IndyCar driver Graham Rahal is advocating for an increase in crossover racing weekends where multiple racing series compete at the same location during a shared weekend. Speaking ahead of the 2026 IndyCar season opener in St. Petersburg, Florida, Rahal emphasized the appeal and potential benefits of holding diverse motorsports events together, a concept demonstrated by this weekend’s NASCAR and IndyCar pairing at St. Pete.
This weekend features the IndyCar season kickoff alongside the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series running on the same temporary street circuit. Some former IndyCar drivers, including James Hinchcliffe and Dario Franchitti, are participating in the Truck Series race, illustrating the crossover’s collaborative spirit.
Upcoming Multi-Series Events and Facilities Capable of Hosting Them
The crossover idea extends beyond St. Petersburg, with a scheduled event next weekend at Phoenix Raceway where NASCAR Cup Series and O’Reilly Auto Parts Series will share the weekend with an IndyCar race. Rahal and fellow drivers believe these combined formats will maximize fan entertainment and potentially grow audiences by exposing fans of one series to others.
Many racing venues are well-equipped or situated near facilities that can host more than one type of racing event simultaneously. For example, Sonoma Raceway offers both a road course and a neighboring drag strip, while Bristol Motor Speedway and Bristol Dragway are located just across the street from each other, providing dual racing environments within close proximity.
Exploring Synergies with Drag Racing and Other Motorsports
Rahal has long expressed interest in deeper collaboration with the drag racing community, particularly the NHRA, where his father-in-law, John Force, holds sixteen Funny Car championships. While combining open-wheel or stock car racing with drag racing can be more challenging due to specialized track requirements, many regional clusters of facilities make the prospect feasible.
He referred to locations such as Las Vegas Motor Speedway alongside The Strip at LVMS drag strip and the adjacent Dirt Track; Charlotte Motor Speedway with zMAX Dragway and the nearby dirt track; and Indianapolis Motor Speedway in proximity to Lucas Oil Raceway Park, which hosts drag and sprint car racing. These venues demonstrate how multiple forms of motorsport can coexist within accessible reach for fans.
Building the Sport through Cooperation
“At the end of the day, we’ve got to team up to build motorsport in this country,”
Rahal said regarding the collaboration of various sanctioning bodies. “I’ve said the same to NHRA for years. Obviously, with my family and drag racing, I’ve said to them for years that I don’t know why we haven’t done double-headers too.” – Graham Rahal, IndyCar driver
He emphasized that difficulties such as differing speeds or racing styles should not be seen as barriers.
“Everybody’s like, ‘Oh, well, the Indy cars are so much faster.’ At the end of the day, who cares? I mean, yes, speed is cool, but quality racing is cool. People come for entertainment. And so, to me, I don’t really care if one is faster than the other. Let’s go race together and let’s do it more often.”
His vision includes mixing multiple racing formats like World of Outlaws sprint cars on dirt with open-wheel and drag racing, capitalizing on facilities that can accommodate such diversity.
Strategic Locations Supporting Multiple Racing Disciplines
Several racing complexes provide opportunities to host two or three different types of racing formats within the same event weekend. Chicagoland Speedway (for NASCAR or IndyCar), Route 66 drag strip (NHRA), and Dirt Oval 66 (sprint cars) lie within a short distance. Similarly, Richmond Raceway and Virginia Motorsports Park, Rockingham Speedway and Rockingham Dragway, and Texas Motor Speedway with the nearby Texas Motorplex offer viable hubs for crossover racing events.
Rahal highlighted that despite some venues not being immediately adjacent, their closeness allows fans to enjoy a multi-racing experience within driving distance.
Potential Manufacturer Engagement through Crossovers
IndyCar has recently secured a long-term engine partnership extension with Chevrolet and Honda, while NASCAR sees RAM returning to trucks and Dodge potentially rejoining the Cup Series soon. Rahal envisions that more crossover events could entice additional manufacturers to enter racing, enhancing competition and technological development across series.
“Hopefully that’ll bring more manufacturers into both,”
Rahal shared. “Both of us need more manufacturers. That’s just the reality. (NASCAR is) kind of really surviving on three (manufacturers currently), and we’re surviving on two (Chevy and Honda). But we need more than two. They need more than what they’ve got, right? I know Ram has gotten back in on some sides. But we all need to do more. And together, I think we can accomplish that.”
Looking Ahead: The Future of Crossover Racing Weekends
If the crossover race weekends at St. Petersburg and Phoenix prove successful, they could pave the way for more frequent joint events. These weekends would offer fans enhanced entertainment value and a broader exposure to motorsport disciplines, which can strengthen fan bases and expand interest across racing genres.
By combining resources and aligning schedules, sanctioning bodies like IndyCar, NASCAR, and NHRA could foster more collaboration and innovation, potentially raising the profile of motorsports across the U.S. in the years to come.
