Before we are able to fully digest the season-opener at St. Petersburg, the NTT IndyCar Series heads to Phoenix for a double-header weekend with NASCAR at the 1.0-mile reconfigured oval at Phoenix Raceway for the Good Ranchers 250. Somewhere along the way, they changed the name from Phoenix International Raceway. By reconfigured, I mean that everything at the facility has changed since IndyCar last raced there in 2018. Stands along what used to be the main straightaway have been torn down, while massive stands have been added to what used to be the Turns 1-2 complex. The starting line has been moved over to the dogleg side of the track, so even the turn names are different.
Phoenix Preview
Posted in IndyCar on March 6, 2026 by OilpressureRandom Thoughts on St. Petersburg
Posted in IndyCar on March 2, 2026 by Oilpressure
There are many clichés appropriate to use for Sunday’s season-opening Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg. Some might say “the more thing change, the more things stay the same”. I’ll opt for the more musical “meet the new boss, same as the old boss”. There was never much of a question in 2025 that Alex Palou was the boss of the field. The was 2026 has started, not much has changed.
St. Petersburg Preview
Posted in IndyCar on February 27, 2026 by Oilpressure
And just like that, the offseason is over. Although fans love to complain about the length of the IndyCar offseason, the past six months have seemed to fly by. Of course, I’m old and when you get up to be my age – time just gallops on by.
The Loss of a True Southern Gentleman
Posted in IndyCar on February 18, 2026 by Oilpressure
The motorsports world lost a visionary on Monday, and the world lost a true gentleman. George Barber, founder of Barber Motorsports Park and The Barber Vintage Motorsports Museum, passed away Monday at the age of 85.
A Huge Day for IndyCar
Posted in IndyCar on February 16, 2026 by Oilpressure
Last week was about as big as it gets for the NTT IndyCar Series, so much so that it made a significant impact on the future of this sport. Honda and Chevy both signed long-term agreements to continue supplying engines to the series. This includes 2026, which is the final year of the current agreement; a bridge year of 2027, which will continue the same chassis and 2.2-liter engine package – and then 2028 and beyond, where the new chassis and new 2.4-liter engine hit the track in competition.
Back in the Saddle Again
Posted in IndyCar on February 9, 2026 by Oilpressure
When the news of the Freedom 250 hit last Friday, Jan 30 – it was big. So big that it moved Content Days and everything else IndyCar-related to the back-burner. Strategically squeezed in between the end of Content Days and the Presidential announcement of the Freedom 250, was a bit of news that was big in its own right. It was just conveniently lost in the shuffle. The news that came on Thursday Jan 29 was the return of Tim Cindric.
Who Does Boycotting Really Hurt?
Posted in IndyCar on February 2, 2026 by Oilpressure
This past Friday, we got confirmation that rumors that had been swirling all week had become fact. President Trump signed an Executive Order for an IndyCar race, the Freedom 250, a street race to be run around the Nation’s Capital this coming August. This will be run in conjunction with America250 – the year-long celebration of the 250th anniversary of the birth of the United States.
Oilpressure 