Executives from NASCAR and the IndyCar Series highlighted the growing success of shared racing weekends during the recent Autosport Business Exchange in New York, pointing to significant ticket sales growth and broad fan appeal, motorsport.com reported.
Shared Phoenix Weekend Generates Surge in Ticket Sales
The collaborative racing model gained widespread attention following the “Desert Double” weekend at Phoenix Raceway in March. That event featured a 250-lap IndyCar race yielding 565 total passes, 18 lead changes among 11 different drivers, and a late victory by Team Penske driver Josef Newgarden on Saturday. The O’Reilly Auto Parts Series ran earlier that same day, setting up the NASCAR Cup Series headline event on Sunday.
Jonathan Gibson, Executive Vice President of Marketing and Business Development at Penske Corporation, noted that the joint scheduling produced a dramatic increase in attendance. Saturday ticket sales at Phoenix last year rose 100% compared to standalone events, according to Gibson. Drivers enjoy competing within the shared ecosystem, and fans respond positively to the multi-discipline format.
Phoenix Raceway Hosts Joint Race Weekend in 2027
Building on that momentum, a return engagement is officially scheduled for Phoenix Raceway from March 12–14, 2027. IndyCar and the O’Reilly Series will share the Saturday lineup once again ahead of Sunday’s Cup race.
At that time, IndyCar and the NASCAR O’Reilly Series—then operating as the Xfinity Series—raced on the Indianapolis Motor Speedway infield road course on Saturday before the NASCAR Cup Series event on Sunday. That dual-header arrangement continued on the IMS road course through 2023 until NASCAR moved the Brickyard 400 back to the historic oval layout.
Driver and Competitor Engagement Across Disciplines
Tim Clark, Executive Vice President and Chief Brand Officer at NASCAR, observed that the cross-series format captures the attention of the competitors themselves. During the Phoenix weekend, drivers typically seeking downtime between track sessions instead watched the IndyCar action unfold.
Clark emphasized that placing the IndyCar event and the O’Reilly Series on track within an hour and 15 minutes of each other highlights the distinct differences between the disciplines for motorsports enthusiasts. Both Penske Corporation and NASCAR executives confirmed that further collaborative weekends remain under consideration for future racing schedules.
Frequently Asked Questions About NASCAR and IndyCar Shared Weekends
When did NASCAR and IndyCar first race together on the same weekend?
The joint racing format debuted in 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway infield road course, featuring IndyCar and the NASCAR Xfinity Series on Saturday ahead of the Sunday Cup race.
What specific attendance gains were reported for the Phoenix joint event?
Penske Corporation Executive Vice President Jonathan Gibson reported that Saturday ticket sales at Phoenix increased by 100% during the shared IndyCar and O’Reilly Series weekend.
When is the next confirmed joint event for IndyCar and NASCAR?
IndyCar and the O’Reilly Series will share the Saturday lineup at Phoenix Raceway from March 12–14, 2027, preceding the Sunday NASCAR Cup Series race.
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