Why INDYCAR's 2-Week Break Is Anything But A Vacation — And How Teams Capitalize

In Driver's Eye with James Hinchcliffe , the six-time INDYCAR winner will bring you inside the mind of a racer while breaking down the nuts and bolts of the sport for fans.

INDYCAR is smack in the middle of a two-week break. And while that means you won't watch on-track action and I won't be in the INDYCAR on FOX booth for two straight weekends, the drivers and teams aren't off. 

Far from it, actually. 

Calling it a two-week "break" is a bit misleading. I promise you that these days away from the track are anything but a vacation. It's more like a valuable opportunity.

After four races in the first five weeks of the season, the paddock packed up following Alex Palou's checkered flag at Barber Motorsports Park, and teams and drivers were staring at a two-week break before heading to the streets of Long Beach for the Acura Grand Prix. 

So what are they doing in these couple "off" weeks? Let's zoom out briefly. 

A pit stop during the Children's Of Alabama INDY Grand Prix on March 29, 2026 at Barber Motorsports Park. (Photo by Michael L. Levitt/Lumen via Getty Images)

Back-to-back races are grueling for INDYCAR teams. Typically, the mechanics, engineers and drivers will fly into a race market on a Thursday for what we call Set Up Day. This is when the tents are put up, the cars get unloaded and final prep happens. Drivers and engineers sit and go over the weekend plan, which usually includes a track walk. 

Friday, Saturday and Sunday, we practice, qualify and race, and then teams will rush to get home Sunday night. The trucks and trailers often don’t roll in until early hours on Monday, when the mechanics and engineers are in the shop tearing down and rebuilding the car, as well as pouring through the data from the