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Racing action from the Java House Grand Prix of Arlington with AT&T Stadium in the background.
INDYCAR Photo by Joe Skibinski
The overriding theme that came out of last weekend’s Java House Grand Prix of Arlington was stated by six-time NTT IndyCar Series Champion Scott Dixon.
“I think this is the new standard,” Dixon told me in the IndyCar Media Bullpen leading into the race. “This is what IndyCar needs to stick to.”
That was a sentiment shared by nearly every driver that spent the weekend at IndyCar’s newest event at the 2.73-mile, 14-turn temporary street course that included AT&T Stadium, Globe Life Field and Texas Live – a major sports and entertainment complex in the Dallas/Fort Worth Metroplex.
The race course provided speed and some very good racing for IndyCar. The grandstands were packed with a sell-out crowd announced just before the race. An impressive general admission crowd roamed the course and watched the action from the many viewing areas that were designed by race promoters.
All 73 luxury suites were sold, giving corporations and guests a true VIP experience. There were also two clubs that were built with the race track underneath, giving those patrons an incredible and unique view of the racing action. Those included the WinStar Winners Club and the Horseshoe.
According to race officials, ticket sales spanned across all 50 states and 20 countries, bringing guests from across the globe to Arlington.
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Some of the fans that sold out the Java House Grand Prix of Arlington
IndyCar Photo by Joe Skibinski
The fans came and they spent money, too, with record merchandise sales for a non-Indianapolis 500 event, underscoring extraordinary fan engagement and enthusiasm in North Texas.
There was a festival-style atmosphere featuring fan zones, live entertainment, and interactive experiences that elevated the weekend beyond a traditional race event. Global broadcast exposure showcasing Arlington and the North Texas sports capital to millions of viewers worldwide.
What those viewers saw on television was the incredible backdrop that included the AT&T Stadium, home of the Dallas Cowboys of the National Football League, Globe Life Field, home of the Texas Rangers of Major League Baseball, Choctaw Field, the former home of the Rangers, and Texas Live, the entertainment district that includes the plush Loew’s Hotel.
The temporary facility was stunning. The Dallas Cowboys logo was painted on the apron of the course in the area of the track known as “Cowboy Corner.” On the Rangers side of the race course, drivers sped through a turn known as “Rangers Right” with the Rangers located featured prominently.
Signage was properly displayed on the race course, showing the corporate backing for this event.
Java House Grand Prix Of Arlington An Impressive First Year Event For IndyCar
The first-year street race went off as well, if not better, than any first-time event in IndyCar history.
About the only thing that didn’t go perfectly was a catering cart and workers that attempted to cross the track just as IndyCar practice went green, and then quickly red, so the crew could safely deliver their food, and high winds that were forecast on Sunday in the Dallas/Fort Worth area that led IndyCar and race officials to move the start time from 12 noon local time to 11 a.m. It was a wise move as wind gusts were recorded at 35 miles per hour in Arlington, and 63 mph in McKinney, Texas.
But in terms of presentation, promotion, grandstands, suites, fan amenities, the condition of the temporary street course, and track layout, it had a huge, big-event feel.
“They’ve set a new standard on what IndyCar races should look like every single weekend,” Arrow McLaren driver Pato O’Ward said.
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The famed Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders at Java House Grand Prix of Arlington
IndyCar Photo by Joe Skibinski
FOX Sports Role In The Grand Prix Of Arlington.
It also provided FOX Sports with another weekend of impressive ratings growth for IndyCar on FOX.
According to Neilsen Media Research, the Java House Grand Prix of Arlington was watched by 1,336,000 viewers.
It’s the first time since the 2008 merger between the Indy Racing League and the Champ Car Series that IndyCar has averaged more than one million viewers for the first three races of the season.
Kyle Kirkwood of Andretti Global drove to his sixth career NTT IndyCar Series win when he passed race-leader Alex Palou in Turn 13 with 16 laps remaining. Kirkwood led the next 16 laps to win on a street course for the fifth time in his career.
The viewership was up 142 percent over last year’s third race of the season when 552,000 watched the Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach on April 13, 2025. It is also up 54 percent over last year’s Sunday race average of 867,000 from 2 to 2:15 pm. Eastern Time.
Through the first three races, FOX IndyCar is averaging 1,328,000 viewers. That is up 48 percent from last year when the average was 895,000.
Grand Prix of Arlington Brings Together The Giants Of Business And Sports
The amazing backstory of how IndyCar at Arlington was a huge success goes back to the incredible partnership that includes some of the most successful businessmen and sporting properties on Earth.
It starts with Penske Corporation Chairman and Founder Roger Penske, the owner of IndyCar since November 4, 2019. When his son and Vice Chairman Greg Penske approached him about IndyCar returning to Texas, Penske thought it was a tremendous idea.
IndyCar competed at Texas Motor Speedway, a 1.5-mile oval in Fort Worth, from 1997 to 2023. In the beginning of that relationship the crowds were huge and TMS became the second home for IndyCar. But for the last 10-15 years, the crowds started to dwindle.
The last IndyCar Series race at TMS on April 2, 2023, was a thrilling show won by Team Penske’s Josef Newgarden when he passed O’Ward on the final lap. Unfortunately, the size of the crowd looked like a friends and family gathering and it had become obvious if Penske’s IndyCar Series was going to regain its stature, it needed to race in front of bigger crowds.
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Team Penske driver Josef Newgarden (2) of United States enters Turn 1 during the NTT INDYCAR Series PPG 375 on April 2, 2023 at Texas Motor Speedway in Fort Worth, TX. (Photo by George Walker/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
There was no IndyCar race in Texas on either the 2024 or 2025 schedules, but 2024, a powerful alliance was being formed by Penske Entertainment, the division of the Penske Corporation that owned and operated the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, the Indianapolis 500 and IndyCar.
An incredible partnership was announced on October 7, 2024, that included Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones, Texas Rangers owner Ray Davis, REV Entertainment’s Neil Leibman and Penske. REV Entertainment stands for Rangers Entertainment Ventures and Leibman was Davis’s front man in the new race that would combine IndyCar, the Cowboys, the Rangers and Texas Live.
FOX Sports CEO and Executive Producer Eric Shanks was also involved in heavily promoting the new addition to IndyCar, with announcements and promotions during its National Football League coverage, especially during Cowboys home games. FOX Sports was announced as the new home for IndyCar in June 2024 with the partnership beginning with the 2025 season.
The partnership in the Grand Prix of Arlington was huge was a financial and business aspect.
Already known as “America’s Team” when Jones purchased the Dallas Cowboys on February 25, 1989, he has built the NFL team into one of the most valuable sporting properties on Earth.
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Dallas Cowboys team owner Jerry Jones on January 27, 2025 in Frisco, Texas. (Photo by Ron Jenkins/Getty Images)
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In August 2025, Forbes valued the Dallas Cowboys at a record $13 billion, making the NFL team the most valuable sports franchise in the world for a record 19 consecutive years.
As of March 20, 2026, Jerry Jones is worth $20.8 billion according to Forbes, placing his 118th on the Forbes list of Billionaires in the world. According to Forbes, Roger Penske is worth $6.5 billion, and the Penske Corporation has $43 billion in revenue.
Ray Davis of the Texas Rangers is worth $3.9 billion.
Each understand how to be successful in business and in sports as the Cowboys remain “America’s Team,” Penske runs the most successful auto racing team in history with 20 wins in the Indianapolis 500, and the Rangers have appeared in the World Series three times including 2010, 2011 and in 2023 when the team won the World Series.
Combine these three giants of business and sports, and that is a big reason why the Grand Prix of Arlington was a stunning success in its first year.
I had exclusive interviews with Penske, Jones and Neil Leibman for this Sports Money report.
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Roger Penske (left) with Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones (right)
Bruce Martin Photo
A Relationship That Began With Penske’s Pursuit of Super Bowl XL In 2006
The relationship between Penske and Jones goes back over 20 years when Penske led the committee that pitched the NFL on bringing Super Bowl XL to Ford Field in Detroit in 2006. Jones heard Penske’s presentation and was a major force in the Super Bowl coming to Detroit.
Since that time, the two business and sporting powerhouses admired each other’s success and that would be beneficial to creating the concept of an IndyCar race that included the Cowboys’ home.
“Well, I like to be with winners,” Jones told me before the event. “It has such a natural passion, what the players are doing, what they’re competing to do and that's what got me into football and the Cowboys is a passion to just be around those people. I know that's what fans really gravitate to.
“And so, it’s pretty easy. You've got great tradition. And then I don't mind telling you, I gravitate where I can up against, a winner. And Roger Penske, from the time he sold the league on doing the Super Bowl in Detroit, has always been someone that could get my attention.”
This was an event where the party as brought to the people, instead of trying to entice the people to drive to a major racing facility away from the population. Many racing ovals are located away from the masses and often lack the entertainment aspects that create the vibe when cars are not on track.
“Well, first of all, I will attest to, I have the Cowboys home is here,” Jones told me. “It’s the proximity It's the ease of being able to come here and be involved.
“We’re right in the middle of 9 million people and there are a lot of people here that can appreciate what's going on when those racers are out here committing and what's involved behind it. So, I've got all the excitement you could possibly have, not only about tomorrow or the next few days, but the future.
“This thing has been done first class, and no detail has been spared. And one thing for sure, Roger and his group, they wanted first impressions to be the right one and our fans need to feel it.”
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Dallas Cowboys co-owner Charlotte Jones (left), Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones (left-center), Roger Penske (center) and Neil Leibman, Chairman of Rangers Sports including he Texas Rangers and REV Entertainment (right) cut the ribbon to open the race course for the Java House Grand Prix of Arlington.
Bruce Martin Photo
Roger Penske and Jerry Jones are both iconic figures in business and in sports. Add the Texas Rangers to the mix, and the cross-promotion for each entity created incredible value for a successful venture.
“I think it’s iconic because we are here between the Cowboys and the Rangers real estate and to have this as our playground you might call it for a weekend is amazing,” Penske told me. “We don't have this kind of a commitment any place we go if we do here and I can see it the investment by the partners along with IndyCar is amazing and I think the teamwork; I have to say the teamwork between the organizations has been amazing and we're so excited.
“This is a benchmark. This takes us to the next level when we go to the next city or the next state. And this is going to be our benchmark.”
The common themes between Penske’s organization, companies and teams and the Cowboys presenting everything in a first-class.
“Well, the people that are here, when you think about Jerry Jones and Neil Leibman, we’re in a position here, these are winners in a city, in a state that's growing faster than anywhere in the world probably. And to be able to come here and compete, I think is amazing and it continues to grow.
“We see it on television. We see the championships coming out of here and we want to be part of that in the future.”
The Dallas Cowboys and AT&T Stadium are also hosting FIFA World Cup soccer beginning on June 14th as the world comes to North America to determine the World Cup championship for 2026.
Adding IndyCar to the calendar was a very important move for Jones as Dallas/Fort Worth prepares for another major international sporting event.
“I’ve always known it was good to hang out with the best,” Jones told me. “And so certainly we know what the World Cup is going to be, but it is amazing at what we're going to do with IndyCar.
“There's no way that you could present any better, any classier. with any more fan-friendly presentation than has been put right out here, thanks to the Penske Group.”
Under Jones ownership that began in 1989, the Dallas Cowboys won three Super Bowls in a four-year span from 1993 to 1996 but have not appeared in a Super Bowl since. The Cowboys, however, remain an icon of the NFL and AT&T Stadium remains one of the premier sporting venues in all of sports.
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Dallas Cowboys Owner Jerry Jones of the Dallas Cowboys holds the Vince Lombardi Trophy after the Cowboys defeated the Pittsburgh Steelers in Super Bowl XXX on January 28, 1996 at Sun Devil Stadium in Tempe, Arizona. The Cowboys won the Super Bowl 27-17. (Photo by Focus on Sport/Getty Images)
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Conversely, Penske owns the largest sporting stadium in the world, the massive Indianapolis Motor Speedway that has 250,000 grandstand seats and draws crowds estimated at over 330,000 spectators making it the largest, single-day, sporting event in the world.
Penske is also the winningest team owner in Indianapolis 500 history with 20 wins in the famed and historic race.
I asked Jones his thoughts on Penske winning the biggest race in the world 20 times.
“Awe,” Jones told me. “Awe. A lot of us, we love every part of sport. No one has the right any more than someone who has risked it all to win what he’s putting teams together to do. That's impressive.
“And I promise you, he doesn’t just have to be talking about race cars. He can talk about some other stuff, too, and it'll get your attention.”
Texas Rangers Played A Major Role In The Grand Prix of Arlington
Jones has a Texas-sized personality and played a public role in the success of this event. Texas Rangers owner Ray Davis chose to remain in the shadows, but the Rangers also played a major role in the success of the Java House Grand Prix of Arlington.
“That was critical,” Java House Grand Prix of Arlington President and General Manager Bill Miller told me. “Neil Leibman and Ray Davis, they are incredible owners. They provide the support and the tools for their staff to do their job very well. First class people, individuals, and organization all the way through.
“And Sean Decker, who is the president of REV, which is Rangers Entertainment Ventures, their team was instrumental in supporting us from the sales side as well as the operational side. Half of our footprint was on their property, and we needed to use their workers, which they train extremely well, again, to deliver that guest experience.
“The support of both the Rangers and REV was key and critical.”
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ARLINGTON, TEXAS - NOVEMBER 03: Nathaniel Lowe #30 of the Texas Rangers lifts the Commissioner's Trophy during the World Series Championship celebration at Globe Life Field on November 03, 2023 in Arlington, Texas. (Photo by Sam Hodde/Getty Images)
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It came at a perfect time of the year because the NFL season for the Cowboys ended in early January and Opening Day for the Texas Rangers is in Philadelphia on March 26 and the home opener at Globe Life Field is Friday, April 3 against the Cincinnati Reds.
“As I look around, I’m amazed,” Leibman said of the temporary racing facility. “I drove around with Greg Penske yesterday and thank goodness he was driving as i have no sense of direction. You get lost in all the details. But now I think about the great ideas, the greatest collaboration creates marquee events, and this is the marquee event question.
“It’s what we've been trying to do. We've been trying to build a place in Arlington where you live, work, play. This is where you'll come and play. And we're just showcasing everything we've done.”
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The Texas Rangers mascot Rangers Captain interacts with fans during the game between the Toronto Blue Jays and the Texas Rangers at Globe Life Field on Thursday, May 29, 2025 in Arlington, Texas. (Photo by Homero Amador/MLB Photos via Getty Images)
MLB Photos via Getty Images
Kyle Kirkwood Believes Grand Prix Of Arlington A Winner On And Off The Track
Kyle Kirkwood of Andretti Global had the fastest car on the track all weekend, with the exception of qualifying when he mis-timed his fastest lap and did not advance into the Firestone Fast Six.
He started seventh and quickly raced his way into contention. Kirkwood thrilled the crowd when he made the race winning pass by diving underneath four-time NTT IndyCar Series Champion Alex Palou in Turn 13 with 16 laps remaining.
Kirkwood drove to the checked flag for the sixth IndyCar win of his career, five of those victories coming on street courses.
As the inaugural winner of an event that has a promising future, Kirkwood was proud to be the first name on what he hopes is a long-time list of winners.
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Kyle Kirkwood, Andretti Global Honda celebrates the victory in the NTT INDYCAR Series Java House Grand Prix of Arlington on March 15, 2026 in Arlington, Texas. (Photo by Michael L. Levitt/Lumen via Getty Images)
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“It was a great weekend for IndyCar, great weekend for the 27 crew, great weekend for Honda, great weekend for Andretti,” Kirkwood told me after winning the race. “A lot of good things came from this weekend and just the event in general was incredible. The signage, the hospitality units, the beauty of the racetrack, the walls, the fencing, everything was absolute top-notch.
“Going around to the most iconic sports teams in America in their facilities is just phenomenal. And we’re sitting here in the media center, which is in the AT&T Stadium and we're able to look at the field like, how cool is this?
“I think this is a great representation of what IndyCar can and should be.”
Josef Newgarden of Team Penske understands Penske’s emphasis on doing things first-class and noted the similarities between Penske and Jones.
“It’s a great partnership,” Newgarden told me. “I think they are very alike in a lot of ways, Mr. Jones and Mr. Penske. They want to do the best job possible when they're putting their name on something like this and I think it shows a lot with the facility.
“I’m excited. I think everybody is pumped to be here in this market. I’s great for IndyCar to be down here it's another great event for us and you know excited to see what it will bring this weekend.”
Nate Thomas Of Dallas Cowboys Hopes Amazed In The Pits
Nate Thomas plays tackle for the Cowboys and was in pit lane over the weekend to watch the proceedings up close. The experience for the NFL player was mesmerizing, and he hopes it becomes a permanent part of the Dallas/Fort Worth sporting schedule.
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Nate Thomas of the Dallas Cowboys celebrates after an NFL football game against the Philadelphia Eagles at AT&T Stadium on November 23, 2025 in Arlington, Texas. (Photo by Cooper Neill/Getty Images)
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According to race officials, there is a multi-year contract for this event.
“I think it brings a lot more value to it, absolutely,” Thomas told me. “We have a great team as far as baseball with the Rangers. We have a great football team with the Cowboys, and now you add in bringing IndyCar here, and I mean, like, what else can get, you know, how else can it get better?
“But I think it’d be a great addition to have it here permanently.”
Roger Penske’s Motto Is ‘Effort Equals Results”
This was one of the more ambitious projects for IndyCar, especially during Penske’s ownership that began in late 2019. There is another ambitious event later this season, the Freedom 250 Grand Prix on the streets of Washington, D.C. August 21-23 that includes the National Mall as the infield of the race course.
For Penske, the execution and the commitment is the major reason that ambition was met with incredible success in Texas.
“It’s an amazing commitment by so many people and I think the teamwork was amazing,” Penske said. “I want to thank my son, Greg, who pushed me to say, ‘We need to have a race in Texas and certainly you got to call Jerry Jones.’ And obviously Neil became part of this team so I can't thank him enough.
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Roger Penske in January 2026. (Photo by Alex Wong/Getty Images)
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“I’m thrilled. The way this has been put together the real estate that we have in order to put this on. We go to a lot of temporary circuits, but we just don’t have the opportunity that we have here.
“It’s first class. These suites. The double pit lane certainly will make a big difference for the fans. I just can't thank all of you who are here tonight to help us make this a super, super great weekend. And Neil, you and Jerry and your families, I can't thank you enough for what you've done for us.”
Based on the success of the first season, the Java House Grand Prix of Arlington could be the start of something big for IndyCar.
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Kyle Kirkwood, Andretti Global Honda, #10: Alex Palou, Chip Ganassi Racing Honda, #26: Will Power, Andretti Global Honda celebrate on the podium during the NTT INDYCAR Series Java House Grand Prix of Arlington on March 15, 2026 in Arlington, Texas. (Photo by Michael L. Levitt/Lumen via Getty Images)
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