Surprise, Surprise: Biggest Stunners of 2026 NTT INDYCAR SERIES Season
The 2026 NTT INDYCAR SERIES season saw significant growth, highlighted by record-breaking television viewership and the successful introduction of new street races in Washington, D.C., Arlington, and Markham. While Alex Palou continued his dominance, the expansion into major urban markets marked a transformative year for the sport.
Why it matters
The series' successful expansion into high-profile urban street circuits demonstrates a growing commercial viability and popularity for IndyCar racing in North America.
Sports seasons regularly produce surprises, which is part of what makes them endearing. The NTT INDYCAR SERIES certainly had its share of surprises in 2026.
Of course, Chip Ganassi Racing's Alex Palou winning a fourth consecutive season championship and fifth in six years wasn't one of them. And a second consecutive sellout of the Indianapolis 500 presented by Gainbridge, which occurred in May, was largely expected given the momentum the event and the sport have built in recent years.
It also wasn't much of a surprise that television viewership of races took another large gain - a 23 percent year-over-year increase - given the investment and commitment FOX has made in the sport. But there were plenty of things that caught people off guard this year. A look at them somewhat sequentially.
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