For years, IndyCar fans have had one major complaint with the series — the extremely long offseason. The series ends in early or mid-September each year. So far, it has done that to avoid competition from NASCAR and football. But not anymore. Thanks to FOX, the scenes could change, and we could see Roger Penske’s $300 million organization directly challenge Jim France and co.’s dominance in American motorsports.

IndyCar targeting NASCAR?

According to recent reports, IndyCar is looking to extend its season into the fall, similar to Formula 1 or NASCAR, if it manages to strike an agreement with the NFL. FOX tends to conclude IndyCar mutually to avoid clashing with the NFL and college football season. NFL and college football are enormously popular in the United States, and IndyCar does not want to risk its viewership. However, FOX’s stake in American open-wheel racing has changed the dynamic altogether.

According to IndyCar President Doug Boles, IndyCar will look to arrange lead-ins to races after college football or NFL games to attract more audience. This is similar to how they attracted a record audience last year with the NHRA, their biggest viewership in recent times.

In a recent interview with the Sports Business Journal, Boles said, “Had a really good event last year where they worked with FOX and had a football game that was a lead-in, and I think we’re open to that if it’s the right event. We can have that kind of lead-in, but I still don’t think as a series we want to go too far into the fall.”

Following this, Boles pin-pointed on what IndyCar will look to target in case of the extension. For Boles and IndyCar, September to November seems too far-fetched, as it includes eight race weeks.

“You’re not going to see us going into the season like you see Formula 1 or NASCAR. But if it’s the right event, I could see where we push a week or two or even three beyond where we are right now, but not much beyond that.”

FOX, the group that recently bought a stake in Roger Penske’s IndyCar, broadcasts both IndyCar and the NFL. To avoid the clash, IndyCar usually concludes before the NFL, which starts in the second week of September and runs until late January.

While there is a competitive line between IndyCar and NASCAR, Roger Penske’s team made sure they succeeded on both fronts.

Roger Penske’s team claimed double success at Phoenix

In the recently concluded doubleheader at Phoenix, Roger Penske’s Team Penske shone brightest, as it claimed the IndyCar and the NASCAR wins. Josef Newgarden led the Penske battalion and threw the challenge to Penske’s NASCAR drivers, Ryan Blaney, Joey Logano, and Austin Cindric.

In the end, it was Blaney who emerged victorious, and in doing so, he stopped Tyler Reddick from claiming four consecutive wins. Reacting to the doubleheader wins, Team Penske NASCAR operations president Michael Nelson said:

“As most people know, Roger Penske does this to win races. That’s what he loves to do. To give him something he hasn’t achieved before, to give him race wins twice in one weekend [with] two different series, means the world to all of us. It was exciting to pull that off—very proud of our people, to have both poles and both race wins.”

Thanks to the victory, Blaney moved to second place with 165 points in the Drivers’ Standings after four races. He is leading Bubba Wallace of 23XI Racing. Wallace’s teammate, Reddick, is leading the championship with 225 points, 60 points ahead of second-placed Blaney.