IndyCar is undergoing a lot of changes to its calendar with a street race in Arlington, Texas arriving in 2026 as the championship returns to the Lone Star State.
The series also welcomed a non-championship event at The Thermal Club this year as drivers battled in the $1 Million Challenge. The Thermal Club will even stage a points-paying race in 2025.
An oval also came back to the schedule in the Milwaukee Mile, while the Texas Motor Speedway suffered with low crowd numbers and dropped off the IndyCar calendar.
Crowd numbers are fluctuating for many of the races on the schedule, with the Indy 500 in a different league being very well-attended whereas some races don’t get full crowds.
Marshall Pruett has now explained on The Marshall Pruett Podcast that Portland and Laguna Seca, in particular, could be under threat of falling off the IndyCar calendar next.
Portland and Laguna Seca may be under threat of losing their IndyCar races due to lacklustre crowd numbers
Portland and Laguna Seca are two IndyCar events in particular that have been struggling with crowd numbers despite producing entertaining racing.
The former was a key part of the championship battle, as Scott Dixon retired on the opening lap while he still had a slim chance of winning the title.
But despite IndyCar racing at Laguna Seca with a title fight and other key storylines to follow such as the battle for the Leaders’ Circle, crowd numbers were lower than other races.
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Both Laguna Seca and Portland have only returned to the IndyCar calendar in recent years. The Grand Prix of Portland was revived at the Portland International Raceway in 2018, while the Grand Prix of Monterey at Laguna Seca came back a year later.
So, Pruett has explained that he feels there is a lack of confidence over Portland’s position on the IndyCar calendar, while Laguna Seca could also be under threat despite its improving attendances.
He said: “Laguna Seca, there’s one to think about. Love one of my two home tracks, but certainly, growth has been seen there.
“Crowd-size ticket sales have improved, but still a far cry from being a big, impressive showing. That’s the first one running through the existing calendar that jumps out, where I go, If I had to look at which ones might get the axe, Laguna Seca would be pretty close to the top of the list.
“After Laguna, Portland’s the other one that I look at and say, ain’t what it once was in terms of crowd. Love it. Been telling you all forever, love that place. We’ll go back anytime I can. Can’t feel totally confident, though. Just looking at the crowd size this year, certainly looked down from last year, which looked down, so concerns there.”
Some of the newer events in IndyCar have received a mixed reaction
IndyCar has seen a lot of newer events in recent years, such as the Streets of Detroit track which replaced Belle Isle.
The championship has introduced some other new races, as well, including IndyCar adding a street circuit in Dallas for 2026, which frustrated James Hinchcliffe and received a mixed response from fans.
Outside of the championship events, the $1 Million Challenge at The Thermal Club also had some aspects which could be improved before IndyCar returns with a points-paying race in 2025 as tyre degradation dominated the race.