America’s premier stock car series and America’s top open-wheel series. NASCAR and IndyCar have held the top spots in the U.S. since their inceptions regarding motorsports. The two series have come together multiple times, most recently at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway from 2020 to 2023. With the return of the Brickyard 400, the NASCAR/IndyCar doubleheader was put to rest for the foreseeable future, leaving many fans wondering if we’ll ever see the two series team up once again. Will the two series host another doubleheader, and if so, where could it be? Let’s talk about it.
A NASCAR/IndyCar doubleheader is not planned for the foreseeable future. NASCAR has yet to unveil its 2025 schedule, but IndyCar released its 2025 calendar last month during its FOX Sports announcement. Barring any massive news, it’s safe to say the two series will not have a doubleheader next year. So when could the next NASCAR/IndyCar doubleheader happen?
With FOX Sports acquiring the TV rights to IndyCar, it’s possible that the doubleheader would happen during the FOX portion of the NASCAR schedule, which will be the first 14 races of the season starting next year. As of the current 2025 IndyCar schedule, zero races share both series during that time span, from February to May. However, with future schedule changes and year two for both series under their new TV rights agreement, FOX could set up a doubleheader in 2026 during the spring months. Most likely, there’s no doubleheader for 2025, but keep an eye on 2026 as the next chance to pull it off.
Whenever NASCAR and IndyCar decide to have a doubleheader again, the track they chose will be just as important as the doubleheader itself. Again, no 2025 schedule for NASCAR has been announced, but it’s safe to say the tracks the two share time with will continue going into next season and beyond. Currently, the Cup Series and IndyCar race on four of the same tracks:
If these four tracks stay on each schedule, which one would host? For starters, IMS would not host another NASCAR/IndyCar doubleheader. Those dates will stay separated unless NASCAR decides to move the Brickyard 400 to Indy 500 weekend or vice versa. Nashville Superspeedway is a possibility; however, the track hosts IndyCar’s season finale. It is unlikely that IndyCar would want to share the spotlight with NASCAR during their final race of the season.
That leaves the two short ovals of Gateway and Iowa. Gateway is rumored to be moving to the NASCAR Cup Series playoffs next season, which is out of the FOX portion of the schedule. That leaves Iowa Speedway as the most likely track to host a NASCAR/IndyCar doubleheader. Iowa has yet to be confirmed for NASCAR, but the track expects to make its return. It’s the date with the most flexibility for both series and has seen tremendous support from both fanbases. If any track were to host the next NASCAR/IndyCar doubleheader, it’s Iowa Speedway.
When the NASCAR/IndyCar doubleheader was announced in 2020, it was a historic moment for not just the two series but auto racing in the United States. While the individual races might have received mixed reviews, the doubleheader as a whole garnered praise from fans. Mixing both racing series would open the door for new fans for both series once again and can turn the weekend into a true motorsports event.
We’ve seen multiple drivers from different racing disciplines dip their toes in both series. From Scott McLaughlin and Shane van Gisbergen coming from Supercars to Jimmie Johnson going from NASCAR to IndyCar, there has been a trend of drivers across the world coming to the U.S. to try their hand at the top motorsports of the country. A doubleheader would also open the opportunity for a current IndyCar or NASCAR driver to try their hand at both series on the same weekend. Kyle Larson recently attempted the Memorial Day Double in different states and tracks. Imagine that, but on the same track on the same weekend. Both parties have proven before they can cooperate together. If they do so again, the possibilities are endless.
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