NASHIVLLE, Tenn. (Sept. 16, 2025) – The bright lights of INDYCAR will shine on the 2026 Borchetta Bourbon Music City Grand Prix as the NTT INDYCAR SERIES will return to Nashville Superspeedway on Sunday, July 19. The full 2026 season schedule was released by INDYCAR on Tuesday morning, confirming an earlier race date for the annual stop in Nashville, along with a cool evening race under the lights and a longer race distance for the Borchetta Bourbon Music City Grand Prix.
Next year’s NTT INDYCAR SERIES race will serve as the 12th round of the 17-race season schedule and it will feature a 400-mile battle on Sunday evening, airing on FOX following the 2026 FIFA World Cup™ Final match. The race distance will extend from 300 miles to 400 miles in 2026 to provide more action and strategy for fans watching in person and at home at the fast oval track.
The NTT INDYCAR SERIES will return to Middle Tennessee for the sixth-consecutive season in 2026, as well as the third-straight season on the 1.33-mile, concrete oval at Nashville Superspeedway.
“We’re thrilled to bring the excitement of INDYCAR back to race fans in Middle Tennessee,” said Anne Fischgrund, president of the Borchetta Bourbon Music City Grand Prix. “With a proven record of action-packed racing and a first-class fan experience, Nashville Superspeedway will provide the perfect stage for FOX Sports to showcase INDYCAR to a significant audience following its broadcast of the FIFA World Cup™ Final. We can’t wait to welcome fans back to the Borchetta Bourbon Music City Grand Prix, which will be bigger and better than ever in 2026.”
The transition to a mid-July race weekend in 2026 represents a change for the annual INDYCAR race weekend in Music City as the previous five events in Nashville have been hosted in August. This year, Chip Ganassi Racing’s Alex Palou was officially crowned NTT INDYCAR SERIES Champion following a thrilling, action-packed race at Nashville Superspeedway. Nashville native Josef Newgarden was the popular winner of the race as the Team Penske driver won for the first time in his hometown. Newgarden captured the checkered flag at the end of a competitive and intense race that featured 20 lead changes among 12 different drivers and 284 total passes over 300 miles of racing.
With a weekend crowd estimated at more than 40,000 for the second-consecutive season, television ratings on FOX were up 137% year-over-year and viewership for the race was up 134% in the key 18-34 year-old demographic for the 2025 INDYCAR season finale. This year’s Borchetta Bourbon Music City Grand Prix helped INDYCAR on FOX produce a 27% increase in average race viewership for the first NTT INDYCAR SERIES season on the network, delivering the highest per race average for the series since 2008. Locally, the FOX 17 broadcast drew a 1.42 rating, making the Nashville the second highest-rated market in the U.S., trailing only Indianapolis.
As momentum builds towards the 2026 Borchetta Bourbon Music City Grand Prix, fans can sign-up for ticket information at musiccitygp.com or follow @musiccitygp on X, Instagram and Facebook.
The NTT INDYCAR SERIES will open its 2026 season with the Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg on March 1. For the full 2026 schedule, visit INDYCAR.com.
