6-time IndyCar champion gives clear verdict on momentous NASCAR crossover at Phoenix in 2026

Six-time IndyCar champion Scott Dixon is eagerly looking forward to the series' return to the Phoenix Raceway in 2026, in what will be a crossover event with the NASCAR Cup Series. The premier American open-wheel racing series last raced in Phoenix in 2018, and its next chapter will begin on March 7 next year.

On Friday, November 8, Dixon took part in a Firestone tire test at the 1-mile Phoenix Raceway alongside Ed Carpenter Racing's Alexander Rossi. The Chip Ganassi Racing driver shared he was flooded with memories from when IndyCar raced in Phoenix before its 7-year hiatus.

Scott Dixon also spoke about the crossover with NASCAR next year, which he felt would be a spectacle for racing fans and also help both racing series expand their fanbase.

"I think the coolest thing for us is when we do come back here to race, it is with Cup (NASCAR Cup Series)," Dixon said via IndyCar on YouTube. "It's gonna be a fantastic weekend, a great partnership, I think, between NASCAR and IndyCar." "Honestly, it's just fantastic for the fans. For us as race car drivers or teams, I think, we love racing and doing our day job, no matter where we are. I think picking the right circumstances, the right series, this combo, is big for us attracting NASCAR fans and vice versa. So there are really no downsides," the 45-year-old added.

IndyCar's last continuous stint at Phoenix Raceway was between 2016 and 2018 after it returned from an 11-year hiatus. Scott Dixon was the first winner of the race upon its return in 2016, while Team Penske's Josef Newgarden was the last winner in 2018.

Scott Dixon claims Phoenix Raceway has "flipped on its head" since IndyCar raced there in the early 2000s

The No. 9 Chip Ganassi Racing Honda of Scott Dixon at the Phoenix Grand Prix - Source: Getty

Scott Dixon was very pleased with the tire test organized by IndyCar and Firestone at the Phoenix Raceway. Phoenix seemed like the perfect track to test on, considering it hasn't been on the schedule for seven years, and also because it will be the first oval race of the 2026 season. For the last two seasons, the Indianapolis 500 was the first oval race of the season, with the other ovals packed in the second half of the season.

Dixon noticed several major changes to the circuit compared to when the series raced there in the early 2000s.

"Pit exit has changed a little bit," Dixon said. "I think the kink (on the oval) and how they’ve moved the back wall, the grandstand is not where it used to be, the start-finish is on the other side. I guess everything has changed. As far as the old track when I first came in the early 2000s, it’s kind of flipped on its head."

Alexander Rossi felt 'honored' to be one of the drivers testing new tire compounds for Firestone in Phoenix. When IndyCar returns to Phoenix in 2026, it will do so with much heavier cars with hybrid power units and the retrofitted aeroscreen, both of which weren't in use in 2018.

Edited by Yash Kotak