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How IndyCar’s GP of Arlington impacts its future, according to CEO Mark Miles

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The IndyCar Series landed perhaps its biggest catch under the Penske Entertainment era after announcing a return to Texas with a race on the streets of Arlington in 2026. 

The significance of the announcement was in the partnerships formed, with Penske Entertainment teaming up with the National Football League’s Dallas Cowboys and REV Entertainment, the official events partner of Major League Baseball’s Texas Rangers.

A 14-turn, 2.73-mile circuit will weave around AT&T Stadium and Globe Life Field, which serve as the respective homes of the Cowboys and Rangers, and through the entertainment district of a city that sells 1.6 million tickets to spectators for various events annually.

Mark Miles, the president and CEO of Penske Entertainment, which owns the IndyCar Series, sat down with Motorsport.com to discuss the event and the strategy of the series moving forward, as well as how new broadcast partner FOX Sports will factor in.

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Let’s get the hard question out of the way first: There are people asking why this couldn’t work at Texas Motor Speedway, and why IndyCar is headed to Arlington?

Mark Miles: Well, I guess the first thing is, as everybody I think knows, we really haven’t had success lately in finding a date that was going to be reliable over time, and that’s important to us. That created the opportunity to think about it because we definitely wanted to be in North Texas. And then for some time we’ve had a dialogue — and for a shorter time, but several months, we’ve had a lot of work between our team and the Cowboys and the Rangers to explore the possibilities. I think [the announcement] does speak for itself. We’ve been articulating an event strategy for some time, which is that number one, we are not walking away from the desire to have a good mix of the various formats of races for us; that includes, of course, ovals and temporary street races and road courses.

So, that’s first, and this doesn’t represent any distance between that philosophy and the announcement. Then we’ve also said we want to look for high impact opportunities to be in hot growing markets and to approach them in two different ways. One is where we have become the promoter. By ’26, that will be the case for the two IndyCar races in Indy, in Detroit, for the race or races in Iowa, [and] Milwaukee. Now, through this partnership, we’re part of the promoter group for Arlington — and I think there’ll be one or two more examples of that by 2026, if not before. And we think that’s important, both in terms of the markets and our ability to really control the effort to upgrade our events.

We want to do that by taking control of more races ourselves and also by looking for opportunities for high level partners. What could be a higher level opportunity, in that regard, than the Cowboys and the Rangers in Arlington at that facility? I hope that everybody gets a chance to look at the video that was done to portray how the racetrack will look. I think it is going to be a great racetrack. We’ve got great partners. We’ve got time to do it right in the first installment for ‘26 in the spring. This is, kind of, the very first conspicuous example of that part of the event strategy. And again, I think there’ll be more as time goes forward. I also want to say that this does not represent walking away from our philosophy of having a healthy mix of three formats of racing for IndyCar. It doesn’t mean that we aren’t going to have third party promoters as we do now. We’re just going to be opportunistic to look for events we can run ourselves and for opportunities to have high level partnerships within the promotion of our events.

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The magnitude of taking IndyCar to a level of involvement with major teams such as the Dallas Cowboys and the Texas Rangers was certainly felt at the track unveiling at Texas Live! on Tuesday. Talking with Santino Ferrucci, Alex Palou, and Josef Newgarden, there was a big-fight feel to this that really had them buzzing in a way that made this feel like it rivals Formula 1’s Miami Grand Prix. What kind of stratosphere do you think this raises IndyCar to?

MM: Yeah, we think IndyCar deserves to be understood to be a major league sport, and I think sometimes you are judged by the company you keep. That’s another way to emphasize the strategy of looking for these kinds of high level partnerships. By the way, just related to promoting events, but also in upgrading other things we do, like marketing, communications, and hospitality. There are all kinds of partners out there that are very capable, very much major league and we’ll continue to be very selective, but look for those opportunities in those and other functions of putting on big events to up our game and show everybody IndyCar’s major league sport.

Arlington Grand Prix track map

Arlington Grand Prix track map

Photo by: Penske Entertainment

What went into the details of the track layout?

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MM: Well, it took a lot of work. Tony Cotman is the lead for us in designing tracks, but he has two roles for us: One is always looking at where we race to make sure that they’re safe, but also good racing and his other function is to help design them. We had this fabulous opportunity to basically take a white canvas. The entertainment district there is just a huge opportunity to put our best foot forward in the way we race. We could look at that whole space. It doesn’t have many of the complications or challenges that street races can have when you’re right in the middle of a downtown and it’s a lot of area that even things like the streetlights that are in the parking lots tend to be further apart than in a lot of places, which is useful.

“We could see how we could have a nine-tenths of a mile straightaway, which obviously gets us up, we think, 200-plus miles per hour. That’s a big part of our speed, obviously a big part of our racing and our brand that then immediately goes into a hard right-hand turn and we could engineer a track accordingly. It’s also wide. There are a couple places where we’re still working on how wide it can be, but a good example of the width is that straightaway. So, it was kind of a blank canvas and Tony and our team, people like Michael Montri, who have the experience of laying out that track in Detroit and elsewhere, could really go to town and make the most of the real estate that’s there.

When you have massive partners that are a part of something like this, I think the biggest curiosity is the promotional element. With that, what kind of activations – and we’ve heard rumblings FOX could be promoting it as early as this weekend’s NFL game between the Dallas Cowboys and the Detroit Lions – should be anticipated?

MM: Well, FOX has a deep relationship with both our partner organizations and they’re absolutely all-in and supportive of this innovation for us. But also, I think the two organizations and their sort of assets, along with our ability to provide focus through the creation of the grand prix committee that will be focused all the time on just that, is potent. So, Bill Miller (President of the Grand Prix of Arlington) will be putting together the team. It will be small, but waking up every morning thinking about the grand prix there. But we also have these great relationships with the Cowboys and the Rangers and their sponsor lists, those relationships, their suite customers, their season ticket customers, their club customers, and that’s a pretty amazing base from which to go out and start to sell. So, we’ll have the focus of a dedicated staff right there in Dallas, with obviously the full cooperation of the Cowboys and the Rangers. I think that it’s just a remarkable constellation of assets that we hope to make the most of.

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Grand Prix of Arlington rendering

Grand Prix of Arlington rendering

Photo by: Penske Entertainment

Does announcing this event, with the possibility of other event announcements looming, alter the expectation for the number of races on the new FOX deal? Can the number grow to, say 20, or is there a cap limit to the number of races that can be broadcast, per se?

MM: Our agreement with FOX calls for us to provide them 17 races that are championship races in the normal season as it’s structured now. And we like the number 17, that’s why it’s in our agreement with FOX. It’s not a limit. It’s what we expect to do. But whether it’s for us and the owners and the drivers or for FOX or our sponsors, we see another great opportunity, I think we’ll pursue it. If that means one less doubleheader or some other adjustment on the calendar, we’ll take things case by case and and act accordingly. I don’t think people should look at us as having an ambition to get to 20, for example, which is kind of implicit in your question. Seventeen is, we think the sweet spot, but we’ve talked about it and if there’s such a thing as another Arlington out there, and that means all things considered looking at all the races on the calendar, the best thing to do to go is to go to 18, then we’ll look at that. But there are probably ways even in the short term to add and still stay at about 17.

2007 Mexico City race winner Sebastien Bourdais, Newman Haas Lanigan Racing

2007 Mexico City race winner Sebastien Bourdais, Newman Haas Lanigan Racing

Photo by: Dan R. Boyd / Motorsport Images

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Do you anticipate, whether it is next year or in 2026, FOX Deportes for the entire schedule or a select number of races to help generate interest of the Hispanic audience whether in this southern region of the United States, Mexico, etc.?

MM: Well, the opportunity to reach more Hispanic fans and make more Hispanic fans is important to us and our partners in Arlington vis-a-vis FOX. FOX Deportes is contractually committed to take three races. The plan is the first race of the season, St. Pete, the Indy 500 and the finale, but that’s not a cap either. That’s really a minimum. And as we get closer to making the ’26 schedule and Deportes sees how they do with the three races that they’ll have next year, I think it’s entirely possible that they would add events. And given the importance of Hispanic population in that market in North Texas, it’s an obvious place to look. But it’s not just about FOX. In talking with [Dallas Cowboys’ owner] Jerry Jones [on Tuesday], he was telling us about how important marketing to Hispanic people is.

He told us about the tours he’s done in Mexico to do earned media events and to publicize the Cowboys in Mexico itself, not just the southern part of the United States. And that’s music to our ears. We talked to him about Pato [O’Ward] and how he’s a natural star and how he would be happy to be engaged in this event and do all he can, as he did at Texas Motor Speedway to help promote and grow the event. I don’t want to say too much about it, but it’s conceivable that we could end up with an event in Mexico in the next few years. And if we did that, it would certainly be in the spring. So, a connection between an event in Arlington and an event in Mexico would be a powerful opportunity to bridge and cross promote the various sports to the Hispanic fans just south of the border and in the southern United States. I think it’s a big opportunity for us, and the Cowboys and the Rangers see it as an opportunity for them, to strengthen our appeal to Hispanic fans.

 
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“People come up with bizarre things”

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Max Verstappen says he was baffled by the rumours swirling over the summer on Red Bull’s alleged use of asymmetric braking, and addressed rival Formula 1 teams trying to stir up trouble.

After a dominant start to 2024, Red Bull’s fortunes took a turn for the worse around May’s Miami Grand Prix, when McLaren brought a major upgrade package that revamped its MCL38 into a race-winning car, while Red Bull says it went down a wrong development path with its RB20.

Red Bull initially struggled to respond to its downturn in competitiveness, with its last win now dating back to Verstappen’s triumph in June’s Spanish Grand Prix, and has only just started turning the corner on its car’s handling issues in recent races.

Speculation over the source of Red Bull’s form dip mounted in the summer when the FIA tightened up its regulations around asymmetric braking, effectively closing a loophole for the 2026 regulations and retroactively applying the new phrasing to this year’s rulebook.

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The FIA further confirmed the rule change had not been prompted by a current team using a system that the new wording outlawed, but that didn’t stop speculation from suggesting it was Red Bull that had been using a solution that it then had to remove from the RB20.

Speaking exclusively to Motorsport.com, Verstappen reflected on the whole episode, and the flak his world championship-winning team received, with some amusement. “People always come up with different stuff,” he said. “I find it really bizarre how they come up with some of these things, but it is what it is. It’s part of the game, but I usually just let it go.

Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing

Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing

Photo by: Lionel Ng / Motorsport Images

“I’ve been in F1 for 10 years now and I’m not wasting time on all those stories. I mean, I barely read anything about F1 anyway. Of course, sometimes I see something or someone else tells me: “Did you see what this and that person said?’ But I always say people can think what they want, I’m not going to waste my energy on that. So, I don’t really care about what other people say.”

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Red Bull also caught flak from rival teams over its form dip and its off-track power struggles, which prompted McLaren CEO Zak Brown to say that Red Bull had been “destabilised”. He later described the team as a “pretty toxic” environment.

“People that say all sorts of stuff should just focus on their own team,” Verstappen replied when the subject was brought up. “That’s nothing specifically against Zak Brown, by the way, it applies to everyone. People just need to focus on themselves, and that’s what I’m doing as well.”

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The Red Bull – McLaren rivalry has now also ignited on track, with McLaren overtaking Red Bull in the constructors’ championship and Lando Norris challenging Verstappen for the drivers’ title, including a collision between the pair in Austria. But the Dutchman doesn’t think things will get as tense as they were during a fraught 2021 title clash with Lewis Hamilton and Mercedes.

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“Yes, because right now we still have four teams at the front, while back then you just had the same two people up front,” he explained. “Of course, 2021 was my first world championship, so that was very different already. I think I’m a bit more relaxed about it now.

“Of course, I want to win and of course, I’m going to do my best to defend that [52-point] lead. But the feeling is very different from 2021.”

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2024 Super Formula – Round 7: Fuji Race Highlights

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Tsuboi snatches points lead with back-to-back wins

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Sho Tsuboi made it a double Super Formula victory at Fuji on Sunday to grab the championship lead heading into the final weekend of the season next month at Suzuka.

TOM’S man Tsuboi converted his first pole of the year into another win at Fuji, giving himself a perfect record at the Toyota-owned venue in 2024 and becoming the first driver to win two races in a single weekend since Andre Lotterer in 2011.

Nirei Fukuzumi proved Tsuboi’s nearest challenger in an incident-strewn race that featured no fewer than three safety car periods, finishing second for KCMG, while Tadasuke Makino cemented second in the standings in third place.

The first caution period came on just the second lap of 41 as Iori Kimura tipped Atsushi Miyake into a spin at the Turn 10 right-hander, with Nyck de Vries also getting caught up in the melee and having to pit for a fresh front wing.

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Tsuboi maintained the lead through to the second safety car period, triggered when Kazuya Oshima was sent into a spin by Yuji Kunimoto at Turn 1.

That came not long after the pit window opened and several frontrunners, including Fukuzumi, had come into the pits for their mandatory stops.

But with Tsuboi able to complete his in-lap at virtually unabated pace, he maintained the lead ahead of Fukuzumi, while Ren Sato beat Makino out of the pits to move into third.

After the restart on lap 17, Tsuboi began to eke away from Fukuzumi, but the KCMG driver kept the leader in his sights and was only a matter of tenths behind when the safety car made its final appearance on lap 32.

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That followed a collision between Sena Sakaguchi and Naoki Yamamoto exiting Turn 2, which saw the front of Yamamoto’s Nakajima Racing car get airborne as he rode up on the back of Sakaguchi’s Inging machine.

Yamamoto was seen being stretchered into an ambulance and was taken to the medical centre for checks.

Tomoki Nojiri, TEAM MUGEN

Tomoki Nojiri, TEAM MUGEN

Photo by: Masahide Kamio

The race resumed with just three laps left with Tsuboi heading home Fukuzumi by 1.3 seconds, while Makino was able to wrest third back off Ren Sato prior to the final safety car period.

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That means he heads to next month’s Suzuka finale trailing Tsuboi by 14.5 points, with 46 on offer across the double-header weekend.

Sato still claimed his best finish of the year for Nakajima Racing in fourth, ahead of Kakunoshin Ota, who recovered well from 14th on the grid in the second Dandelion car.

Kamui Kobayashi was sixth in the second KCMG car after a late pass on Red Bull junior Ayumu Iwasa, the Mugen driver having started down in 12th after his best lap in qualifying was taken away for a track limits breach.

After his early dramas, de Vries recovered to finish eighth in his final outing for Team Impul, passing a fading Tomoki Nojiri (Mugen) just prior to the final caution period, while Kenta Yamashita claimed the final point for Kondo Racing in 10th

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Nojiri finds himself 18.5 points down on Tsuboi after losing six places from his grid position.

Post-race Sato was handed a 10-second penalty for making contact at Turn 1 with Makino as he exited the pits, dropping him out of the points to 15th place.

It means Ota moves up to fourth ahead of Kobayashi and Iwasa.

De Vries was also stripped of his points finish for contact with Yamashita, with a five-second penalty dropping the Dutchman down to 11th.

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As a result, Nojiri jumps two places to seventh ahead of Yamashita, while Iori Kimura and Toshiki Oyu are promoted into the final points positions.

Two extra points for Nojiri means he goes to the Suzuka finale 16.5 points behind Tsuboi.

Super Formula Fuji – Race 2 results (before penalties):

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Michael McDowell: ‘We’ve been laser-focused’ to earn sixth pole

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Solberg’s failed Rally Chile protest to be reheard by stewards

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The WRC2 title fight could be set for another twist following confirmation that a previously rejected protest from Oliver Solberg’s Toksport Skoda team will be reheard by Rally Chile stewards.

A petition led by FIA road sport director Andrew Wheatley has resulted in the case regarding a notional time being awarded to Solberg’s title rival and Rally Chile WRC2 winner Yohan Rossel to be reviewed.

Solberg’s Toksport Skoda team lodged a protest asking the stewards to re-evaluate a notional time awarded to Rossel that helped the Citroen driver to victory. Rossel vaulted from third to WRC2 class lead when stewards deemed Solberg had hindered the Frenchman during stage 11 and subsequently knocked 40s off his stage time.

Solberg was leading the class in the test when he suffered a puncture which cost the Swede 1m30s to change a wheel. Solberg rejoined the stage ahead of Rossel who felt he had been held up by the Skoda driver while passing through the stage affected by thick fog.

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The incident is likely to play a part in determining the outcome WRC2 title as Solberg could have secured the championship with a victory in Chile.

Stewards initially deemed the protest inadmissible “because under the FIA International Sporting Code, it is not permissible for the Stewards to review/re-hear their decisions through a protest.”

However, a subsequent stewards report released on Friday states that “significant and relevant new element which was unavailable to the parties seeking the review at the time of the decision concerned.”

Oliver Solberg, Elliott Edmondson, Toksport WRT Skoda Fabia Evo Rally2

Oliver Solberg, Elliott Edmondson, Toksport WRT Skoda Fabia Evo Rally2

Photo by: Red Bull Content Pool

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The case will be re-opened and reviewed at a date yet to be announced.

“The Stewards examined video evidence and GPS tracking data provided by the FIA, which was information that was not in the possession of the Clerk of the Course, nor of the Stewards, at the time of the decision was made. The Stewards consider this to be new information,” read the stewards report.

“The FIA explained the relevance of the videos and the GPS tracking data and indicated that if this information had been available at the time the request from the Competitor of Car No. 21 for a new time was received, then a different representation would have been made to the Stewards in relation to the Competitor’s request on SS11 (Lota 2). The Stewards consider the FIA’s submission to be significant and relevant.

“Having considered the matter extensively, the Stewards decide to re-examine their decision in accordance with Article 14.1.1 of the 2024 FIA International Sporting Code and wish to hear from the parties concerned, namely the Competitor of Car No. 21 and a representative of the FIA, at a time and place to be determined thereafter.”

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Solberg currently leads the WRC2 championship standings by 12 points over Rossel, but will now have to rely on results elsewhere to keep his title hopes alive having completed his seven points-scoring events.

Rossel and Sami Pajari (15 points adrift of Solberg) remain in title contention with the pair set to complete their final rounds at the Central European Rally and Rally Japan respectively.

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Sammy Smith wins Talladega, advances to Round of 8

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