Exhibition Place |
| Round 14 Sunday 27th July | Grand Prix of Monterey WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca |
| Round 15 Sunday 10th August | Grand Prix of Portland Portland International Raceway |
| Round 16 Sunday 24th August | Milwaukee Mile 250 Milwaukee Mile |
| Round 17 Sunday 31st August | Music City Grand Prix Nashville Street Circuit |
IndyCar Series Driver Standings
Here are the driver standings for the 2026 IndyCar Series, which will be updated after each event. Pole sitters, except for the Indy 500, are awarded one point; drivers who lead at least one lap of a race are also awarded one point, and the driver who leads the most laps of a race is awarded two points.
| Pos. | Driver | Pts. |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Álex Palou | 0 |
| 2 | Pato O'Ward | 0 |
| 3 | Scott Dixon | 0 |
| 4 | Kyle Kirkwood | 0 |
| 5 | Christian Lundgaard | 0 |
| 6 | Felix Rosenqvist | 0 |
| 7 | Colton Herta | 0 |
| 8 | Marcus Armstrong | 0 |
| 9 | Will Power | 0 |
| 10 | Scott McLaughlin | 0 |
Contributor Information
Andy Powell manages all of our Motor Racing content as a huge F1 and Speedway fan, giving up much of his weekend to watching the action unfold in qualifying and betting on the various potential outcomes as well as managing the Motor Racing Tips and Tipsters in the competition. Ably assisting with the data collection as necessary is our Data Scientist on the expert team, Dan Tracey.
Dan Tracey
Your Data Guide
Andy Powell
Expert Guide
