There is a significantly different look on the calendar that remains comprised of 17 events, along with the additional $1 Million Challenge non-points exhibition at The Thermal Club on 24 March.
The changes include Texas Motor Speedway being dropped from the schedule, ending an annual trip that dates back to 1997. That loss won’t see a downsize in oval events, though, as the series returns to Milwaukee for the first time since 2015, with the venue hosting a doubleheader as the penultimate round on Labor Day weekend.
“There is such a great tradition and history of IndyCar racing at the Milwaukee Mile, and we are excited to build on that legacy with a Labor Day-weekend NTT IndyCar Series doubleheader beginning in 2024,” said Roger Penske, chairman of Penske Corporation.
“We appreciate all the loyal and passionate IndyCar fans in Milwaukee and across the state of Wisconsin, and thanks to our partnership with the Wisconsin State Fair Park, we can’t wait to return to the Mile next season.”
FEATURE: Friday favourite: A forgotten gem that rivalled even Indianapolis
The season kicks off on 10 March on the Streets of St. Petersburg, Florida. The next points-paying race will arrive on 21 April with the Grand Prix of Long Beach, followed by a trip to Alabama at Barber Motorsports Park on 28 April.
A five-week stretch begins 11 May with the only race held on the Indianapolis Motor Speedway road course, which includes qualifying (18-19 May) and the 108th Running of the Indianapolis 500 on 26 May. Similar to this year, there is an immediate turnaround on the Streets of Detroit, Michigan on 2 June. A visit to Road America caps off the run on 9 June.
Laguna Seca, which held the season finale in each of the last two years – and three of the last five – moves off its September date to 23 June. It will mark the first time in 21 years the 2.238-mile, 11-turn circuit hosts an IndyCar event in June.
Alex Palou, Chip Ganassi Racing Honda
Photo by: Richard Dole / Motorsport Images
Trips to Mid-Ohio SportsCar Course (7 July), a doubleheader – one being a Saturday night race – at Iowa Speedway (13-14 July), followed by the series’ only trip outside of the United States happening on the Streets of Toronto (21 July), wrap things up before the break for the Summer Olympics.
A furious run to the finish features five races – including three on ovals – in five weeks, beginning with the 1.25-mile oval formerly known as Gateway hosting a Saturday night contest on 17 August.
Portland International Raceway gets bumped up a week from the Labor Day weekend it held each of the past two years, now set for 25 August. The Milwaukee doubleheader will be held on 31 August and 1 September, ahead of the new finale on the reconfigured street circuit in Nashville on 15 September.
The new 2.17-mile, seven-turn circuit in Nashville still incorporates the iconic Korean War Veterans Memorial Bridge but adds views of the Country Music Hall of Fame and world-famous Honky Tonk Row.
As previously announced, the 2024 season awards ceremony will also take place in Music City, on Monday, 16 September at the Schermerhorn Symphony Center.
“The upward trajectory of the NTT IndyCar Series is reflected through the 2024 schedule,” Penske Entertainment Corp. President and CEO Mark Miles said. “With stops at premier and global entertainment districts, classic American road courses and thrilling, high-speed ovals, the 2024 season will be exhilarating and highly competitive from beginning to end.
“The growth of IndyCar is palpable. Combined with the efforts of our teams and partners, the 2024 championship will be the perfect showcase for our drivers as we continue to build on our reach and popularity.”
Josef Newgarden, Team Penske Chevrolet
Photo by: Michael L. Levitt / Motorsport Images
For the sixth consecutive season, NBC Sports will be the exclusive home for IndyCar coverage in the United States. There will be 12 events, including the exhibition event at The Thermal Club, showcased on NBC, which marks the first time in 20 years the IndyCar schedule has featured three consecutive years of double-digit events on network television.
The continued presence comes after the 2023 IndyCar season became the most watched on record, averaging a Total Audience Deliver (TAD) of 1.32 million viewers. It also marked the third consecutive year of viewership growth across NBC Sports platforms, including a record audience streaming IndyCar on Peacock.
Additionally, Peacock remains a signature part of the coverage, with two exclusive races to be streamed in 2024 – Toronto for the third year in a row and Milwaukee (race one) for the first time. Peacock will continue to simulstream all races airing on television and remain the home to all practices, qualifying and Indy NXT races.
In the United Kingdom, Sky Sports will continue to broadcast all IndyCar races live throughout 2024.
The IndyCar Radio Network again will provide audio coverage of all NTT IndyCar Series sessions via SiriusXM Channel 160 and the IndyCar App.
“2023 was a record-breaking season for the NTT IndyCar Series,” IndyCar President Jay Frye said. “For the first time, 27 starters competed at each event, and on-track passing records were broken at six racetracks. IndyCar remains the most diverse and competitive championship in motorsports. We cannot wait to see how the 2024 season plays out beginning on the Streets of St. Pete.”
Start times for the 2024 events will be announced at a later date.
Will Power, Team Penske Chevrolet, Patricio O’Ward, Arrow McLaren Chevrolet
Photo by: Jake Galstad / Motorsport Images
2024 NTT INDYCAR SERIES SCHEDULE
Date | Venue | TV |
Sunday, March 10 | Streets of St. Petersburg |
US: NBC, Peacock UK: Sky Sports |
Sunday, March 24 | The Thermal Club $1 Million Challenge |
US: NBC, Peacock UK: Sky Sports |
Sunday, April 21 | Streets of Long Beach |
US: USA Network, Peacock UK: Sky Sports |
Sunday, April 28 | Barber Motorsports Park |
US: NBC, Peacock UK: Sky Sports |
Saturday, May 11 | Indianapolis Motor Speedway (Road course) |
US: NBC, Peacock UK: Sky Sports |
Saturday, May 18 | Indianapolis 500 Qualifying Day 1 |
US: NBC, Peacock UK: Sky Sports |
Sunday, May 19 | Indianapolis 500 Qualifying Day 2 |
US: NBC, Peacock UK: Sky Sports |
Sunday, May 26 | Indianapolis Motor Speedway (Oval) |
US: NBC, Peacock UK: Sky Sports |
Sunday, June 2 | Streets of Detroit |
US: USA Network, Peacock UK: Sky Sports |
Sunday, June 9 | Road America |
US: NBC, Peacock UK: Sky Sports |
Sunday, June 23 | WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca |
US: USA Network, Peacock UK: Sky Sports |
Sunday, July 7 | Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course |
US: NBC, Peacock UK: Sky Sports |
Saturday, July 13 | Iowa Speedway Race 1 |
US: NBC, Peacock UK: Sky Sports |
Sunday, July 14 | Iowa Speedway Race 2 |
US: NBC, Peacock UK: Sky Sports |
Sunday, July 21 | Streets of Toronto |
US: Peacock UK: Sky Sports |
Saturday, August 17 | World Wide Technology Raceway |
US: USA Network, Peacock UK: Sky Sports |
Sunday, August 25 | Portland International Raceway |
US: USA Network, Peacock UK: Sky Sports |
Saturday, August 31 | Milwaukee Race 1 |
US: Peacock UK: Sky Sports |
Sunday, September 1 | Milwaukee Race 2 |
US: USA Network, Peacock UK: Sky Sports |
Sunday, September 15 | Streets of Nashville |
US: NBC, Peacock UK: Sky Sports |