"Roger Penske working to get Toyota back into IndyCar": Insider reveals third manufacturer plans amid Honda's uncertain future 

IndyCar and Team Penske owner Roger Penske has his eyes set on getting Toyota back to the premier American open-wheel series as a third engine manufacturer alongside Honda and Chevrolet. IndyCar insider Marshall Pruett confirmed Penske's stance about the same.

Recently, Toyota announced it would be the foundational partner for IndyCar's inaugural Arlington GP in 2026. The Japanese giant will bring its single-make Toyota GAZOO Racing North America GR Cup Series to the Arlington GP weekend from March 13 to 15 to complement the IndyCar race.

This led fans to speculate whether that was Toyota's first step towards returning to IndyCar as an engine manufacturer. Moreover, Honda has yet to renew its contract with IndyCar for after 2026, and it hasn't given any concrete update on the same.

Marshall Pruett addressed a question about the same on the RACER Mailbag. He wrote about the potential catalysts behind the partnership, explaining how Toyota's HQ is in Texas and that Roger Penske has also been Toyota's largest dealer in the US. Pruett further added:

"We also know, because he told us, that Roger has been working to get Toyota back into IndyCar since he bought the series, and came close a few years ago. In my mind, I don’t see the two as being interconnected, which could just be further evidence of my extreme idiocy."

"But if bringing Toyota back to the series via event sponsorship — and I’ve heard there might be another race where the brand could be involved next year — is the first step to getting an engine supply agreement back on the table, it would be great for all involved," he wrote.

Toyota left IndyCar in 2006 after 12 years of serving as an engine manufacturer. The company's reason for doing so had nothing to do with the happenings in the series per se, but a strategic decision with its participation having "run its course". It was similar to its departure from IMSA after a 12-year participation.

In December 2021, Roger Penske revealed that IndyCar was in "late stages" of negotiations with a third manufacturer to join Honda and Chevy. His statement came at a time when rumors of Toyota's return were swirling. However, two months later, in February 2022, Toyota denied having any IndyCar plans.

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Roger Penske's update on Honda's contract renewal and interests from other manufacturers

Roger Penske at the 107th Indianapolis 500 - Source: Getty

In the lead-up to the 109th Indy 500 on May 25, Roger Penske had spoken about the contract renewals of its engine manufacturers. Honda's future with IndyCar had been under the scanner since it voiced its concerns with the series' rising costs in December 2023.

"We’re doing everything we can to renew the contracts. We're good through 2026, and we want to renew these contracts. We have one or two manufacturers that have also shown interest at this point," Penske said via FOX Sports.

IndyCar moved from combustion engines to hybrid power units in 2024, which was Honda's ask and of great importance to it. Moreover, the Japanese giant has won 10 out of 10 races in 2025, IndyCar's first full season with the hybrid PUs. IndyCar has also retained the low-voltage hybrid system for its new car in 2028.

The Roger Penske-owned series is trying its best to retain Honda, a partner that has also served the entire grid as a sole manufacturer from 2006 to 2011 after Toyota left.