Graham Rahal believes racing 'where people cannot ignore what INDYCAR is' critical for growth

Jeffrey Hrunka - INDYCAR Contributor

Casey Shepherd/Motorsports Today (Markham 2026)

Monterey, CA - A change to the season finale and the success of the Freedom 250 Grand Prix of Washington, D.C., have fans, race personnel and drivers split on which venues should make an appearance on the NTT INDYCAR SERIES calendar. 

Graham Rahal, driver of the No.15 Rahal Letterman Lanigan Honda, believes media attention and market size need to be the determining factors when building future INDYCAR schedules.

“We can't have a Freedom 250 and then have a Portland, or sadly a Milwaukee like last week where the crowd was not what it was the year before,” Rahal said. “We need our level of events across the year to go up.” 

The Freedom 250 drew over 3.2 million viewers on FOX, marking the largest average attendance (non-INDY 500) the series earned since the 2008 merger of INDYCAR and CART. While Rahal sees the argument that returning to Washington, D.C., could ruin the Freedom 250's allure, he believes the market is too good to pass up.

“Next year it doesn't achieve 3.3 million viewers or whatever. Doesn't really need to…” Rahal said. “It had the most media attention, the most engagement of any race ever, even over all the Indy 500s. We brought the race to the media. We brought the race to a place that's front and center where people cannot ignore what IndyCar is because it is in front of your eyes.”

To keep making races in large markets successful, it’s important to not only see the impact that it provides INDYCAR, but also to the host venue. Rahal prefaced that if these markets are added and remain consistent on the schedule, it will only grow its financial and attendance benefits.

“The most rides ever on the metro on one weekend. Hotels all want it back. They put out an article about it. The mayor wants it back. The president wants it in every regard. It was a successful event,” Rahal said. “When you go to St. Pete, why does it work so well? Because people know when February and March come around, ‘I got to go here.’”

The first step in INDYCAR's continued growth is adding larger markets and eliminating those that don’t work.

“I think it can be a massive part of the growth of this sport,” Rahal said. “Then we got to go find six or seven more of those, and get rid of the ones that are honestly holding us back as a sport.” 

INDYCAR has already released the first portion of its 2027 schedule, with little change to the first half.

For the second straight year, the season will open with a triple-header of races on the streets of St. Petersburg, Phoenix Raceway and streets of Arlington across the first three weeks of March on the 7, 13 and 21, respectively

Phoenix Raceway will experience the biggest change of note, as it is set to be a night race for its second year back on the schedule. Penske Entertainment President Bud Denker hinted it was the first of many possible moves after the success of the Freedom 250.

“Look at the places we're racing now. They're urban environments. Our sweet spot are short ovals, the Indy 500, Phoenix is a good market for us to be,” Denker said after the Freedom 250. “I'd love to find another street course on the East Coast marketplace if we don't do it here. I think urban markets are our sweet spot.” 

Barber Motorsports Park's annual date shifted back to the first week of April, on the fourth, joining the streets of Long Beach on April 18 as the only race in the month. This sets up INDYCAR’s annual Month of May, with the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Road Course on May 15 ahead of the 111th Running of the Indianapolis 500 on May 30.

The Streets of Detriot was the final venue to announce its return date, as it will kick off INDYCAR’s summer stretch on June 6.

NTT INDYCAR SERIES Phase 1 Schedule:

Street of St. Petersburg - March 7th

Phoenix Raceway - March 13th

Streets of Arlington - March 22nd

Barber Motorsports Park - April 4

Street of Long Beach - April 18

Indianapolis Motor Speedway Road Course - May 15

111th Running of the Indianapolis 500 - May 30

Streets of Detriot - June 6th

The NTT INDYCAR SERIES rounds out its season in Monterey, California, at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca for the Mission Foods Grand Prix of Monterey on Sept. 6 on FOX or the FOX One app.