This week, IndyCar officially unveiled its highly anticipated new chassis, the IR-28, with Ed Carpenter Racing's Alexander Rossi taking the first laps at Indianapolis Motor Speedway's 2.439-mile road course layout on Saturday, August 1st, 2026.

Rossi described the experience as smooth as "Christmas morning," praising the preparation and execution of the shakedown. "I’ve been a part of some new car launches before, and I can’t say that any have gone as smooth as this one has," he said, per IndyCar.com. Despite weather limiting full testing, Rossi noted, "It's hard to do a full comparison because of the conditions we were dealing with, but everything you could hope for from a day like today was accomplished."

The IR-28 chassis, expected to weigh around 100 pounds less than the current Dallara DW12 chassis in use since 2012, represents a significant update for the series. Rossi also highlighted the reliability of the new car, stating, "The fact that the car is completely new and the only real issue we had was replacing one sensor is phenomenal. That’s a huge testament to Dallara, IndyCar and everyone involved."

The new chassis will be paired with refreshed engines from Chevrolet and Honda, with plans for the IR-28 to debut in the 2028 IndyCar season. Rossi expressed admiration for the preparation that went into readying the car for this initial test.

Sources