On March 15, 2026, INDYCAR made history on the streets of Arlington and left with a race weekend that lived up to every bit of the hype. This event was the result of a one-of-a-kind partnership between Penske Entertainment, the Dallas Cowboys, and REV Entertainment (the Texas Rangers' official events partner) with Roger Penske, Jerry Jones, and Neil Leibman sitting in the driver's seats. The weekend brought three levels of racing to the streets of Arlington, the NTT INDYCAR SERIES, INDY NXT by Firestone, and USF Pro 2000, but ask anyone who was there, and the race was only half the story.
The inaugural Java House Grand Prix of Arlington turned the city's Entertainment District into a full-blown fan festival. The weekend saw over 100k fans from all 50 states and 22 different countries. After nearly a year and a half of planning from when the race was first announced in October 2024, race organizers couldn’t ask for a better debut.
Winding through the heart of Arlington's sports and entertainment district, the 2.73-mile temporary street circuit threaded together two of the city's most recognizable landmarks: AT&T Stadium, home of the Dallas Cowboys, and Globe Life Field, home of the Texas Rangers. A technical horseshoe section next to AT&T Stadium and a split-pit lane gave the layout its own identity from the very first lap and gave drivers a circuit unlike anything they'd raced before.
A Weekend the Paddock Won't Forget
Race day opened with a pre-race ceremony that brought all three partner organizations together in one place. What is usually known as Lot 4 transformed into Pit Lane and Victory Circle as the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders and the Rangers Six Shooters boot, scooted, and shimmied across the pavement. Two honored Dallas sports legends bestowed the crowd with the iconic cue for racers to start their engines. Country singer Brooke Lee united guests with the National Anthem, accompanied by four F-18s from Marine Fighter Attack Squadron (VMFA-112) overhead. It was the perfect send-off before the green flag dropped on Arlington's first-ever race
Something for Everyone
Guests who came out to Arlington found a fan zone built to match the scale of the weekend. The Horseshoe footprint gave guests room to enjoy 10 acres packed with things to see, taste, and do. Local Arlington and DFW-area businesses, like Hurtado BBQ, Prince's Lebanese Grill, Wicked 3D BBQ, shared the concourse with regional and national brands, so there was always something new around the next corner. When the sun went down, multi-platinum rock band All Time Low ignited the stage, putting an exclamation point on an action-packed opening day.
A View from Every Turn
For guests who wanted to take in the action in style, Arlington delivered premium views to match the premium weekend. The WinStar Winners Club, adject to the Paddock Area, gave guests an elevated, hospitality-driven vantage point over the circuit. Guests had unlimited access to the Paddock Area throughout the entire weekend. The club offered a combination of seating areas from high-top tables to bar rails and tiered seating, ensuring comfort and flexibility for every guest. Guests were granted exclusive access to the Winners Circle, offering an up close and personal view to the weekend’s victory celebrations.
For the most dedicated race fans, the Speed Trap put guests right in the thick of it with an up-close look at the cars hitting nearly 200 mph coming down the straightaway on East Randol Mil Road, into a tight turn onto Ballpark Way. The Speed Trap was home to additional entertainment and pop-ups, including the Globe of Death, a popular performance where two motorcyclists do loops inside a metal sphere as sparks fly. Fans also had the chance to get up close to the GR Cup Paddock before the cars took the track.
No matter where fans watched from, the goal was to deliver a memorable experience. Viewing platforms throughout the venue encouraged attendees to move around and take in the race from multiple vantage points rather than staying in one place all day.
Another unique feature of race weekend: where else can fans meet racing royalty and their hometown sports icons all in one afternoon? Autograph sessions brought guests face to face with legendary athletes from all three partner organizations, with appearances from Bobby Rahal (INDYCAR); Iván “Pudge” Rodríguez (Texas Rangers); Johnny Rutherford (INDYCAR) and Drew Pearson (Dallas Cowboys), Charles Haley (Dallas Cowboys) and Elvis Andrus (Texas Rangers) rounding out a weekend that felt less like three separate fan bases and more like one shared celebration of the athlete’s that have helped define sports in North Texas. The Java House Grand Prix of Arlington returns March 19–21, 2027, on the Streets of Arlington.
2026 Java House Grand Prix of Arlington — Final Podium
Kyle Kirkwood (Andretti Global)
Álex Palou (Chip Ganassi Racing)
Will Power (Andretti Global)
Pole Position: Marcus Ericsson (Andretti Global), 1:34.3562 Fastest Lap: Scott Dixon (Chip Ganassi Racing), 1:33.9902, Lap 66
