Two days after the first renderings of the Dallara IR-28 for the IndyCar seasons starting in 2028 were unveiled, the date and drivers for the shakedown have now been confirmed
For years, details were kept under wraps, but now things are moving quickly: After the IndyCar Series released the first images of the future spec car, the Dallara IR-28, on Tuesday of this week, it has now confirmed the location and participants for the new car’s first test runs.
Alex Palou, a four-time and reigning IndyCar champion, and Alexander Rossi, the 2016 Indy 500 winner, will take to the track this weekend (August 1–2, 2026) for two days of testing with the Dallara IR-28 on the infield circuit at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
This initial test is anything but a performance test; rather, it is purely a shakedown to verify the basic functionality of Dallara’s new design. Dallara’s IndyCar division, where the spec cars for the IndyCar Series have been produced for over 20 years, is located in the immediate vicinity of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
Not least for this reason, the Indianapolis street circuit was chosen as the venue for the IR-28’s shakedown. As the test program for the new car progresses, testing will also take place in Sebring, Florida, and at other tracks. The oval at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway is also already firmly scheduled as a location for test drives. However, this first oval test will not take place this weekend.
Rossi will be the first to drive the Dallara IR-28 in its road course configuration at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway on Saturday (August 1). Palou will take over on Sunday (August 2). The drivers were selected so that one of the current regular drivers from the Chevrolet lineup and one from the Honda lineup would be behind the wheel for the shakedown.
Rossi and Palou will drive the same car over the weekend. It will feature one of the 2.4-liter V6 engines set to be used starting in 2028, mounted in the rear—though this will be a base version supplied by Ilmor. The first manufacturer-specific test drives with the IR-28 will begin at a later date as part of the IR-28’s extensive test program.
The Dallara IR-28 is the first new IndyCar chassis since 2012. That was when the Dallara DW12 made its debut, and that car—after several adjustments over the years—including aerodynamics, the aeroscreen, and the hybrid system—is still in use today. The upcoming 2027 IndyCar season will be the last for the DW12, before the IR-28 becomes the new standard car for all IndyCar teams starting with the season opener in 2028.
