IndyCar on FOX primer: 25 key questions answered for the 2025 season

Josef Newgarden is a popular driver because he has won back-to-back Indianapolis 500s. And people might wonder where he’s from after seeing his name. 

Here’s your answer: He’s from the United States. Hendersonville, Tenn., to be exact. And currently, he lives in Nashville.

Newgarden not only has two Indy 500 trophies, but he also has been roasted by Tom Brady in a commercial.

You might have seen some of those flashy ads during FOX’s NFL coverage or on social media platforms. There’s even one with Alex Palou kissing bricks, which might make you wonder how many Indy 500s he’s won.

Here’s your answer: None. The three-time IndyCar champion has never won the Indy 500. He has never won on any oval track.

Have you learned something yet? 

While those facts are common knowledge to the avid IndyCar fan, more casual sports fans might not have known these nuggets. But with IndyCar coming to FOX for its entire 2025 season, we know some people will be taking a closer look at the sport than they have in the past.

So here’s an answer to 25 questions about the 2025 IndyCar season. If you’re new here, hopefully this is informative. If you’re an avid fan, hopefully this gets you jonesing for the season to start.

When Does The Season Start?

Glad you asked. The season opens March 2 with the St. Petersburg Grand Prix. St. Pete has opened the IndyCar season for 13 of the last 16 years. Two of those were 2020 and 2021, when season schedules were impacted by COVID.

How Many Races?

The IndyCar season is 17 races at 16 venues, with one double-header weekend at Iowa.

When Does The Season Finish?

Labor Day weekend closes out the 2025 IndyCar season, with an Aug. 31 race at Nashville Superspeedway.

When Is The Indianapolis 500?

The Indianapolis 500 is the sixth race of the season. Qualifying is May 17-18. The race is May 25.

Is Anyone Doing The Double?

Yes. Kyle Larson will once again attempt 1,100 miles in one day as he drives for Arrow McLaren in the Indianapolis 500 and then fly to Charlotte for his full-time job in a Hendrick Motorsports NASCAR Cup Series car. Unlike last year when Larson didn’t make it to Charlotte for the start of the race after weather delayed the Indy 500 start, Larson will have to get back for the start of the 600. If he doesn’t, he would lose all his regular-season playoff points, which would be devastating to his NASCAR championship hopes. Note: This isn’t the place to describe how the NASCAR playoffs work, as that is its own 25-question post.

Are There Any Big Changes To The Schedule?

Nope. The only major change for 2025 is that the race at the Thermal Club will be a points event instead of an exhibition race. The Thermal Club, by the way, is a private club. It’s similar to a golf club, except it’s for those who want to live at a racetrack and joyride with their sports cars.

The 2026 schedule will have at least one new event, as IndyCar has already announced a race in Arlington, Texas, at the sports complex that includes the home of the Dallas Cowboys and the Texas Rangers.

What Is The Breakdown Of Types Of Tracks?

The IndyCar Series competes on permanent road courses, street courses and paved ovals. Here’s a breakdown:

Road Courses: Barber (Alabama), Indianapolis, Laguna Seca (Northern California), Mid-Ohio, Portland, Road America (Wisconsin) and Thermal (Southern California).

Street Courses: Detroit, Long Beach, St. Petersburg and Toronto.

Ovals: Gateway (St. Louis area), Indianapolis, Iowa (doubleheader), Milwaukee and Nashville.

Are There Any New Teams This Year?

Yes. Prema Racing has entered the fray with a two-car effort. Think of Prema as the JR Motorsports of Europe when it comes to developing drivers. A better comparison might be the Toyota Development Program, which has teams in a variety of series to develop talent. Prema competes in six different series, and among its drivers in its 42-year history have been Jacques Villeneuve and Valtteri Bottas, 

Who Are The Most Accomplished Drivers In The Series?

Scott Dixon has 58 wins and six series titles, while Alex Palou has 11 wins and three titles. Will Power has 44 victories, while Helio Castroneves and Josef Newgarden have 31 apiece. No other active driver has 20 or more wins.

Which Drivers Are New To Their Teams?

How much time do you have? Here’s a list:

— Jacob Abel, second in the Indy NXT Series last year, is a rookie this year at Dale Coyne Racing.

— Marcus Armstrong has moved from Chip Ganassi Racing to Meyer Shank Racing.

— Conor Daly, who finished the season with Juncos Hollinger Racing, is with the team full-time this year. 

— Devlin DeFrancesco, who raced in the series in 2022 and 2023, makes his return to the series with Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing.

— Louis Foster, the defending Indy NXT champion, is at Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing.

— Callum Ilott, who competed in two IndyCar races last year, is one of the drivers for Prema.

— Christian Lundgaard moves from Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing to Arrow McLaren.

— David Malukas, who finished last season with Meyer Shank Racing, is with AJ Foyt Racing.

— Sting Ray Robb, who was at AJ Foyt Racing last year, has moved to Juncos Hollinger Racing.

— Alexander Rossi, who was at Arrow McLaren last year, is now a driver at Ed Carpenter Racing.

— Robert Shwartzman, who competed in Formula 2 last year, is one of the drivers for Prema.

–Rinus VeeKay, who spent his first five seasons with Ed Carpenter Racing, has moved to Dale Coyne Racing.

Which Drivers Have The Best Chance To Earn Their First Win?

Marcus Armstrong and Nolan Siegel have the best chance to earn a first career win. Santino Ferrucci, David Malukas and Christian Rasmussen have potential.

What Are The Biggest Changes To Cars For 2025?

The biggest change is the one implemented last year when the hybrid engine began use for the final nine races. This will be the first time the hybrid is used for the Indianapolis 500.

Are There Any Women In The Series?

There are no full-time female drivers in the series. Last year, Katherine Legge competed in seven events.

Who Are The Most Accomplished Drivers In The Series Of All-Time?

A.J. Foyt has the most wins with 67, followed by Dixon (58), Mario Andretti (52), Power (44), Michael Andretti (42), All Unser (39), Sebastien Bourdais (37), Bobby Unser (35) and Al Unser Jr. (34). 

Power, who has two titles, is the all-time poles leader with 70.

As far as championships, Dixon’s six titles are the best since the series started in 1996 (the year of the split from the now-defunct CART/Champ Car Series, which skews some of the stats as the two series competed for drivers from 1996-2007), followed by Dario Franchitti (four) and Sam Hornish Jr. (three).

Who Are The Main Manufacturers In The Series?

Chevrolet and Honda are the two engine providers in the series. All the cars have a Dallara chassis. The cars run on Firestone tires.

Do The Cars Have Windshields?

Pretty much. There is an aeroscreen, which debuted in 2020 and was revised for 2024. The ballistic windshield keeps debris — or another car that gets airborne — from hitting the driver. While a little bit frustrating for traditionalists, it certainly is safer.

Who Are The Notable Owners?

Former late night talk-show host David Letterman owns a piece of Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing.

Roger Penske — the successful businessman who owns the series, the Indianapolis Motor Speedway and promotional rights to five events — also fields three cars in the series.

Is There A Reason I Would Have Heard Of Drivers Outside Of IndyCar?

Two former full-time drivers, Helio Castroneves and James Hinchcliffe, competed on “Dancing With The Stars.” Castroneves won Season 5 in 2007. Current full-time drivers Conor Daly and Alexander Rossi competed in “The Amazing Race.”

Graham Rahal is married to Courtney Force, who is part of the drag racing family that includes Joh Force as the patriarch.

How Does IndyCar Decide A Champion?

IndyCar awards points throughout the season to determine a champion.

Points are awarded on a scale of 50-40-35-32-30-28-26-24-22-20 for the top 10. Then, 11th gets 19 points, 12th gets 18 points, and so on. Drivers finishing 25th-33rd each earn five points. Drivers earn two points for leading the most laps and one point for leading at least one lap. They earn one point for winning the pole except for the Indy 500, where the top 12 in Indy 500 qualifying earn points on a 12-to-1 scale.

What Is The Championship Trophy?

The Astor Challenge Cup is awarded to the IndyCar Series champion. The Borg-Warner Trophy is awarded to the winner of the Indianapolis 500.

Who Owns The Series?

As mentioned earlier, Roger Penske owns the series through his Penske Entertainment Corp.

What Fictional Movie Best Depicts IndyCar Racing?

Well, not sure. It’s certainly not the 2001 movie “Driven,” starring Sylvester Stallone. Maybe the most intriguing drama to watch is the 2003 “CSI: Miami” episode that takes place at the former Miami Grand Prix that was a Champ Car event. 

Is There A Support Series?

The main support series is Indy NXT, which will be at 12 of the IndyCar venues, with a total of 14 races over its season.

The series has two female drivers in Sophia Floresch and former NASCAR driver Hailie Deegan.

It also has a car co-owned by Pro Football Hall of Famer Adam Vinatieri, driven by Jack William Miller.

Do Any Drivers Have Podcasts?

Alexander Rossi does one with former driver James Hinchclifee called “Off Track with Hinch and Rossi,” while Conor Daly co-hosts the “Speed Street” podcast on the Dale Earnhardt Jr.-owned Dirty Mo Media network.

Who Is Calling The Races For FOX?

Hinchcliffe will be one of the analysts, along with former driver Townsend Bell.

Will Buxton, who fans might be most familiar with from his work on Formula 1 telecasts and the “Drive To Survive” Netflix series, will handle the play-by-play duties.

Full IndyCar on FOX coverage:

Bob Pockrass covers NASCAR for FOX Sports. He has spent decades covering motorsports, including over 30 Daytona 500s, with stints at ESPN, Sporting News, NASCAR Scene magazine and The (Daytona Beach) News-Journal. Follow him on Twitter @bobpockrass.