IndyCar returns to Phoenix Raceway for the first time since 2018, partnering with NASCAR for the Desert Double Weekend. IndyCar and NASCAR share the oval for the first time, with IndyCar hosting the Good Ranchers 250 on Saturday and the NASCAR Cup Series hosting the Straight Talk Wireless 500 on Sunday.
The two series have long been at odds over the title of America’s most popular racing series. But after this weekend’s race and four doubleheaders on the Indianapolis Motor Speedway road course from 2020 to 2023, the two series may join forces more often in the future.
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“It’s a wonderful concept to see two completely different forms of motorsport on one ticket,” Ed Carpenter Racing driver Alexander Rossi said Tuesday. “I think every team and driver enjoyed the experience. I think most fans did as well. I hope this is a template for the future and that we can do it not only in Phoenix – and hopefully we can get back to Phoenix – but also at other ovals on the calendar.”
Discussion of the doubleheader came up at the NASCAR IMS dinner just days before last year’s Brickyard 400. Since then, plans have been in place to connect the series and return IndyCar to Phoenix Speedway.
Saturday’s IndyCar race drew an average of 1.247 million viewers, a 391% increase from IndyCar’s last race in Phoenix (254,000 viewers), although the 2018 race was televised on cable television (NBCSN) and this year’s race is televised on network television (Fox). This is also a 77% increase from the second game of the 2025 season.
IndyCar president Doug Boles thinks it “makes sense” for IndyCar to continue racing at Phoenix Raceway’s 1.0-mile short oval, although a deal for a 2027 return has not yet been finalized.
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“We started running IndyCar races there from the moment the track was built,” Boles told the Indy Star. “Unsers, Foyts, Andrettis, etc. — you think about the names of the people who played in the game and it’s all very influential and historic.”
Several IndyCar drivers stayed to watch Sunday’s NASCAR Cup race, and a large portion of the NASCAR team was in attendance on Saturday. These are two series that, while different, have seen drivers and team personnel develop close relationships over the years. Putting the two series in the same place for a weekend gives fans a chance to get to know both series, even if they don’t regularly follow one or the other.
“The two should complement each other,” Josef Newgarden said after winning the Good Ranchers 250 race. “If you’re a motorsport fan, you get a lot more value out of your weekend by having two top motorsport championships on the same weekend. I don’t see why we can’t do a little more of that. I think it’s good for everyone.”
“I think it’s good for both sides,” Chip Ganassi Racing driver Scott Dixon said. “…Hopefully some crossover will happen. I think all of us would welcome the addition of more dual-headed games in the future.”
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Boles had wanted to spend the weekend before deciding whether to continue on to Phoenix and work with NASCAR, but after witnessing what he saw this past weekend, he felt both were worth pursuing. Bolles has had preliminary conversations with Phoenix Raceway President Latasha Causey about returning for the weekend, and he and Penske Corp. President Bud Denkel discussed another doubleheader weekend with NASCAR executive vice president Ben Kennedy.
Talks will continue in the coming weeks, but Boles claims there is a “mutual desire” from both sides to move forward with the idea of a doubles match. If IndyCar and NASCAR continue to doubleheader, Phoenix Raceway appears to be the most feasible location for a combined weekend.
“We wouldn’t be opposed to finding other ovals to partner with,” Bolles said. “One of the biggest challenges is the schedule and finding a date on the schedule that works for both NASCAR and IndyCar.”
In Phoenix, NASCAR remains the main event despite the IndyCar race’s strong television ratings and fan attendance. The Straight Talk Wireless 500 attracted 2.841 million spectators at Phoenix Raceway, which has been acquired by NASCAR since 2019. Ratings for IndyCar were still less than half the audience that watched the NASCAR Cup race that day.
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Some IndyCar diehards scoff at the idea of taking a back seat to NASCAR, even just for a weekend. Arrow McLaren’s Pato O’Ward was initially uninterested in the idea of a double race.
Speaking before IndyCar’s first race, the St. Petersburg Grand Prix, O’Ward said: “I’m tired of IndyCar being like a support race. I know every time we race against them, we’re always on the sidelines. That’s great for the fans, but not for us.”
After receiving some backlash online, O’Ward further explained his comments in Phoenix, saying: “When you see the ratings, I get it. I’m not saying it’s wrong, I just don’t think it’s the best look for the series.”
While O’Ward hopes IndyCar can develop its own identity, Bolles isn’t worried that IndyCar will become a secondary player if doubleheader weekends like this one continue.
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“I think if the choice is right and we do it on a limited basis, I don’t think it would hurt the other to be the opener for NASCAR or IndyCar, if you will,” Bolles said.
Two-time NASCAR Cup champion Kyle Larson hopes to do more of these weekends in the future. Larson, who has been O’Ward’s Arrow McLaren teammate for the past two Indy 500 races, wouldn’t mind participating in a doubleheader focused on IndyCar.
“I think it would be pretty cool to be able to get into their prime and maybe open a street course or a road course and make them a top division,” Larson told Fox59. “These guys deserve it, they did a great job. Would love to do it again, but the crossover is great.”
As long as negotiations remain unaffected, it appears IndyCar and NASCAR will continue with the doubleheader. The locations and schedules of these future doubleheaders may ultimately change, but the two series finally appear to be aligned with each other, which could benefit both sides.
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Zion Brown is a motorsports reporter for IndyStar. follow him in @z10nbr0wn. Get IndyStar’s motorsports coverage delivered right to your inbox Our motorsport newsletter. subscriptionYouTube Channel IndyStar TV: IndyCar Get behind-the-scenes footage and expert analysis of IndyCar racing.
This article originally appeared in the Indianapolis Star: Why the IndyCar-NASCAR doubleheader can continue
