St. Petersburg again, then Phoenix and Arlington: IndyCar’s 2027 opening stretch

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INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — IndyCar announced Wednesday that the racing series will start its 2027 season March 7 on the streets of St. Petersburg.

The series released the locations and dates for the first eight races of the upcoming season. This will be the 17th time IndyCar has started a season at St. Petersburg.

“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,” IndyCar President J. Douglas Boles said. “St. Pete has become an ideal host to begin our season."

IndyCar will open 2027 racing three straight weekends with the series going to Phoenix Raceway on March 13 and the streets of Arlington in Texas on March 21. This will be the second straight year and only the fifth time in the IndyCar series' 118 years that a season starts with races on three consecutive weekends.

The series takes a break before two races in April at Barber Motorsports Park on April 4 and Long Beach on April 18. Then it's off to Indianapolis Motor Speedway for the road course race May 15 and the 111th Indianapolis 500. The final race announced will be June 6 on the streets of Detroit.

Mark Miles, president and chief executive officer of Penske Entertainment, said it’s been another year of growth with 2026 being "proof of concept that our sport is fueled by an expanding presence across marquee events and destinations, and we look forward to carrying that momentum into 2027.”

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