The City of Arlington is no stranger to major sporting events. Super Bowls. World Series games. College Football National Championships. Even FIFA this upcoming summer. All passed through its stadiums and fields over the past decade. This week, the Texas destination will add something new to its resume: an IndyCar Street Race.
The race is about more than adding another event to Arlington’s already impressive resume, or a highly publicized race to bolster IndyCar’s audience. With the circuit weaving through the city’s entertainment district, the Grand Prix offers a new way to showcase everything that Arlington has to offer.
For Brent DeRaad, President and CEO of Visit Arlington, the event represents an opportunity to introduce the city to a new host of fans — and the city has embraced the moment far beyond the confines of the track.
A Street Race Built Around Arlington’s Landmarks
The decision to place the race in Arlington’s Entertainment District was no accident. The street circuit will wind through the area surrounding AT&T Stadium (Dallas Cowboys) and Globe Life Field (Texas Rangers).
The proximity of those venues, along with nearby hotels, entertainment, and new developments, creates a backdrop that is not often seen in American racing series. For DeRaad, the visual storytelling element of the race was just as important as the on-track action to the city.
“For us, there’s no better way to visually tell the story of everything Arlington has to offer than through this race. You’ve got three major stadiums these cars will go by, a new hotel, a brand-new convention center, and the new National Medal of Honor Museum. For anybody who hasn’t been to Arlington before, this is a chance to see just how close everything really is.”
Brent DeRaad, Visit Arlington
You would know that DeRaad is correct in his assessment if you have ever watched a street race before. Broadcast coverage and drone footage are expected to highlight the city’s entertainment footprint in a way he believes many viewers rarely see — even when visiting for a game.
Building a Citywide Celebration for Race Fans
While the on-track action will take center stage, Arlington’s approach has been to build a broader experience around the entire weekend, mirroring what you would see at the Indianapolis 500 or even Texas’s own F1 race in Austin.
DeRaad and the Visit Arlington Team shared that the entire community has “come together to celebrate this race” and have built out an itinerary for race fans throughout the city.
“What we’ve tried to do is create opportunities for race fans during downtime to explore. A lot of different restaurants. A wide variety of establishments. We really want people to experience everything Arlington has to offer.”
Brent DeRaad, Visit Arlington
That includes the Arlington Museum of Art, which is hosting Chasing Victory: An INDYCAR Exhibition. The display features five vintage INDYCAR cars and runs from February through July, offering race fans a look at the sport’s history while they are in town for the event.
Downtown Arlington businesses are also hosting the “Downtown Pit Stop,” a race-themed hub running from March 2–15 with drink specials, local activations, and opportunities for fans to explore restaurants, shops, and arts venues across the city.
That’s not all: the race weekend will also feature the Good Ranchers Concert Series with performances from All Time Low (Friday), T-Pain (Sunday), and Disco Lines (Sunday).
Teams themselves are even throwing their hats in the ring to lean into the fan-first atmosphere that Arlington has cultivated. Ahead of the race weekend, Arrow McLaren will host a fan festival at Texas Live! Wednesday evening, and Pato O’Ward will host a Meet & Greet at a local Walmart at 1 pm the same day.
The Road to Arlington’s Race Weekend
Arlington already attracts more than 16 million visitors annually, largely driven by its major sports venues and events. The Grand Prix, however, now offers the city an opportunity to introduce itself to a new and growing audience in the United States: Motorsport fans.
The organizers estimate that roughly 72,000 to 73,000 spectators will attend the inaugural race weekend based on ticket sales, with about 40 percent expected to travel from outside of Texas. Economic projections suggest that visitors will spend upwards of $30 million during the race weekend, while total economic impact, including production increases, reaches over $60 million.
“It’s really intriguing for us. For IndyCar fans, Arlington might be a little bit off the beaten path for them. This is a great chance for us to show everything we have to offer. We’re excited to have people really explore throughout the city and hopefully they’ll stay a good two to three days and really enjoy themselves while they’re here.”
Brent DeRaad, Visit Arlington
While the event may be approaching this week, the road to bringing the race to Arlington began several years ago. DeRaad recalled first hearing the idea from Penske Entertainment more than two years ago and shared that “at the time I was kind of blown away”.
Since then, city leaders and organizers have worked through every facet of infrastructure improvements needed to build a temporary street circuit with as little disruption to residents and businesses as possible — the biggest challenge for the team, as DeRaad recalled.
“The big thing is communicating with our residents and surrounding businesses. It’s going to be loud. There are going to be times when lanes or roads are closed, so it’s really about helping people understand what to expect.”
Brent DeRaad, Visit Arlington
Large crowds, however, are nothing new for Arlington. Cowboys games draw 100,000+ visitors 8-9 times a year.
Countdown to the Checkered Flag
Beyond the economic impact and tourism exposure, DeRaad shared that he and the Visit Arlington Team are simply eager to see the race come to life after years of planning.
“I think for me it’s just seeing these cars go around the track and watching the looks on people’s faces. Being able to see cars going that fast and then trying to make a 90-degree turn around the stadium… that’s going to be truly remarkable.”
Brent DeRaad, Visit Arlington
This is certainly a point of pride for DeRaad and the City of Arlington at large. IndyCar will also look to make this weekend a tentpole moment for the series… one that continues to nurture their viewership bump in the start of the 2026 season.
The Grand Prix of Arlington will take place from March 13-15, 2026, with the green flag dropping at 12:15 PM CT.
‘ The preceding article may include information circulated by third parties ’
‘ Some details of this article were extracted from the following source www.si.com ’
