New IndyCar race in Denver could involve NFL crossover with the Broncos, reveals insider 

IndyCar is actively eyeing an expansion of its calendar to incorporate new racing locations. As per insider Marshall Pruett, a new race in Denver, Colorado, could feature a crossover with the NFL team, the Denver Broncos.

The premier American open-wheel series was long rumoured to add a race in Denver to its calendar. The series, under its older form, Champ Car, raced in Denver sporadically for seven visits before its last race there in 2006. Earlier this year, Mark Miles, CEO of Penske Entertainment, which owns IndyCar, revealed that the series was making progress with a return to Denver along with a potential return to Mexico.

As per reports, the race in Mexico City seems locked in for 2026, replacing the Thermal Club GP, which has already exited the calendar. On the Denver front, reporter Marshall Pruett has revealed that race in Colorado could join the calendar not before 2027, and that it would feature the Denver Broncos' NFL stadium in the circuit.

"When I asked about Denver last month, I was told no sooner than 2027, and it’s still in its formative stages. A track that runs around the Denver Broncos’ NFL stadium is possible," Pruett wrote in the RACER Mailbag.

The race would deepen IndyCar and the NFL's ties. In October 2024, Penske Entertainment partnered with the NFL's Dallas Cowboys and REV Entertainment, the events partner of the MLB's Texas Rangers, for the Arlington GP, which joins the calendar in 2026.

The Denver circuit would resemble the 2.73-mile street circuit in Arlington, Texas, on one facet, which features an NFL stadium. A race in Denver could also open the door for the IndyCar and F1 worlds to collide, as Lewis Hamilton owns a stake in the Broncos.

What Mark Miles said about IndyCar's partnership with the NFL and the series' future markets

NTT IndyCar Series XPEL Grand Prix at Road America - Source: Getty

Penske Entertainment CEO Mark Miles spoke about the series' plans to grow before the 2025 season. After making the information public about the potential return to Denver and Mexico, he emphasised how it will all come together only by collaborating with strong partners.

Giving the example of the Arlington GP, Miles said (via Motorsport):

"We've said we look forward to opportunities to partner with really strong partners like the Cowboys and the Rangers. We've said we want to be in some more hot, new urban markets. So, you lay all that out, it allows us to be quite intentional about where we look, and I think articulating it has caused some to call us. So, I hope that the progress will continue to accelerate."

In November last year, McLaren Racing CEO Zak Brown had urged IndyCar to return to locations like Denver and Watkins Glen before thinking of adding international races to the calendar. The series seems to have taken the first step toward his vision being fulfilled.