A back-to-school feel at Sebring for IndyCar

On the track that hosts a 12-hour race every year, a majority of the peloton IndyCar 2026 is expected to be a timely preparation for the first race of the season in St. Petersburg, Florida, on March 1st. With its particularly rough and bumpy track, Sebring is indeed the best American circuit for closely simulating the demands of street circuits, including St. Petersburg. Two days of testing will take place this Monday and Tuesday; these are private days, but they should see a good portion of the field on track.

Up to 24 drivers are expected over the two days, meaning the 2026 season grid is now complete except for the second Dale Coyne Racing driver (who will team up with rookie Dennis Hauger). The two Prema drivers, Callum Ilott and Robert Shwartzman, are not expected to attend, however, as the team's future remains uncertain following the financial difficulties of its parent company, DC Racing Solutions, and the departure of the Rosin family, who founded the team over forty years ago.

Each car entered will be able to run one of the two days, with half of the entries running Monday morning and Tuesday afternoon, and the other half Monday afternoon and Tuesday morning. This is an initial, unofficial dress rehearsal before the IndyCar preseason tests at the Phoenix oval on February 17th and 18th. The Arizona circuit returns to the calendar after its last appearance in 2018, and with IndyCar having since adopted the Aeroscreen and hybrid engines, it is important to organize a test session with a full field to refine the aerodynamic and tire package for the race on March 7th, which will serve as the support race for the main event. NASCAR.

With IndyCar testing limited over the season, it will be important to make the best use of the three days of testing before a first month of competition that looks particularly busy, with four races in five weeks in March.

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