IndyCar reveals 2025 schedule; The thermal club becomes a round dot

Following the new direction set by IMSA, which announced its 2025 racing calendar in March, the NTT IndyCar Series has revealed next year’s schedule in the earliest time in memory. Featuring 17 races with no additions or deletions to the 2024 field, it includes the return of The Thermal Club, but as a standard points-paying event.

The shortened 182-day championship cuts one week off the current calendar, which begins one week earlier on March 2 at St. Petersburg and ends two weeks earlier on Saturday, Aug. 31 at Nashville Speedway.

The earlier-than-usual finish came as a result of its new television partnership with FOX, which is broadcasting the 17th and final IndyCar race at Nashville and moving live into its coverage of the NFL season the following weekend.

Where the 2024 IndyCar schedule has been punishing for IndyCar teams, with the series forced to pack its calendar either side of a three-week television break while NBC broadcasts the Olympics, the move to FOX gave IndyCar the opportunity to restore a more friendly balance to its championship.

The March-June race features larger distances — perhaps too much before the Barber Motorsports Park race on May 4 — and sees some changes with World Wide Technology Raceway moving forward to June 15 and Road America returning to a third week after the Indy stand on June 22.

Road America’s move has pushed WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca into third place on the different calendar in three years as it returns to July 27. IndyCar has canceled the second Milwaukee race on this year’s schedule to make room for the heat club to host its first professional stock car race, and with the count, the 17 races are split into four street events, seven road courses, and six ovals, with Iowa Speedway hosting For the only doubleheader of the year.

As in 2024 after the Texas Motor Speedway loss, the first oval round of the 2024 season will be held at the Indianapolis 500.

Click here for the full schedule.