Several drivers said the Arlington Grand Prix raised the bar for the IndyCar Series.
After nearly 2 1/2 years in the making, the venue for this weekend’s first event of North America’s premier open-wheel championship did not disappoint. In fact, the 14-turn, 2.73-mile temporary street circuit surrounding AT&T Stadium and Globe Life Field (home of the Dallas Cowboys and Texas Rangers, respectively) showcased top-notch performances that left many in awe.
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Drivers are already raving about the challenging track design, which features a 0.950-mile back straight, horseshoe complex and technical corners. However, it’s much more than that, and fans are offered a unique perspective; three-story suites overlook the dual pit lanes, which cover part of the track for drivers to pass through. There is a fan zone, concerts (hosted by famous artist T-Pain) and other interactive activities. IndyCar’s long-awaited return to Texas for the first time since 2023 will take place in the heart of Texas’ Arlington entertainment district, halfway between the metropolitan areas of Fort Worth and Dallas.
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Six-time series champion Scott Dixon returns to the Long Star State with a lot of “great memories” following his five wins at nearby Texas Motor Speedway. However, he believes the display at Arlington will only enhance the qualities that IndyCar should have.
“How they did it, how IndyCar did it in street racing and how they performed it here, man, it’s epic,” said Dixon, driver of the No. 9 Chip Ganassi Racing Honda.
“It’s great to be back. I’m always happy to come to Texas, always happy to come to Arlington and Dallas, but for us, you know, it’s just focused on competing.”
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The 45-year-old New Zealander expanded on that thought when asked if he thought the event had the potential to rival the Long Beach Grand Prix as the second-biggest race of the season behind the Indianapolis 500.
“This is the new standard,” Dixon said. “That’s what IndyCar needs to stand for.”
Scott Dixon, Chip Ganassi Racing
Scott Dixon, Chip Ganassi Racing
Marcus Ericsson, driver of the No. 28 Andretti Global Honda, praised the event even before he even took a lap.
“I’m very impressed so far,” said Erickson, the 2022 Indy 500 winner. “The track walk (Thursday), the construction of the track, you saw the attention to detail here. It’s very, very impressive and hopefully it becomes the new standard in IndyCar for new races and current races to be able to host events like this.
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“It really raises the bar for IndyCar and I think for sponsors, VIPs and fans to come to a race like this and hopefully have a great experience in this environment, that’s what we need to grow the sport.”
Ericsson’s teammate Kyle Kirkwood continued the theme in Andretti’s No. 27 Honda-powered car.
“This is what IndyCar should be like,” Kirkwood said. “The hospitality here, the hype here, where we are, the architecture, it all looks beautiful. All the branding on all the walls looks perfect.
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“This is a great event for us at IndyCar. It’s exciting to be here. It’s a great time for our sport.”
Kirkwood expanded on Dixon’s thoughts on Arlington’s rivalry with the Long Beach Grand Prix, which he has won twice, including last year.
“It’s easy,” Kirkwood said. “I don’t know if it’s going to do that in the first year, right, because Long Beach is in our 51st year now. So, yeah, it absolutely can.
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“I think the architecture and the layout and the location of it are absolutely incredible. What they’ve done here is probably better than Long Beach, but Long Beach is so historic, right? It’s going to be difficult to win that, but maybe in the next few years, if this continues to be an event for us, it’s very possible.”
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