Pato O'Ward leads teammate Christian Lundgaard and eventual 2025 NTT INDYCAR SERIES Season Champion Alex Palou through Turn 1 at The Thermal Club in the season's  second race of the first full season utilizing a hybrid power formula. Image Credit: Edmund Jenks (2025)

IndyCar’s 2026 Hybrid Season: Western Focus And The Push For A 20-Race Calendar

The NTT INDYCAR SERIES has unveiled its 2026 schedule, marking the second full season of its hybrid power era, blending electric and combustion engines in a formula that has intensified competition since its 2024 Mid-Season introduction. The 17-race calendar, spanning from St. Petersburg’s streets to Laguna Seca’s finale, mixes ovals, road courses, and street circuits. While the schedule highlights a Western focus, with key races in Phoenix (oval), Long Beach (temporary street circuit), and Laguna Seca (established road course), it sidesteps ambitions for Mexico City’s Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez and the talk of reigniting the Gold Coast of Australia, leaving international expansion on hold for another year.