Four-time IndyCar champion Alex Palou recently came out and reflected on the Phoenix Raceway being added to the IndyCar calendar. The Spaniard agreed to potentially attempting the double as the NASCAR race will take place at the same time as the IndyCar around the oval.
The 2026 IndyCar was recently announced as Thermal Club made an exit for the calendar, and Phoenix Raceway and Arlington GP were added as the two new races at the beginning of the season. The season will begin at St. Petersburg, and the second round will take place at the Phoenix Raceway.
The Phoenix Raceway weekend will be a joint showcase with the American stock car championship, NASCAR. Both series will race at the oval on the same weekend, with the IndyCar race on Saturday and the Cup Series race on Sunday.
As Alex Palou discussed the 2026 calendar on the Speed Street podcast, he detailed how the last time NASCAR and IndyCar ran at the same venue together was in 2020 at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, and how the paddocks were separated rather than being a collaborative event.
Speaking about the 2026 Phoenix collaboration event, Palou suggested that he’d like to drive one of the NASCARs if possible, as he said,
“We’re doing this together. And I would love to see the cars. I want to touch the cars. I want to see the cars like I’m interested. And if they allow me to drive one of them as well, like, let’s do it.
“There you go. Alex Palou double that day. I’m calling for that. I think that’ll be sweet. You know what we also need, Alex? We need you in a NASCAR truck on the St. Petersburg weekend, added Conor Daly
“Yeah, I’m not doing that. You do that,” replied Alex Palou
Alex Palou and Conor Daly nominated Scott McLaughlin to race at the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series at St. Petersburg
The NASCAR Craftsman Truck series will make its debut at St. Pete on the same race weekend as the IndyCar race around the street circuit. Conor Daly and Alex Palou on the Speed Street podcast suggested that they’d like Scott McLaughlin to do the double duty at St. Pete and race in the NASCAR Truck.
“I actually would push somebody from IndyCar to do it and I would be cheering for him, but it’s not going to be me doing it,” said Alex Palou
“I think Scotty Mac could be a good one. I think that would be a cool one to watch for spectators for us. That’s my volunteer. I think we volunteer him to do that,” added Conor Daly
“I volunteer Scott McLaughlin as well,” concluded Palou
McLaughlin races in the V8 Supercars championship before joining IndyCar and would likely do well in NASCAR.
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Edited by Pranay Bhagi