IndyCar to require a charter for non-Indy 500 races beginning in 2027

TL;DR

Starting in 2027, IndyCar will only allow chartered teams to enter races outside of the Indianapolis 500. The number of full-time entries will be 25 in 2027, increasing to 27 in 2028 with Honda and Chevrolet receiving charters.

Key points

IndyCar will require charters for non-Indy 500 races starting in 2027
The number of full-time entries will be 25 in 2027 and 27 in 2028
Honda and Chevrolet will receive chartered entries as part of their agreements
The charter system was introduced ahead of the 2025 season
Prema Racing was the only team without chartered entries in 2025

Mentioned in this story

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Prema Racing

Beginning in 2027, IndyCar will no longer accept entries from non-chartered teams in races except the Indianapolis 500, the series confirmed to IndyStar on Saturday. There will be 25 full-time IndyCar entries in 2027 before that number returns to 27 in 2028 with Honda and Chevrolet each receiving a chartered entry as part of their agreement to re-sign as engine manufacturers.

“Beginning with the 2027 IndyCar series season, entry fields at all races outside of the Indianapolis 500 will be limited to chartered teams only," IndyCar said in a statement. "This decision was reached after thoughtful consideration with key stakeholders and, in particular, series suppliers who are making plans for the upcoming season as all parties look to build the series’ health and on-track competition.”

IndyCar began its charter system, which NASCAR introduced in 2016, ahead of the 2025 season. IndyCar made 25 of its 27 full-time entries chartered, making them eligible for the Leaders Circle program, which compensated the 22 highest finishing chartered entries in the standings. Prema Racing, which was in its inaugural IndyCar season in 2025, was the only team not to have its two entries chartered last year.

This year, every full-time entry in the series has been chartered due to Prema Racing being unable to compete while DC Racing Solutions, Prema Racing's parent company, looks to sell the team or secure a significant investor. That has kept the full-time field at its 25 chartered cars.