Excitement has been building for America's top open-wheel series since FOX Sports and IndyCar announced a new media rights deal in June, with early promises already being served through promotions during NFL broadcasts. Awareness hit a new level during the “FOX NFL Sunday” pregame show that announced Michael Strahan as the honorary pace car driver for the 109th Running of the Indianapolis 500 in 2025, which came in a presentation showing off the Borg-Warner Trophy and a fresh livery on Will Power’s No. 12 Team Penske Chevrolet.
The spotlight is truly shining on the IndyCar Series, which in 2025 will have all 17 races broadcast on FOX. Indy NXT, the developmental category for North America’s premier open-wheel championship, is likely to reap similar benefits as its also primed for 12 of 14 races to air on FOX Sports 1 (FS1) and the other two on FOX Sports 2 (FS2). Practice and qualifying sessions for Indy NXT will also air on a combination of FS1 and FS2, with all IndyCar programming also streaming live on the FOX Sports app.
“The story of the importance of FS1 and FS2 has been largely missed for good reason, and that is the conversations largely around FOX and the incredible network coverage and promotion of IndyCar itself,” Mark Miles, the president and CEO of Penske Entertainment, which owns the IndyCar Series and Indy NXT, told Motorsport.com. “So, it's entirely appropriate that people begin to think about the additional value that FOX Sports is bringing to us in the form of FS1 and FS2.”
The 2024 season in Indy NXT averaged the most starters (19.5) since 2009, a number that could hit a record 24 full-time starters next season.
“Indy NXT has been steadily growing as quality racing,” Miles said. “The racing is really good and compelling for young drivers who are at that stage in their development. And because it's operated now by IndyCar, it's better preparation for somebody who may make it into IndyCar than it might have been previously in terms of the paddock experience, Race Control, so many things that are more closely akin to IndyCar than other steps in the ladder series. That's all been solid and positive and helpful.
“Now, this coverage is a great foundation for the continued success of Indy NXT. I am not somebody, however, that wants to gauge the success of Indy NXT by how many cars are on the track. We understand that it has continued to grow and we'll see exactly where we end up for 2025. But for me, if we had 20 great cars or 22 as opposed to 24 or 25, I think in some ways there might be advantages to most of those who participate if it were sized in a way that enhances their experience.”
Indy NXT has long been a proving ground for the stars of tomorrow. And now, courtesy of the FOX Sports deal, the series has the ability to become a platform for prospective partners to receive a proper return on investment while getting an introduction to open-wheel racing.
“It's just a better proximity to IndyCar for Indy NXT's ecosystem,” Miles said. “And then increasingly because a lot of the money comes from friends and family, but some of it comes from sponsors for Indy NXT teams, and so the TV exposure's got to be huge.”
And the synergy that has been built up since Penske Entertainment officially acquired the IndyCar Series, Indy NXT and Indianapolis Motor Speedway in January 2020 continues to grow.
For the longest time, only Andretti Global and Juncos Hollinger Racing were the established IndyCar teams involved in Indy NXT. Andretti and JHR have continued their respective presence under Penske’s reign, while IndyCar has also been reached by Indy NXT regulars — Abel Motorsports at the 2023 Indianapolis 500 and HMD Motorsports in a co-partnered entry with Dale Coyne Racing in 2022-23. For next season, Chip Ganassi Racing, the organization that has captured four of the last five IndyCar titles, is set to return to the developmental ranks for the first time in nearly two decades with two entries of its own.
“I think for IndyCar and Indy NXT, we're on the cusp of very significant growth,” Miles said. “We'll measure growth for different series and against different metrics, but ultimately we want really strong teams at both levels that can prosper and race from year to year to year. So, that's happening.
“And exposure is a big part of that in this country. The quality of the experience for those in Indy NXT is really important. Look, Indy NXT is going to be, with IndyCar, the next big thing in motorsports. I'm really looking forward to this next year.”
