Threat of high winds forces IndyCar to move up Arlington race start time
The race will start a full hour earlier due to the threat of high winds
Josef Newgarden, Team Penske
Photo by: Perry Nelson / Lumen via Getty Images
The inaugural running of IndyCar's Grand Prix of Arlington will start a full hour than expected. The race was meant to start just after 1pm EST, but will now start just after 12pm EST with the FOX pre-race show beginning at 11:30am EST.
The change also means that the Sunday morning Indy NXT race will move up an hour to 10:30am EST, as will the morning warmup for IndyCar, now scheduled for 9:30am EST.
The reason? It's a matter of safety, as there is an upcoming High Wind Advisory for Arlington and the rest of central Texas, with gusts expected to reach upwards of 50mph in the afternoon, with sustained winds around 25-35mph. The High Wind Advisory is in effect from 7am Sunday to 1am Monday, local time.
Arlington is the third race of the 2026 IndyCar season and a brand-new street course, which has been well-received by series drivers.
Marcus Ericsson, making his 117th career start this weekend, earned his first career pole, besting Alex Palou and Pato O'Ward.
Photos from Arlington - Practice & Qualifying
Arlington, Saturday - in photos
Arlington, Saturday - in photos
Arlington, Saturday - in photos
Arlington, Saturday - in photos
Arlington, Saturday - in photos
Arlington, Saturday - in photos
Arlington, Saturday - in photos
Arlington, Saturday - in photos
Arlington, Saturday - in photos
Arlington, Saturday - in photos
Arlington, Saturday - in photos
Arlington, Saturday - in photos
Arlington, Saturday - in photos
Arlington, Saturday - in photos
Arlington, Saturday - in photos
Arlington, Saturday - in photos
Arlington, Saturday - in photos
Arlington, Saturday - in photos
Arlington, Saturday - in photos
Arlington, Saturday - in photos
Arlington, Saturday - in photos
Arlington, Saturday - in photos
Arlington, Saturday - in photos
Arlington, Saturday - in photos
Arlington, Saturday - in photos
Arlington, Saturday - in photos
Arlington, Saturday - in photos
Arlington, Saturday - in photos
Arlington, Saturday - in photos
Arlington, Saturday - in photos
Arlington, Saturday - in photos
Arlington, Saturday - in photos
Arlington, Saturday - in photos
Arlington, Saturday - in photos
Arlington, Saturday - in photos
Arlington, Saturday - in photos
Arlington, Saturday - in photos
Arlington, Saturday - in photos
Arlington, Saturday - in photos
Arlington, Saturday - in photos
Arlington, Saturday - in photos
Arlington, Saturday - in photos
Arlington, Saturday - in photos
Arlington, Saturday - in photos
Arlington, Saturday - in photos
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