MONTEREY, Calif. – The 2022 NTT IndyCar Series will feature its customary 17-race schedule, but with a few twists.
Iowa Speedway returns to the schedule and will be host a doubleheader on July 23-24. Hy-Vee will be a major partner and sponsor of the doubleheader weekend on the .8750-mile short oval.
The Chevrolet Detroit Grand Prix will be a single-race weekend after being a doubleheader since 2013. The race was not held in 2020 because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Honda Indy Toronto also returns to the schedule after a two-year absence because of COVID-19.
The season also gets an earlier start at the end of February with the Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg set for Feb. 27. It is the first February start for the IndyCar Series since 2004 and the earliest the season has started since the opener on the Streets of St. Petersburg on Feb. 23, 2003
Texas Motor Speedway’s annual event will be held on March 20 and will return to a single-race weekend format.
In the United States, a record 14 events will air on the NBC broadcast network, including the first six. The 14 events on NBC is one more than previously announced in July. It is the most single-season appearances on network television in IndyCar Series history. Two additional races will appear on USA Network while Peacock Premium, NBCUniversal’s streaming service, will provide live coverage of all 17 races in addition to practices and qualifying.
“This schedule continues to build on the growth and momentum the NTT IndyCar Series has achieved, especially in 2021,” Penske Entertainment Corp. President and CEO Mark Miles said. “Our terrific partnership with NBC Sports has led to a fantastic opportunity to place an unparalleled 14 events on broadcast television while completing the rest of the schedule with USA Network and Peacock.
“Our drivers and teams will give the fans a strong, earlier start with six consecutive races on NBC, building even more anticipation for the crown jewel of the Indianapolis 500 in May. Our summer schedule also is full of action, with no extended breaks in the calendar, leading into the crowning of a champion on the West Coast with our last tworaces also on NBC.”
The 2022 calendar is benchmarked by the 106th Indianapolis 500 presented by Gainbridge on Sunday, May 29. This year’s Indianapolis 500 on NBC was the most-watched edition of the race since the 100th running in 2016.
“We’re incredibly excited about our 2022 NTT IndyCar Series schedule, highlighted by the 106th Running of the Indianapolis 500 and a record 14 IndyCar races on the NBC broadcast network that will bring added exposure to the series,” said Mike Perman, VP, Programming, NBC Sports. “With more races than ever on NBC, plus comprehensive live coverage of every minute of the 2022 season on Peacock with practices, qualifying and race simulstreams, we look forward to continuing to grow the sport and super-serve IndyCar fans across the country.”
After opening the season with events in St. Petersburg, Fla., on Feb. 27 and at Texas Motor Speedway in Fort Worth, Texas, on March 20, the series will head to California for the Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach. Long Beach returns to its traditional spring date on Sunday, April 10, appearing on network television for the first time in 15 years. It is the 38th year the IndyCar Series has raced on the iconic streets of Southern California as the event celebrates its 47th edition.
Barber Motorsports Park hosts its 12th Honda Indy Grand Prix of Alabama, Sunday, May 1. Then, the series moves into the traditional Month of May at Indianapolis Motor Speedway with a series of events featured on NBC: the GMR Grand Prix on Saturday, May 14; Crown Royal Armed Forces Qualifying weekend, Saturday and Sunday, May 21-22; before the 106th Indianapolis 500 on Sunday, May 29.
The Raceway at Belle Isle Park returns with its traditional post-500 date on Sunday, June 5, followed by the series’ 33rd visit to Road America on Sunday June 12 and another Fourth of July holiday celebration on Sunday, July 3 at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course.
The 2022 NTT IndyCar Series championship will finish with a flurry of eight races in the final nine weeks of theseason, with six events on NBC.
This jam-packed second half of the season starts with the return to the Streets of Toronto on Sunday, July 17. The season continues at Iowa Speedway on July 23-24.
“Iowa Speedway has traditionally produced some of most intense racing the NTT IndyCar Series has to offer,” IndyCar President Jay Frye said. “It is great to see that this short oval, where we’ve seen up to 955 on-track passesin a single race, is back on the schedule. Combined with the rest of the calendar and a growing paddock, which has produced as many as 28 entries at non-Indy 500 events this year, the 2022 season will be as compelling and competitive as ever.”
Another historic NASCAR-IndyCar Brickyard weekend at Indianapolis Motor Speedway will see the NTT IndyCar Series featured Saturday, July 30 followed by another wildly popular visit to the Streets of Nashville on Sunday, Aug. 7. The series’ final oval of 2022 will come Saturday, Aug. 20 at World Wide Technology Raceway before back-to-back races on the classic American road courses of Portland Int’l Raceway and WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca to finish the season.
The 28th Grand Prix of Portland is scheduled for Sunday, Sept. 4 while the 25th Firestone Grand Prix of Monterey returns to crown the NTT IndyCar Series champion on Sunday, Sept. 11.
“This is an excellent schedule for the 2022 NTT IndyCar Series championship,” Miles said. “This calendar provides a level of balance between temporary street circuits, road courses and ovals, and that variety and required versatility from our drivers are important, distinguishing attributes of NTT IndyCar Series racing.
“The continuity among our events and the growth in the number of teams showcase our strong positioning andcontinued momentum.”
Start times for 2022 events will be announced at a later date.
2022 NTT IndyCar Series Schedule
Feb. 27 – Streets of St. Petersburg, NBC
March 20 – Texas Motor Speedway, NBC
April 10 – Streets of Long Beach, NBC
May 1 – Barber Motorsports Park, NBC
May 14 – Indianapolis Motor Speedway Road Course, NBC
May 29 – The 106th Indianapolis 500, NBC
June 5 – The Raceway at Belle Isle Park, USA Network
June 12 – Road America, NBC
July 3 – Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course, NBC
July 17 – Streets of Toronto, Peacock
July 23 – Iowa Race 1, NBC
July 24 – Iowa Race 2, NBC
July 30 – Indianapolis Motor Speedway Road Course, NBC
Aug. 7 – Streets of Nashville, NBC
Aug. 20 – World Wide Technology Raceway, USA Network
Sept. 4 – Portland International Raceway, NBC
Sept. 11 – WeatherTech Raceway at Laguna Seca, NBC