IndyCar lands oval race under the lights as Fox shifts times of 5 races, aims for better ratings

Indianapolis Star

14-05-2025

INDIANAPOLIS — With IndyCar scheduled to face stiff head-to-head competition from NASCAR in many of their remaining 11 race broadcasts following this month's Indianapolis 500, Fox, the series' exclusive broadcast partner, has shifted five races into new broadcast windows in hopes of setting IndyCar up for as much TV ratings success as possible to close out the pair's first year together.
In the process, IndyCar has landed its first modern-day Sunday night primetime race broadcast on network TV, as next month's second oval race of the year at World Wide Technology Raceway moves from a 3 p.m. ET broadcast start to 8 p.m. ET on Father's Day, June 15. With sunset landing just before 90 minutes later for the track just outside St. Louis, it is presumed that roughly half of the 260 laps will be run in dusk or wholly under the lights.
IndyCar's last primetime race to air on network TV came with the rescheduled season opener for 2020 at Texas Motor Speedway, which was held on a Saturday night. For years, drivers have pleaded for night racing opportunities, particularly at WWTR, and have marveled at the racability that opens up for Indy cars on ovals on a cooler track surface. Additionally, the shift should offer far better weather conditions in which fans to attend the race — trading overbearing afternoon heat while sitting on metal bleachers for more pleasant summer evening temperatures — which there's reason to think should lead to a notable increase in ticket sales for track general manager Chris Blair.
'This is a massive primetime showcase under the lights for the stars of the IndyCar series,' IndyCar president Doug Boles said. 'This is also a tremendous display of partnership from both Fox Sports and our friends at World Wide Technology Raceway, who've worked with us to generate this exciting opportunity for our sport.
"Race weekend in St. Louis is just a month away, and fans in venue and around the country are in for a real treat when IndyCar arrives in town.'
Alongside the five-hour shift for the race at WWTR, which in its previous spot would've shared an identical broadcast start time for NASCAR's Mexico City race on Amazon Prime, IndyCar and Fox have shifted four other race broadcast start times earlier for the back half of the 2025 season, eliminating all of IndyCar's identical broadcast start times with NASCAR.
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Among the changes include (all times ET):
IndyCar's only other head-to-head conflicts with NASCAR the rest of the 2025 season include Race 1 at Iowa (NASCAR Xfinity race at Sonoma will be underway), Laguna Seca (NASCAR's Brickyard 400 will be underway) and Portland (NASCAR's Cup race at Watkins Glen will be underway). In its previous slot, IndyCar would've also been running its race June 15 at WWTR up against the end of Formula 1's network race broadcast of the Canadian Grand Prix — an obstacle to solid TV ratings that now no longer exists.