Here is a rundown of what got me thinking....
Spain is world champion. Jack Harvey lost his ride at Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing. Conor Daly gets to be a substitute again. There were five races held at the Red Bull Ring weekend, and MotoGP might have had the worst of the five. There was a first time winner in Germany. Jet-lag didn't slow an Australian. Braking was optional at Watkins Glen. Supercars are returning to New Zealand and visiting Taupo Motorsports Park next year. Formula One had its final weekend of its summer break. IndyCar had its final off-weekend of the season, but it is the championship that is on my mind.
IndyCar is Dropping the Ball Promoting Palou
Something occurred to me on Friday. IndyCar has a championship race on its hands at Gateway. And it hasn't mentioned one thing about it.
In less than a week, the championship could be decided. Álex Palou could roll out of Gateway Motorsports Park as champion-elect and... nothing.
Not a word.
For all we know, this is going to be another Gateway race.
But it's not going to be another Gateway race, and IndyCar, the track and everyone involved should not treat it as such.
This is an unusual position for IndyCar. No championship has been claimed with races to spare in this post-reunification world of American open-wheel racing. This could be the first year where no IndyCar title goes to the wire since 2005. It could be the first time since 2002 a championship is settled with multiple races to spare.
After becoming spoiled rotten with titles going to the wire, some with thrilling and memorable finishes, IndyCar is out of practice of how to handle dominance. It has become accustomed of waiting until the last scene to sell its story, but now it doesn't know what to do.
Truth be told, IndyCar has three championship races on its hands if the cards fall favorably. Gateway might not be the finale, but the Astor Cup could be hoisted in the summer St. Louis-area air. If not, it could be done with the backdrop of Mount Hood in Portland. Or maybe IndyCar gets lucky and this drags onto Laguna Seca and everyone in an office in Speedway, Indiana will breathe a little easier with a streak continuing.
But the first opportunity is Gateway, and IndyCar is missing the mark.
We have been told that it is not exciting for a championship to be decided early. Nonsense! Only a fool would believe in such absolutes (unfortunately, motorsports is full of such narrow-minded people).
What we have been witnessing is a bit of history. Palou has strung together a rather remarkable season. There is a reason why nobody has clinched a championship with multiple races remaining in over 20 years. It is hard to do and requires immense talent.
Palou is that talent, perhaps the next Scott Dixon, maybe greater than Scott Dixon. Palou is on the verge of having two titles in four seasons. Palou is on pace for six in no time, and his ability is worth celebrating. The man hasn't finished worse than eighth this season. He has won four races, three of which were consecutive. Palou went on a masterful comeback drive in the Indianapolis 500 to overcome being taken out in the pit lane to finish fourth. The man hasn't put a wheel wrong all season.
This is a generational talent. Palou is 26 years old. He could be around for another 15 to 20 years in IndyCar. If IndyCar is lucky Palou will be around that long. It should at least plan for this to be the case and embrace somebody people will hear from for a long-time to come. He is just one of many promising young drivers in IndyCar, but at the moment Palou is THE young driver. He is winning races and championships, and everybody likes winners. It is time for IndyCar to give Palou the stage.
IndyCar has been looking for a superstar. Here he is! It might not be the superstar they wished for, but it is the one they got. Don't be afraid to accept what you are!
Instead of crossing fingers that Scott Dixon and Josef Newgarden can claw back a few points to keep the fight going until Portland, IndyCar and Gateway Motorsports Park should be more realistic and sell this as a chance to see history and it is a chance to see the championship decided.
This should be selling tickets!
Who wouldn't want to see the champion crowned? And what a perk for those in the St. Louis-area! The championship could be decided in their backyard. Never did those fans think that the championship could be decided at Gateway. Now it could be. Talk about a fortunate set of circumstances. No need of booking tickets to Laguna Seca and finding flights. They could see the championship awarded and be home in time for dinner.
Not to forget mentioning that something like this doesn't happen often. It has been over two decades since a title was claimed this early. Kids then now have kids of their own. Parents are grandparents. Drivers are team owners. Team owners are series owners!
Gateway went from on the IndyCar schedule to dormant to back on the IndyCar schedule since the last time a championship was decided with multiple races to spare. Something like this might not come around again for a long time. Life moves pretty fast. People surely don't want to miss something this special. Does a person really want to wait another 20 years for this chance at seeing history? Sell that!
It is really a chance to double-dip. Hook people on the chance to see IndyCar history and the championship awarded, but if Dixon and/or Newgarden can win the race or at least keep the battle going out west, it is a win-win. They came for history, but they at least got to see the title continue to the penultimate round. The spectators have the best of both worlds to pull for in the grandstands.
Palou's championship possibility should be the selling point. It should be obnoxiously pushed and build this into an event. It could also put a little pressure on Palou. He is going to get three bites at the apple. If he slips at all, it could open the door. But if Palou pulls this out, it will be a worthy result for a masterclass season. It could be a historic moment shared for years to come, a cornerstone to what could be an iconic career.
And yet, IndyCar, Gateway and everyone involved appears ignorant of how to turn what has long been a fretted moment and into a positive. Most believe the Formula One championship has been decided since May, but that isn't keeping people from tuning in, and there is still interest over what will happen over the remaining races. It is ok to celebrate dominance. Palou has done enough to earn the appreciation. IndyCar should be promoting its best driver as someone worth seeing.
Winners From the Weekend
You know about Spain, but did you know...
Francesco Bagnaia won MotoGP's Austrian Grand Prix, his fifth victory of the season. Bagnaia also won the sprint race. Celestino Vietti won the Moto2 race. Deniz Öncü won the Moto3 race. Mattia Casedei swept the MotoE races.
William Byron won the NASCAR Cup race from Watkins Glen, his fifth victory of the season. Sam Mayer won the Grand National Series race, his second victory of the season.
Tomoki Nojiri won the Super Formula race at Motegi, his second victory of the season.
Brodie Kostecki swept the three Supercars races from Tailem Bend.
Jack Aitken and Mirko Bortolotti split the Deutsche Tourenwagen Masters races from the Lausitzring.
The #21 Conquest Racing Ferrari of Alessandro Balzan and Manny Franco swept the GT World Challenge America races from Road America. George Kurtz swept the GT America races. The #34 Conquest Racing/JMF Motorsport Mercedes-AMG of Jesse Webb and Michai Stephens and the #51 Auto Technic Racing BMW of Zac Anderson split the GT4 America races.
Coming Up This Weekend
IndyCar's antepenultimate round at Gateway
Formula One's return from summer break at Zandvoort.
NASCAR's regular season finale at Daytona, but the Trucks are in Milwaukee.
IMSA's GT-only showcase at Virginia International Raceway.
The European Le Mans Series will run into Saturday night for its inaugural visit to Aragón.
Super GT is at Suzuka.
