For the very first time, the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series will witness a street race that will take place on the Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg, home to Roger Penske’s IndyCar series. The Indianapolis Speedway is one such example in the past where NASCAR and IndyCar series have seen a crossover, though on different layouts. However, what’s rare is for two top racing series to share the same race weekend at the very same track, which will be witnessed by NASCAR and IndyCar fans alike at the end of February in 2026.

The Truck race will run on Saturday, 28th February. The very next day, the IndyCar race begins with its season opener on Sunday, 1st March. This collaboration marks a bold step in strengthening ties between NASCAR and Roger Penske’s IndyCar series, and could pave the way for more joint weekends in the future, giving fans a chance to experience the best of American motorsport together. NASCAR’s Executive Vice President Ben Kennedy praised the move and made some more positive promises about such iconic crossovers.

Kennedy has good reasons for such crossovers

In light of this, Ben Kennedy told NBC Sports, “Yeah, potentially. We’re going to collaborate with them on the St. Pete race next year, and the good news is we have such a good relationship with Doug (Boles), with Bud (Denker), with Roger Penske), the entire team over at IndyCar, and there are a lot of synergies as well, with them having Fox as a broadcast partner, we have Fox for the first part of our season. There are a lot of natural opportunities for us to work closer together, in particular on some of those races in the season.” Kennedy’s words highlight how this partnership isn’t just a one-off event but a sign of a deeper alignment between NASCAR and IndyCar. With Roger Penske’s group running IndyCar and Fox serving as a shared broadcast partner, the two series are naturally positioned to work together.

Kennedy also elaborated on how St. Petersburg is kind of acting as a testing ground for both NASCAR and IndyCar series to see how it’s suiting. He explained, “I think St. Pete next year will be a good kind of case study for us. We’ve had examples of it, of racing at Indianapolis in the past, and even though we didn’t have as big of a presence there, IndyCar going to Iowa for a number of years, they came and raced at Richmond for a handful of years as well.” While the crossover at IMS showcased both series at the same venue, it never created the kind of joint spotlight or shared weekend that St. Petersburg now promises.

On being asked the main question about the probability of more potential crossovers like these, Kennedy said, “Really important for us to continue to have the relationship. I wouldn’t be surprised if there were more opportunities for us to work closer together with them.” If the February crossover is a hit, this could further boost these crossover chances by encouraging both series to explore additional joint events, solidify broadcast partnerships, and create a stronger shared platform for fans of American motorsport.

Roger Penske has recently been eyeing a top talent in NASCAR

Aside from being an IndyCar series owner, Roger Penske’s Team Penske has been hugely successful. Aside from its top names like Austin Cindric, Ryan Blaney, and Joey Logano, other top talents like Kurt Busch, Michael McDowell, Justin Allgaier, and Rusty Wallace raced for the team. However, Roger Penske is always on the lookout for more talent, even if he no longer has an Xfinity team.

One driver on his radar is JR Motorsports rookie Carson Kvapil, who sits sixth in the standings. This will hardly be the first time Penske has raided JRM, because that is how they acquired the services of Keselowski in 2009.

According to Frontstretch back in July, “I heard months ago (in late March, to be exact) from a source in the garage, who is usually on the money with Silly Season moves, that Kvapil was already under contract with Penske.” What also lends credence to this is that Logano was an ex-Joe Gibbs prospect. Rumors swirl that Roger Penske has secured an agreement with Carson Kvapil. Penske may eye the 22-year-old as a Cup prospect despite Ford’s weak Xfinity presence. Rather than reviving their own program, they could farm him out via alliances, though it risks shaking up JRM’s Chevy pipeline.