Musings From the Weekend: Not a Time to be Picky

Here is a rundown of what got me thinking...

Francesco Bagnaia might have won the sprint race after Jorge Martín fell from the lead, but Martín took the victory in the grand prix from Indonesia. Daniel Ricciardo's departure was confirmed, and the Liam Lawson-era returns. There was some fog in Chile. Álex Palou will be driving a Mercedes. Miami International Autodrome has added some configurations for permanent use of the circuit. Alexander Rossi confirmed where he will be racing. Andretti Global sees Michael Andretti stepping back from ownership of the organization that bares his name. IndyCar might have a new race lined up for 2026, but it has not received a warm reception.

Not a Time to be Picky

It has been a rather busy IndyCar off season, as in less than two weeks a number of seats have been confirmed, the charter agreement was finalized and there was even some news pertaining 2026. Reports have come out that IndyCar is working on a street race in Arlington, Texas, around AT&T Stadium, home of the Dallas Cowboys, and team owner Jerry Jones would be involved in the project. 

This was of course welcomed with complete disdain over the idea. 

IndyCar has some history in the Dallas-area, as up until 2024 it had raced at Texas Motor Speedway in Denton, Texas, about 35 minutes north from the proposed venue in Arlington. IndyCar's time at Texas Motor Speedway was rather positive, known for action-packed races and full grandstands during the days of the Indy Racing League. It once was the only circuit on the schedule that hosted multiple races in a season and hosted the season finale. However, the circuits stranglehold of a spot on the IndyCar calendar started to weaken. 

The crowds began to dwindle and the races suffered mightily after a track re-configuration ahead of the 2018 race. IndyCar wasn't the only series to suffer. NASCAR had woeful races and in an attempt to improve the action there, PJ1 traction compound was applied to the series. However, an abundance of applications stained the track surface and turned the higher lane in the corners into a sheet of ice for the Firestone tires IndyCar brought to the circuit. Races became single-file affairs and even fewer people decided to make the trip out to the 1.5-mile speedway. 

It did end on a positive. The 2023 race was significantly better after three rather dreadful years at Texas, but with the NASCAR schedule changing, the IndyCar's trip in late March would need to be moved, and the series was not keen on moving Texas to the late summer where weather conditions would not be the friendliest to attendees, nor were there many open weekends in an already busy end of the season. With no suitable date available and the lack of a healthy crowd, 2024 ended up being the first year without a trip to Texas since 1996. 

Considering the size and economic might of Texas, not having a race in the state with five of the 11 most-populous cities in the United States is just another scheduling blunder for IndyCar, a series that currently not have a race anywhere between St. Petersburg and Toronto on the eastern seaboard. There are over 7.6 million people in the Dallas-Fort Worth area alone with Texas boasting a total population of just over 30 million people. It is a land of opportunity, a chance to fish where the fish are, and not being there is a grave mistake. 

A return could come in this race in Arlington, but instead of any excitement of IndyCar returning to the fourth-largest metropolitan market in the United States, it was met with backlash, mostly because it was perceived to be at the wrong place.

If there should be any return to Texas, it is believed it should be at Texas Motor Speedway. It doesn't quite work that way. 

For starters, no one took anything away with Texas Motor Speedway falling off the IndyCar schedule. If the race could draw anything close to a respectable crowd, it likely would have stuck around, but over the final three years, the track couldn't draw close to 10,000 spectators to any of its races. That was for a number of reasons with fault on both sides of the series and the track, but IndyCar at Texas Motor Speedway was no longer the can't-miss-draw it was at the turn of the 21st century. 

It will be repeated every time it comes up, but not many places are lining up to host IndyCar races. If the series is not wanted, it is not going to race there. This is why there is a race weekend at Thermal Club. Someone is willing to foot the bill. This is why we are looking at a potential street race in 2026 in Arlington. Someone wants to host an IndyCar race. Texas Motor Speedway could host an IndyCar race if it wanted to, but it doesn't. That doesn't mean the entire area is off limits. IndyCar found another dancing partner. 

Skepticism is understandable because IndyCar street races do not have a long shelf life. For all that was celebrated in Nashville, it lasted only three years and could not survive once it was time for construction to begin on the new football stadium in the city. For all that was celebrated in Baltimore, it lasted only three years and could not find a way back after being put on hiatus for a conflicting football game on Labor Day weekend in the city. 

Many other street races have disappeared in a flash for non-football reasons. See Houston three times, Miami three times, Denver twice, Las Vegas twice, San Jose and Boston didn't even get off the ground. If you are betting the over/under on number of years an Arlington street race will remain on the IndyCar schedule, take the under. 

And don't be sold just because there is a big name in Jerry Jones behind the project that makes it bulletproof. It wasn't that long ago the Steinbrenner family was entering IndyCar as team owners, and everyone was sold it was a big sign for the series. Remember, Justin Timberlake and Dale Earnhardt, Jr. were both named in the ownership group for the Music City Grand Prix. How did that serve the event? 

There might be a suitable venue in Dallas-area, but it had IndyCar for decades, experienced the highs but also ending at an all-time low. We did see IndyCar return to Milwaukee, a race that was marginally better than where Texas was when it last hosted IndyCar, draw a respectable crowd on its return this year, and that was with no billboards promoting the race. If IndyCar could do that in the 31st most-populous city, what could it do in one ranked in the top five? Texas Motor Speedway could return and see a boost in IndyCar attendance, drawing more people out than the race had been drawing in the area for the last ten years, but the people who want a race in the area have their own slice of real estate and are willing to shut down a few blocks to host a party. 

That isn't a bad thing. 

This is not an oval vs. street course thing. It is a survival thing for IndyCar. One party is looking to host a race and IndyCar isn't going to say no on some nonsensical principle that would not benefit the series in the slightest. It has a chance of drawing more spectators and people who likewise had no clue IndyCar had raced in the area for decades and that is not a negative for the series. Viewers are viewers no matter how you get them. There is a chance over three days, a street race in Arlington could draw 80,000 people, which is much more than IndyCar drew in its final three years at Texas Motor Speedway. It might even be more than what the oval attracted in its final six years. 

There are not that many IndyCar weekends that draw over 80,000 people. If it has a chance of tapping into a Texas market it otherwise was not maximizing at a different venue then it must go for it. If anything, it would show it was not getting the most out of where it was competing previously. 

I understand the desire to return to something that was beloved, and I understand the desire for more oval races. I understand the hesitation for believing this street race will outlast many that came before it, and I understand the frustration with Mark Miles and IndyCar leadership, but this isn't a time to be picky. 

In the last two years, arguably ever since 2020, there has been a narrowing focal point in IndyCar fandom over what is good for the series, and too often does it feel like the masses are wearing blinders. Any chance to do something different and new is met with hostility. If Texas Motor Speedway was the answer, IndyCar would be at Texas Motor Speedway, but it wasn't. 

IndyCar has a complex identity. For all the clamoring for heritage and tradition and that being ovals, it neglects how many of its most successful events are street courses and road courses. We tried an all-oval series, and even that realized it needed some road courses and street courses. There must be a little bit of everything, but there is a limit on how many places IndyCar can race at. 

It needs a few more oval races, but it cannot add six more oval races. Street courses have their tendencies not to last, but there is a place for them and they can positive events for the series. 

Regardless of where the race is being held, IndyCar needs positive events. It doesn't matter if it is the streets of Dallas or Texas Motor Speedway. IndyCar needs to go to a place and draw a healthy crowd that impressive sponsors, makes money and makes people want to return. That is what IndyCar needs, track discipline be damned. 

Winners From the Weekend

You know about some MotoGP results, but did you know...

Ross Chastain won the NASCAR Cup Series race from Kansas. Aric Almirola won the Grand National Series race, his second victory of the season. Corey Heim won the Truck race, his sixth victory of the season.

Arón Canet won the Moto2 race from Indonesia, his second victory of the season. David Alonso won the Moto3 race, his ninth victory of the season.

Andrea Iannone (race one) and Álvaro Bautista (SuperPole race and race two) split the World Superbike races from Aragón. Adrián Huertas and Yari Montella split the World Supersport races.

The #9 Iron Lynx - Proton Oreca-Gibsn of Jonas Ried, Macéo Capietto and Matteo Cairoli won the 4 Hours of Mugello. The #8 Team Virage Ligeri-Nissan of Julien Gerbi, Bernardo Pinheiro and Gillian Henrion won in LMP3. The #57 Kessel Racing Takeshi Kimura, Esteban Masson and Daniel Serra won in LMGT3.

Mirko Bortolotti and René Rast split the Deutsche Tourenwagen Masters races from the Red Bull Ring. 

Kalle Rovanperä won Rally Chile, his fourth victory of the season.

Coming Up This Weekend

The Indianapolis 8 Hours closes out the Intercontinental GT World Challenge season.

MotoGP heads up to Motegi. 

NASCAR heads down to Talladega.

Best of the Month: September 2024

Seventy-five percent of the year is behind us. Days are shorter than nights in the Northern Hemisphere. The weather is hospitable but will soon start to bite. We are hitting single-digits in terms of races left in most calendars. Some have already awarded hardware. September is hard month to fathom. It is summer one weekend and the next it feels like the year is over. There is beauty but a melancholy expands as the month goes on. 

IndyCar Tidbits

We are diving into the weeds again now that another IndyCar season is over. We are getting into the mess you cannot find anywhere else. Some of this you will be accustomed to. Other parts are places you probably didn't even think you would ever visit. Hopefully, you learn something from this deep-dive into the season that was 2024.

The Champion

It does get hard to write about a driver after his third championship, but Álex Palou is his own measuring stick. 

Last year and this year had some similarities, but after Palou clinched the title with a race to spare, it was going to be difficult matching his 2023 season. It was still great, but something more down to earth, reachable for the competition but still out of their grasp. 

Victories were down, from five to two. It is the second time in three seasons the champion had two victories or fewer. Will Power's 2022 title came with one victory. Prior to Power, every champion since Gil de Ferran's 2001 CART title had won at least three races. Both of de Ferran's championships in 2000 and 2001 saw him only win two races.

For as good as Palou was, he was only on the podium five times, the fewest for a championship since Scott Dixon's four in 2015. The next most recent champion to have five podium finishes or fewer was Greg Ray in the 1999 Indy Racing League season, but that was only a ten-race championship. Ray was on the podium in half the races.

Palou's podium percentage of 29.411% is the lowest since Dixon's 25% in 2015. You must go back to Tony Stewart's 1997 IRL championship to find the next time a driver had a podium percentage below 30%. Stewart's podium percentage was 20%, but it was only a ten-race championship.

The numbers pick up in the top five and top ten finish columns. His 13 top five finishes made this the fourthtime in the last six seasons the championship had at least 13 top five finishes. It wasn't always like that. 

From 2012 through 2017, the most top five finishes for a champion was ten. The average number of top five finishes for a champion over that six-year span was 8.6667. In the last seven seasons, the champion has averaged 12 top five finishes. 

It is just a theory, but it might have something to do with the car because the numbers we have been seeing since 2018 look a lot like the final years of the Dallara IR05/07 chassis that preceded the DW12 chassis.

Every champion from 2007 through 2011 had at least 13 top five finishes. The teams knew that Dallara chassis inside and out, and it allowed Chip Ganassi Racing to dominate. When the DW12 chassis came out, it mixed up the field a bit. Good teams struggled. Even though this chassis has evolved with the universal aero kit and aeroscreen, the teams know these machines, and we are watching another Ganassi driver win consecutive championships. 

Palou's point total was slightly below average. His 544 points were 58.55% of the maximum total, below the 62.517% the championship has averaged since reunification. This was the third time in the last four seasons the championship has scored less than 60% of the maximum points total after five consecutive seasons where the champion cleared 60%.

Let's end on the third championship because Palou has reached a pretty exclusive club in a very quick period of time. 

A.J. Foyt, Scott Dixon, Mario Andretti, Sébastien Bourdais, Dario Franchitti, Louis Meyer, Ted Horn, Jimmy Bryan, Rick Mears, Al Unser, Bobby Rahal, Sam Hornish, Jr., Palou. 

Thirteen drivers have won three championships. It is a collection of some of the all-time greats and there are even more greats missing. Palou took five seasons to get there. At the end of 2020, when Palou was announced as a Chip Ganassi Racing driver after a good rookie season at Dale Coyne Racing, I don't know anyone anticipated Palou winning three championships in the next four years. Who would? Even the best to race you do not expect to win three titles in five years with the competitiveness of IndyCar. The most titles Dixon has won in a five-year period is two. 

At the end of his third championship season, Palou has made 81 starts. The eras have changed. Louis Meyer only made 22 career starts, and most seasons only had single-digit championship events during Meyer's career. Only three races made up the 1933 calendar. From 1933 to 1941, the longest calendar over that period was six races, and that ended up being the bulk of Ted Horn's career. The calendar was consistently around a dozen races over A.J. Foyt's first five seasons in IndyCar, in which he won three championships. 

But let's compare Palou to some more contemporaries. At the end of Sam Hornish, Jr.'s third championship season, Hornish had made 99 starts. Sébastien Bourdais had only 60 starts at the end of his third title season in 2006, but only one of Bourdais' first four seasons consisted of more than 14 races. It took Dario Franchitti well over a decade into his career to reach three championships. Franchitti had made 215 starts by the time he had three. Scott Dixon was relatively young when he won his third title, but he had made 220 starts as Dixon's third title was a decade after his first. 

As great as Dixon has been and as much as he been the bearer to re-write the IndyCar history book, Palou is in a position to be a dominant driver IndyCar has never seen. Motorsports in the 21st century is littered with what appear to be unstoppable drivers. 

Michael Schumacher won five consecutive World Drivers' Championships only to be followed by Sebastian Vettel winning four on the spin and Lewis Hamilton winning six in seven seasons. Now Max Verstappen is working on his fourth consecutive title, though Lando Norris may have something to say about that. 

Sébastien Loeb won nine consecutive World Rally championships and then Sébastien Ogier won six consecutive WRC titles and eight in nine seasons. 

Even Jimmie Johnson won five consecutive NASCAR Cup championships, tied Richard Petty and Dale Earnhardt on seven titles, and it only took Johnson 15 seasons to get there. All seven of his championships came in an 11-season period. 

Is IndyCar ready for a driver who could completely dominate a decade? Until proven otherwise, Palou is going to be the best driver in IndyCar for years to come. He will be beaten, but at this rate, it doesn't look like it will happen often. 

The Locals

It is also important to check how the Americans did and they did... fine?

Some years have been better. Some years have been worse. 

American drivers combined to win four races, the fewest since three in 2016.

This was the 14th consecutive season multiple Americans won a race. 

There were five Americans in the top ten in the championship, the most since 2020, which was the third of three consecutive seasons with five Americans in the top ten in the championship. 

Eight American drivers ran at least 70% of the races, enough to be considered series regulars in 2024. This was the third consecutive season with exactly eight regular Americans. In case you are wondering who qualified as regulars, they were Colton Herta, Kyle Kirkwood, Josef Newgarden, Santino Ferrucci, Alexander Rossi, Graham Rahal, Sting Ray Robb and Nolan Siegel. Yeah, Siegel ran 12 races, enough to qualify as a regular. 

This doesn't even count David Malukas, who ran ten races and Conor Daly, who ran seven races. 

This was also the first time the Indianapolis 500 was won in consecutive years by an American since 1991 and 1992. Of course, it was Newgarden winning the Indianapolis 500 for a second consecutive year, and he became the first American driver with consecutive Indianapolis 500s since Al Unser in 1970-71. 

We are in the midst of a stretch of four consecutive years without an American champion. We have not had a five-year run without an American champion since 2007 to 2011. 

Electric Feel

The big concern this season was the introduction of the hybrid system, especially when it was announced the system would not be introduced until after the Indianapolis 500. 

Going into the first hybrid race at Mid-Ohio, many were wondering if this system would turn the championship upside down and if the teams that had more testing time with the system would greatly benefit. There was also the worry the unknown could cause more mechanical issues and take good teams out of the picture for something that was not in their control. 

The season is over and how did things change with the introduction of the hybrid?

Let's break the season into two parts. 

Here are the points prior to the introduction of the hybrid system:

Driver	Points
Álex Palou	285
Will Power	262
Scott Dixon	253
Colton Herta	217
Kyle Kirkwood	210
Patricio O'Ward	208
Alexander Rossi	198
Scott McLaughlin	188
Josef Newgarden	181
Felix Rosenqvist	176
Christian Lundgaard	156
Santino Ferrucci	154
Marcus Ericsson	150
Romain Grosjean	144
Marcus Armstrong	129
Graham Rahal	127
Rinus VeeKay	114
Linus Lundqvist	113
Pietro Fittipaldi	97
Kyffin Simpson	88
Agustín Canapino	86
Christian Rasmussen	82
Sting Ray Robb	78
Théo Pourchaire	75
Jack Harvey	70
Tom Blomqvist	45
Callum Ilott	39
Nolan Siegel	35
Luca Ghiotto	27
Hélio Castroneves	26
Conor Daly	21
Kyle Larson	21
Takuma Sato	19
David Malukas	14
Ed Carpenter	14
Tristian Vautier	12
Colin Braun	10
Ryan Hunter-Reay	6
Katherine Legge	5
Marco Andretti	5

And here is how the points looked from just the hybrid races:

Driver	Points	Position Change From Non-Hybrid Position
Scott McLaughlin	317	+7
Colton Herta	296	+2
Álex Palou	259	-2
Patricio O'Ward	252	+2
Will Power	236	-3
Josef Newgarden	220	+3
Santino Ferrucci	213	+5
Kyle Kirkwood	210	-3
Scott Dixon	203	-6
Rinus VeeKay	186	+7
Marcus Armstrong	169	-4
Alexander Rossi	168	-5
Linus Lundqvist	166	+5
Christian Lundgaard	156	-3
Marcus Ericsson	147	-2
David Malukas	134	+19
Felix Rosenqvist	130	-7
Graham Rahal	124	-2
Nolan Siegel	119	+9
Romain Grosjean	116	-6
Sting Ray Robb	107	+3
Conor Daly	98	+10
Kyffin Simpson	98	-3
Pietro Fittipaldi	89	-5
Christian Rasmussen	81	-3
Jack Harvey	73	-1
Katherine Legge	56	+13
Toby Sowery	45	N/A
Ed Carpenter	31	+7
Agustín Canapino	23	-9
Théo Pourchaire	16	-7
Jüri Vips	11	N/A
Hunter McElrea	6	N/A

It should be noted a few drivers were big gainers because they ran more races after the hybrid was introduced (see David Malukas), and some drivers ran less races after the hybrid was introduced (see Agustín Canapino).

The real thing to compare is championship position prior to the hybrid introduction and after the hybrid introduction.

Driver	Pre-Hybrid	Post-Hybrid	Change
Álex Palou	1st	1st	-
Will Power	2nd	4th	-2
Scott Dixon	3rd	6th	-3
Colton Herta	4th	2nd	+2
Kyle Kirkwood	5th	7th	-2
Patricio O'Ward	6th	5th	+1
Alexander Rossi	7th	10th	-3
Scott McLaughlin	8th	3rd	+5
Josef Newgarden	9th	8th	+1
Felix Rosenqvist	10th	12th	-2
Christian Lundgaard	11th	11th	-
Santino Ferrucci	12th	9th	+3
Marcus Ericsson	13th	15th	-2
Romain Grosjean	14th	17th	-3
Marcus Armstrong	15th	14th	+1
Graham Rahal	16th	18th	-2
Rinus VeeKay	17th	13th	+4
Linus Lundqvist	18th	16th	+2
Pietro Fittipaldi	19th	19th	-
Kyffin Simpson	20th	21st	-1
Agustín Canapino	21st	27th	-6
Christian Rasmussen	22nd	22nd	-
Sting Ray Robb	23rd	20th	+3
Théo Pourchaire	24th	28th	-4
Jack Harvey	25th	25th	-
Tom Blomqvist	26th	30th	-4
Callum Ilott	27th	33rd	-6
Nolan Siegel	28th	23rd	+5
Luca Ghiotto	29th	34th	-5
Hélio Castroneves	30th	35th	-5
Conor Daly	31st	26th	+5
Kyle Larson	32nd	36th	-4
Takuma Sato	33rd	37th	-4
David Malukas	34th	24th	+10
Ed Carpenter	35th	32nd	+3
Tristan Vautier	36th	38th	-2
Colin Braun	37th	40th	-3
Ryan Hunter-Reay	38th	42nd	-4
Katherine Legge	39th	29th	+10
Marco Andretti	40th	42nd	-2
Toby Sowery	N/A	31st	N/A
Jüri Vips	N/A	39th	N/A
Hunter McElrea	N/A	41st	N/A

Throw out the drivers who either had their seasons end prematurely or who ran more races in the second half of the season than the first half of the season, there is no clear sign the hybrid benefited any teams or drivers over others, nor does it look like any teams or drivers suffered more than others. 

There are too many variables into why drivers moved around. Scott McLaughlin improved five spots from where he was in the championship prior to the introduction of the hybrid system, but six of the final nine races were on ovals, and McLaughlin was the best driver on ovals this season. Will Power was second in the championship entering the season finale and the biggest cause for him dropping to fourth was his lap belt not being secured at the start of the season finale at Nashville. The hybrid system had nothing to do with Power's late drop in the championship.

Meanwhile, Rinus VeeKay, driving for Ed Carpenter Racing, which was not part of the core contingent of hybrid testing teams, improved four spots in the championship after the hybrid was introduced. Scott Dixon and Alexander Rossi each lost three spots despite being on teams that were regular hybrid testers.

The hybrid had its moments but it wasn't any more of a factor in the championship than the engine, and we saw plenty of engine failures over the second half of the season. Álex Palou's inability to start the second Milwaukee race on time was due to a battery issue that would have occurred without the hybrid system. Heck, a penalty stemming back to the first race of the season over manipulating the push-to-pass system affected the championship more than the hybrid system.

For all the concerns the hybrid system would flip the championship, it hardly changed a thing.

No Repeat Finishes

To another evergreen topic to end of each season, back in June during our midseason tidbit gathering, we covered that seven drivers had not had a repeat finish through the first eight races. Who held on the longest over the final nine races?

Here is where we stood at the end of June:

Alexander Rossi (sixth, tenth, 25th, eighth, fourth, fifth, 18th, third)

Felix Rosenqvist (fifth, ninth, fourth, tenth, 27th, eighth, 14th, 11th)

Marcus Ericsson (23rd, fifth, 18th, 16th, 33rd, second, ninth, tenth)

Marcus Armstrong (25th, 12th, ninth, fifth, 30th, third, 26th, 22nd)

Linus Lundqvist (21st, 13th, third, 24th, 28th, 22nd, 12th, 17th)

Kyffin Simpson (12th, 19th, 14th, 15th, 21st, 24th, 27th, 23rd)

Sting Ray Robb (24th, 18th, 26th, 22nd, 16th, 21st, 17th, 20th)

We lost four immediately in the next race at Mid-Ohio. 

Marcus Ericsson was fifth for the second time this season. Ericsson had finished fifth at Long Beach. A position behind him, Alexander Rossi was sixth and had finished sixth at St. Petersburg. Sting Ray Robb had his second 16th-place finish. The other was at the Indianapolis 500. Kyffin Simpson also matched his Indianapolis 500 finish at Mid-Ohio, finishing 21st. 

That left three drivers remaining. We lost one at the race after that. Linus Lundqvist was 21st at Iowa, matching his St. Petersburg result.

And then there were two. 

Both Felix Rosenqvist and Marcus Armstrong made it through the Iowa weekend, but both didn't make it to the Olympic break. 

Armstrong was fifth at Toronto, and he had finished fifth at the Grand Prix of Indianapolis in May. That left Rosenqvist as the last one standing.

Rosenqvist made it through Gateway but in the 14th race of the season at Portland, he had his first repeat finish, finishing 14th. He had been 14th at Road America. 

For the second consecutive season, the longest streak before the first repeat finish was 13 races. This is also the third consecutive season the driver to go the longest without a repeat finish had a last name that began with the letter "R." This might be something to keep an eye on in 2025.

Non-Repeating Lineups

Forty-three drivers competed in an IndyCar race this season, the most since 2021, but it wasn't just the number of drivers that ran. It was the constant changes.

There was a driver change after 13 of a possible 16 races this season. 

Colin Braun ran St. Petersburg, but he was out of the #51 Honda for Dale Coyne Racing at Long Beach, and Nolan Siegel was in. Callum Ilott had to miss Long Beach due to FIA World Endurance Championship responsibilities and Théo Pourchaire came to IndyCar in the #6 Arrow McLaren Chevrolet.

Siegel was out of that car at Barber Motorsports Park and Luca Ghiotto made an unexpected IndyCar debut. Ghiotto continued onto the Grand Prix of Indianapolis, and the field was identical from Barber to the Indianapolis Motor Speedway road course.

The Indianapolis 500 was always going to add six cars to the field, but Ilott was back in the #6 McLaren. Katherine Legge also took over the #51 Honda. 

At Detroit, Jack Harvey was back in the #18 Dale Coyne Racing Honda, and the #18 Honda was back as Siegel failed to qualify for the Indianapolis 500. Harvey had a new teammate as Tristan Vautier made his first IndyCar start in seven years in the #51 Honda. Pourchaire returned to the #6 McLaren. There was a driver change. Tom Blomqvist was removed from Meyer Shank Racing's #66 Honda and Hélio Castroneves took over. 

Vautier would not continue to Road America, and Ghiotto was back. We thought that would be the only change. Then Agustín Canapino was removed from the #78 Chevrolet at Juncos Hollinger Racing, and Siegel was making an unexpected start.

At Laguna Seca, Canapino was back, but Siegel remained in IndyCar as he took over the #6 McLaren entry. This was also David Malukas' debut in the 2024 season as he took over the #66 Honda from Castroneves. 

The only driver change heading to Mid-Ohio was Ghiotto out of the #51 Honda and Toby Sowery in for his IndyCar debut. 

Legge was back in the #51 Honda at Iowa and Ed Carpenter was back in the #20 Chevrolet in place of Christian Rasmussen. 

You would think there would no way a driver change could occur in the middle of a doubleheader weekend, but a back and neck injury forced Jack Harvey out of the car and Conor Daly was put into the #18 Honda for the second race of the Iowa weekend. 

Dale Coyne Racing did a full line change heading to Toronto. Sowery was back to make in the #51 Honda, and Hunter McElrea made his IndyCar debut in the #18 Honda. Rasmussen was also back in the #20 Chevrolet. That was thought to be it but then Alexander Rossi broke his wrist on Friday, and Pourchaire returned in the #7 McLaren. 

After the Olympic break, Rossi returned for Gateway. Carpenter was back in the #20 Chevrolet. Canapino was out of the #78 Chevrolet and Daly was announced as the driver for the remainder of the season. Legge was also back in the #51 Honda. 

Sowery got one more start in the #51 Honda at Portland. Rasmussen was back in the #20 Chevrolet. Jüri Vips also joined the grid in a fourth Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing entry. 

Heading to Milwaukee, Legge took over the #51 Honda, and that was the final driver change of the season. 

Over the final three races, the same 27 drivers started every race. That was the longest streak of an unchanged driver lineup for the entire 2024 season. 

In total, there were 28 driver changes in entries from race-to-race, and that is not including one-off entries whether it be at Indianapolis or Jüri Vips at Portland. 

Fastest Lap Records

Last year, out of pure curiosity and surprise there was no accurate record of something that is included in every IndyCar box score post-race, I gathered data on fastest laps to set up an all-time ranking. Information could only be found through the 1993 season, and with 2024 over, it is only right to give an update.

Ten different drivers scored a fastest lap this season. 

Josef Newgarden led the way with four fastest laps. Scott Dixon had three. Marcus Ericsson and Scott McLaughlin each had two. Kyffin Simpson, Álex Palou, Christian Lundgaard, Colton Herta, David Malukas and Patricio O'Ward each had one. 

Where does that leave these drivers in the fastest lap record book?

Dixon's three fastest lap moves him up to second all-time on 39, two behind Sébastien Bourdais' record. 

Newgarden became the fifth driver to reach 30 fastest laps in a career. 

Palou has 12 and he is tied with Ryan Hunter-Reay for 14th all-time.

O'Ward has eight, tied with Tony Stewart for 24th.

Ericsson and Herta are each tied with six fastest laps in their careers. McLaughlin and Malukas are each tied with four. Lundgaard has two fastest laps. Simpson became the 120th driver since 1993 to score fastest lap in an IndyCar race.

One other fastest lap note before moving on. Newgarden had three consecutive fastest laps from Mid-Ohio over the Iowa doubleheader. It was the first time a driver had fastest lap in at least three consecutive races since 2007 when Bourdais had a six-race run of scoring fastest lap.

No, Colton Herta is not Close to Will Power's Pole Pace

There was some buzz this summer when Colton Herta won his third pole position of the season and he ended the season on 14 pole positions that Herta is threatening Will Power's record for most pole positions in IndyCar. Though Power did not add a pole position to his career total and he will head into 2025 stuck on 70 poles in his career, he does not have to worry about Herta. 

How do we know this? Because we talked about this just over two years ago, and Herta wasn't close then. 

At the end of May 2022, Herta had eight pole positions in 54 starts. That was a batting average 0.14814. At that time, Power didn't even have the record yet. He was on 64 pole positions and Mario Andretti still held the record at 67. We figured at that time for Herta to reach Andretti's mark at the pace Herta was at, it would take until about 2045, granting the schedule remain consistent and average 17 races over that period. 

Herta ends 2024 with 14 pole positions in 99 starts, a dip in his batting average to 0.1414 over 28 months late, and now the record is three higher than it was when we first explored this topic. 

Let's say it will take 71 pole positions to get the record. At this rate, it would take Herta until his 503rd start to reach 71 pole positions! That is 101 more starts than Scott Dixon presently has in his career. That is 86 starts more than Mario Andretti's current record for most IndyCar starts. Herta is essenitally an entire Scott Dixon career away from possibly breaking the pole position record and Herta is one start away from 100 in his career. Herta would be looking at hitting this mark during the 2048 season and late in the 2048 season at that. 

Unless Herta has a run where he is winning eight pole positions a season for five consecutive seasons, stop talking about Herta surpassing Power's record. Have a more realistic expectation! Herta could get 50, but we are a long way from even considering that practical. 

Last to First

When Josef Newgarden finished last in the second Milwaukee race, something crossed my mind, when was the last time a driver finished last in a race only to win the race following it? With Nashville Superspeedway as the season finale, it felt like a very plausible conclusion to the 2024 season.

It didn't turn out that way but I found that the last time a driver went from last in one race to first in the next was Will Power in 2019. Power had finished last at Gateway and then won at Portland. It wasn't even the only time in the 2019 season for such a thing to happen. 

Scott Dixon was last in the first race of the Belle Isle doubleheader that year after clipping the barrier, but Dixon returned and won the next race the following day. 

This had me wondering, how many times in IndyCar history has a driver won the race following a last place finish?

I went through all 1,759 races recognized in the IndyCar record book to find out. When I first started digging, I wasn't sure how many would be the correct answer. If it happened twice in one season, it surely had happened a few times more, but we have also gone five full seasons without it happening, so it could not be a regular thing.

What is the answer? 

It has happened 30 times.

1. Lewis Strang

Last in the Presolite Trophy Race at Indianapolis Motor Speedway on August 19, 1909. It was a nine-car race. 

First in the G&J Trophy Race at IMS the following day. 

These were the ninth and tenth races in IndyCar history based on the series' record book. 

2. Eddie Hearne

Last in the second heat race of the Liberty Sweepstakes at Uniontown Speedway on May 16, 1918. This was an eight-car race.

First in the next heat of the Liberty Sweepstakes later that day. 

3.  Billy Arnold

Last (14th) at the Michigan State Fairgrounds on June 9, 1930.

First at Altoona Speedway on June 14, 1930.

4. Wilbur Shaw

Last (45th) in the George Vanderbilt Cup race at Roosevelt Raceway in Westbury, New York on October 12, 1936.

First in the 1937 season opener, the Indianapolis 500 on May 30.

5. Rex Mays

Last (11th) at Lakewood Speedway in Atlanta on September 2, 1946.

First in the Indianapolis 100 at the Indiana State Fairgrounds on September 15, 1946.

6. Art Bisch

Last (33rd) in the 1958 Indianapolis 500. 

First at Milwaukee on June 8, 1958. 

7. Rodger Ward

Last (18th) at Springfield on August 22, 1959.

Won at Milwaukee on August 30, 1959. 

8. Eddie Sachs

Last (18th) at DuQuoin on September 7, 1959. 

Won at Syracuse on September 12, 1959. 

9. A.J. Foyt 

Last (18th) at Syracuse on September 9, 1961.

Won the Hoosier Hundred at the Indiana State Fairgrounds on September 16, 1961.

10. Rodger Ward

Last (26th) at Trenton on September 22, 1963.

First at Sacramento on October 27, 1963.

11. Gordon Johncock

Last (21st) at Trenton on April 15, 1973.

First in the 1973 Indianapolis 500.

12. A.J. Foyt

Last (24th) at Michigan on September 15, 1974.

First at Trenton on September 22, 1974.

13. Johnny Rutherford

Last (33rd) in the 1977 Indianapolis 500.

First at Milwaukee on June 12, 1977.

14. Rick Mears

Last (22nd) at Michigan on July 16, 1978

First at Atlanta on July 23, 1978.

15. Mario Andretti

Last (20th) at Michigan on September 16, 1978

First at Trenton on September 23, 1978.

16. Mike Mosley

Last (33rd) in the 1981 Indianapolis 500. 

First at Milwaukee on June 7, 1981.

17. Michael Andretti

Last (25th) at Cleveland on July 8, 1990. 

First at the Meadowlands on July 15, 1990.

18. Paul Tracy

Last (27th) at Miami on March 5, 1995.

First at Surfers Paradise on March 19, 1995.

19. Arie Luyendyk

Last (22nd) at Phoenix on March 23, 1997.

First in the 1997 Indianapolis 500. 

20. Arie Luyendyk

Last (28th) at Texas on September 20, 1998.

First at Las Vegas on October 11, 1998.

21. Cristiano da Matta

Last (25th) at Fontana on October 29, 2000.

First at Monterrey on March 11, 2001.

22. Sam Hornish, Jr.

Last (27th) at Texas on October 15, 2000.

First at Phoenix on March 18, 2001.

23. Scott Sharp

Last in the 2001 Indianapolis 500.

First at Texas on June 9, 2001.

24. Dario Franchitti

Last (18th) at Denver on September 1, 2002.

First at Rockingham on September 14, 2002.

25. Sébastien Bourdais

Last (18th) at Milwaukee on June 5, 2004.

First at Portland on June 20, 2004.

26. Sam Hornish, Jr.

Last (19th) at Michigan on July 30, 2006.

First at Kentucky on August 13, 2006.

27. A.J. Allmendinger 

Last (17th) at Montreal on August 27, 2006.

First at Road America on September 24, 2006.

28. Ed Carpenter

Last (25th) at Baltimore on September 2, 2012.

First at Fontana on September 15, 2012.

29. Scott Dixon

Last (22nd) at Belle Isle on June 1, 2019.

First at Belle Isle on June 2, 2019.

30. Will Power

Last (22nd) at Gateway on August 24, 2019.

First at Portland on September 1, 2019.

I guess 30 sounds about right. I probably would not have guess the high but I wasn't going to guess ten times either. 

It is a weird thing where it happens in spurts, but then will go extended period without occurring.  The Split gave it more chances for it to occur, happening nine times over that 12-year period. Even before that it would happen twice in one season and then only happen twice over the next dozen years. We are kind of due for it to happen again. 

By the way, with all this last-place data gathered, we are going to have some fun with it over the winter. Stay tuned!

Montoya Madness

We end on one that is not directly tied to IndyCar this year, but we must acknowledge Juan Pablo Montoya, because Montoya was the greatest of his generation. 

The two-time Indianapolis 500 winner returned to NASCAR competition this month when he ran the Watkins Glen Cup race for 23XI Racing. It was ten years, one month and 19 days between Cup starts for Montoya. His last Cup start prior to Watkins Glen was the 2014 Brickyard 400. 

Montoya had gone a decade between starts in a series before. That would be IndyCar!

October 29, 2000 was Montoya's final start for Chip Ganassi Racing at Fontana before he left for Formula One to drive for Williams. His next start would be March 30, 2014 with Team Penske at St. Penske, 13 years, five months and one day later. 

How many drivers have gone a decade between starts in IndyCar and NASCAR? 

The only answer is Montoya, and before you say Jacques Villeneuve, the 1997 World Drivers' Championship only went eight years, seven months and 28 days between NASCAR Cup Series starts, from Sonoma 2013 to the 2022 Daytona 500. Villeneuve still holds the records for longest time between IndyCar starts at 18 years, seven months and 17 days. 

Montoya's Watkins Glen start does ruin a fun little fact in his career. Prior to that race, his final starts in Formula One, IndyCar and NASCAR had all come at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. 

October Preview

The IMSA season will conclude with Petit Le Mans on October 12. Every class championship is still up for grabs, but a few classes are closer than others. 

The GTP championship was turned upside down after a post-race penalty at Indianapolis. 

The #7 Porsche of Dane Cameron and Felipe Nasr lead with 2,630 points. The #6 Porsche of Mathieu Jaminet and Nick Tandy was disqualified from the Indianapolis after the car was found modifications to a wiring harness were outside homologation. The #6 Porsche dropped from third to tenth in the classification and is now 124 points back of its sister car. The #01 Chip Ganassi Racing Cadillac of Sébastien Bourdais and Renger van der Zande have an outside shot at the title, 164 points behind the #7 Porsche. The #7 Porsche will clinch the title with a finish of fourth or better. 

It is a three-way battle in LMP2.

Nick Boulle and Tom Dillmann have the #52 Inter Europol by PR1/Mathiasen Motorsports Oreca leading with 1,919 points. Riley Motorsport has yet to win this year but the #74 Oreca of Felipe Fraga and Gar Robinson still has a shot at the title, 98 points off the top. Ryan Dalziel has a puncher's chance in the #18 Era Motorsport Oreca being 123 points back. 

It is a two-driver battle in GTD Pro. 

Laurin Heinrich vs. Ross Gunn.

Heinrich has 2,887 points, and he is coming off his third victory of the season in the #77 AO Racing Porsche. 

Gunn is 99 points off Heinrich but the driver of the #23 Heart of Racing Team Aston Martin has one victory this season. 

All Philip Ellis and Russell Ward will have to do to clinch the GTD championship is avoid trouble. The drivers of the #57 Winward Racing Mercedes-AMG have 3,006 points. The closest rival is the #96 Turner Motorsport BMW of Robby Foley and Patrick Gallagher, but Turner is 222 points back. Ellis and Ward must finish 17th or better to clinch the GTD championship. 

Other events of note in October:

Indianapolis has another endurance race, and this one is eight hours and will feature Álex Palou.

Formula One returns to Austin and Mexico City. 

MotoGP bounces to Japan, Australia and Thailand.

NASCAR has a few more races. 

The Bathurst 1000 will take place as well as Surfers Paradise.

The World Superbike championship will be decided. 

Let's Look at the League - September 2024

A season is complete and it is time to put to bed a feature that follows an IndyCar season. The head-to-head, fictional league season ends with the IndyCar season, and it is time to cover how that wrapped up. 

We will look over how the playoffs played out, what entries are going down, and what entry earned the final promotion spot to the 2025 season. We will also lay out how next year will look. 

Where did we leave off? 

When we last covered the league format, we were entering the final weekend of the League One regular season. We knew the #11 Ganassi entry would be relegated, but playoff spots and seeding were still to be decided, as well as the final automatic relegation spot. 

How did the final weekend play out?

Week 14 (Portland):
#10 Ganassi def. #5 McLaren (2nd to 15th)
#2 Penske def. #45 RLLR (3rd to 13th)
#26 Andretti def. #6 McLaren (4th to 21st)
#11 Ganassi def. #28 Andretti (5th to 6th)

#3 Penske def. #9 Ganassi (7th to 28th)

#12 Penske def. #8 Ganassi (1st to 23rd)
#27 Andretti def. #7 McLaren (10th to 12th)
#15 RLLR def. #77 JHR (9th to 27th)

What did this mean? 

In Conference 1, the #10 Ganassi had already locked up the #1 seed, as had the #26 Andretti the #2 seed. With the #2 Penske winning, it ensured it would get the #3 seed as the #5 McLaren lost and dropped to the #4 seed on tiebreaker. The #6 McLaren had a chance of making it with a win, but its loss meant it would finish fifth and be ensured safety for the 2025 season. The #45 Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing entry and the #28 Andretti Global entry would go to the relegation playoff.

The #3 Penske clinched the #1 seed while the #27 Andretti took the #2 seed. The #9 Ganassi lost but kept the #3 seed and the #12 Penske entry won to clinch its spot in the playoffs. The #7 McLaren ended up fifth and safe for 2025. The #15 RLLR and the #77 Juncos Hollinger Racing entry had to go to the relegation playoff. A loss at Portland relegated the #8 Ganassi entry.  

Playoffs

Quarterfinals (Milwaukee)
#12 Penske def. #10 Ganassi (2nd to 5th)

#27 Andretti def. #2 Penske (12th to 26th)

#9 Ganassi def. #26 Andretti (10th to 22nd)

#5 McLaren def. #3 Penske (1st to 8th)

It was a good round for the teams from Conference 2. Three of the four advancing were from the second conference, but the one Conference 2 entry eliminated was the #1 seed, the #3 Penske. Both #1 seeds were gone. The #10 Ganassi entry lost as well. 

The #27 Andretti got away with an average day as Josef Newgarden had an accident in the #2 Penske. The #9 Ganassi also benefitted from Colton Herta's loose tire. 

Semifinals (Milwaukee)
#27 Andretti def. #12 Penske (8th to 10th)

#9 Ganassi def. #5 McLaren (2nd to 24th)

We had to only wait less than 24 hours before the semifinals in the second race of the Milwaukee doubleheader, and one was anti-climatic. The other swung wildly. 

When Patricio O'Ward retired due to a mechanical issue, it handed the #9 Ganassi entry and Scott Dixon a spot in the final. One spot was decided early. The other spot also looked settled, but it took a turn. 

Will Power was set to take the #12 Penske into the final over Kyle Kirkwood in the #27 Andretti, but the race was anything but straight-forward. The timing of cautions shuffled Power back. Power spun on his own and it trapped him a lap down. What looked to be certain ended up going Kirkwood's way and put the American in the final despite the start from Power. 

Final (Nashville) 
#27 Andretti def. #9 Ganassi (4th to 17th)

The final was not much of a battle. Kyle Kirkwood started on pole position while Scott Dixon was in the middle of the field. It was the closest when Kirkwood was trapped on pit lane when the first caution came out, but Kirkwood was able to cycle to the lead lap while Dixon remained trapped a lap down. 

Kirkwood drove forward while Dixon could not get back onto the lead lap. Keeping it clean, Kirkwood claimed the 2024 league championship

Relegation Playoff

Semifinals (Milwaukee) 
#45 RLLR def. #77 JHR (9th to 24th)

#15 RLLR def. #28 Andretti (20th to 27th)

After a tough season, Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing finally got to celebrate a bright day at arguably what could not have been a better time. 

Facing the possibility of one of its two entries in League One being relegated, both RLLR cars won in the semifinal round and clinched safety for one more season. 

For Christian Lundgaard in the #45 entry, it benefited from the #77 Chevrolet of Romain Grosjean suffering some suspension damage and taking the Frenchman effectively out of the race. Lundgaard also had the race go in his favor as cautions went his way and allowed him to finish ninth as other teams made mistakes and some were trapped in pit cycles.

For Graham Rahal, it was plain luck. Rahal did not run much better than his finishing position of 20th all race, but Marcus Ericsson tangling and falling out of the race with Newgarden gifted Rahal the head-to-head victory and put Ericsson on the brink of relegation. 

Final (Milwaukee) 
#28 Andretti def. #77 JHR (5th to 9th)

It was a rather tense relegation final. Grosjean and Ericsson started within two spots of one another. Both cars went forward during the second Milwaukee race. Both were in the top ten and trying to get more using different strategies. Grosjean saved his tires and was going to make one fewer pit stop. Ericsson was a little more aggressive and caught a break getting the wave around when the Sting Ray Robb caution occurred. 

This allowed Ericsson to make his final pit stop while back on the lead lap, and he had better tires in the sprint to the finish. Ericsson was able to drive to fifth and keep a spot in League One while Grosjean and Juncos Hollinger Racing suffered relegation despite finishing ninth. 

League Two - Phase Two

When we left off in August, League Two was in its second phase of the season. 

The #14 Foyt entry and the #60 Meyer Shank Racing entry had clinched the first two promotion spots in the first phase, the single round robin. The next eight entries in League Two were split into two groups of four for another round robin where the top two from each would move to the Promotion Playoff. The final round of this stage was at Portland.

In Group A, the #41 Foyt entry was 2-0 and locked into the Promotion Playoff. The #66 Meyer Shank Racing entry and the #78 Juncos Hollinger Racing entries were tied at 1-1 and the winner would get the other spot in the Promotion Playoff. The #20 Ed Carpenter Racing entry was 0-2 and locked into another year in League Two. 

In Group B, it was all about seeding. The #4 Ganassi entry and the #21 ECR entry were both 2-0, about to face one another on the final day of the group stage to decide which entry would win the group, and neither Dale Coyne Racing entry had won.

What happened?

The #41 Foyt entry went 3-0 defeating the #20 ECR entry with an 18th-place finish to a 26th. 

Neither the #66 MSR nor the #78 JHR entry was particularly quick at Portland. David Malukas was able to be just a bit better, finishing 20th while Conor Daly was 22nd. 

The #21 ECR took the top spot in Group B as Rinus VeeKay was 11th to Kyffin Simpson's 16th. The #51 DCR entry beat the #18 DCR entry, 17th to 24th, in a battle for pride. 

This set up the #41 Foyt vs. the #4 Ganassi and the #21 ECR and the #66 MSR in the two semifinals at Milwaukee. 

Promotion Playoff

Semifinals (Milwaukee) 

#41 Foyt def. #4 Ganassi (23rd to 25th)

#21 ECR def. #66 MSR (14th to 15th)

They were both close. In the first semifinal, both cars had issues, but the #4 Ganassi's electrical issues were more devastating, and it allowed Sting Ray Robb to win though finishing 23rd. 

Both Rinus VeeKay and David Malukas looked poised for a top ten finish in the first Milwaukee race, but both slid back down the stretch. Malukas was cycled backward after the first round of pit stops and kept falling back. The final caution was not favorable for VeeKay and cost him spots. VeeKay was able to edge out Malukas and stay alive for promotion.

Final (Milwaukee) 

#21 ECR def. #41 Foyt (7th to 18th)

This was going in VeeKay's favor the entire race, and Robb's accident late sealed what we all saw coming. VeeKay's methodical drive forward into the top ten got the #21 ECR entry a spot back in the top league. 

What does the league structure tentatively look like for 2025?

2025 League One - Conference One

#10 Ganassi

#12 Penske

#5 McLaren

#2 Penske

#7 McLaren

#60 MSR

#28 Andretti

#15 RLLR

2025 League One - Conference Two

#26 Andretti

#3 Penske

#9 Ganassi

#27 Andretti

#14 Foyt

#45 RLLR

#21 ECR

#6 McLaren

2025 League Two

#8 Ganassi

#77 JHR

#66 MSR

#78 JHR

#20 ECR

#30 RLLR

#41 Foyt

#51 Coyne

#18 Coyne

#83 Prema

#90 Prema

It is rather ironic that two Ganassi entries were relegated and two Ganassi entries are being contracted from the grid. We didn't get caught in an odd spot where one of the League One entries was disappearing and we would have to figure out which entry would fill that final spot in the top league. 

However, with Prema entering with two cars, it means we will have 27 entries spread over the two leagues, and League Two will likely remain in its multi-phase format with a single round robin before the group stage to determine the Promotion Playoff. That was the easiest way to lay it out.

With the introduction of the charter system and the field capped at 27 entries running in all races other than the Indianapolis 500, it does mean 27 entries will likely be the maximum for the league format moving forward. A 28th car will miss every race. There is no point in expanding a team or a team entering if it will be the 28th car unless it is certain it will not miss any races. Don't get me wrong, I wish IndyCar had 28 entries be the maximum because that would at least leave the door open for a 28th full-time car, which would give League Two an even-number with 12 participants. But IndyCar isn't thinking about make-believe when making its business decisions.

Of course, the world could be shaken upside down between now and the first race. A formal confirmation of what the 2025 leagues will look like will come in February when we are almost entirely certain what the IndyCar grid will look like.

Musings From the Weekend: Was Passing as Low as We Thought?

Here is a rundown of what got me thinking...

Daniel Ricciardo took fastest lap to keep a grand slam from Lando Norris in Singapore, in what everyone believes will be Ricciardo's final grand prix start. Now, Formula One starts its sneaky autumn break. Italy was busy with two-wheel racing, and a pair of championships continue to become intriguing as we inch closer to October. It was a good weekend for the locals. It was battle of brotherly love in Las Vegas. Tire wear befuddled many at Bristol. However, we are looking into some IndyCar numbers as an extensive review is about to begin.

Was Passing as Low as We Thought?

We are coming off a contentious IndyCar season. On-track, off-track, driver-to-driver, team owner-to team owner, Argentines-to-anyone, top executive-to-most popular driver on the grid. Peace was hard to find in 2024.

Even if things were going right, it wasn't good enough. People got fed up pretty quickly. Looking at the raw numbers and comparing it to past seasons, 2024 did not look much different from other seasons in recent years. Team Penske and Chip Ganassi Racing dominated, Andretti Global and Arrow McLaren won a few times, there were some brilliant races, some that were forgettable, it was your typical IndyCar season, but that was not as warmly accepted as in the past.

Some of it could be projecting distain over other things going on in IndyCar away from the racing itself, but there was a sense that the racing was not as good as other recent seasons. Throw in the introduction of the hybrid system in the second half of the season, and people had something to blame if a race was not up to a certain standard. 

But's let go over if feelings match what actually happened. It is one thing to believe the racing was not as good and passing was down and the hybrid system was hurting racing, but do the raw numbers support that? 

It should be acknowledged that the 2024 calendar did not exactly match the 2023 calendar. There were three different races. After racing at Texas, the streets of Nashville and a second race on the Indianapolis Motor Speedway road course in 2023, the 2024 calendar saw a Milwaukee doubleheader introduced and Nashville Superspeedway replaced the Nashville street race. IndyCar went from a 12-5 split on road/street courses to a 10-7 split. It is not going to be perfect to compare the two seasons, but what if we compared the 14 races that remained unchanged. How did those compare year-to-year?

They were down, and it looks like a lot, but there is one area where we can account for all those passes.

In 2023, among the 14 unchanged races to the 2024 season, there was 6,214 passes. This season, those 14 races accounted for 4,024 passes, a 2,190 decrease in passes, or just over 35.243%, but all of that comes from Iowa. 

Iowa went from two races that had 1,502 passes and 1,168 passes to two races that had 192 passes and 204 passes. That is an 87.217% decrease and an 82.534% decrease respectively over the two races of the doubleheader. No other race saw a decrease in passing over 50% year-to-year.

If you remove the depressing Iowa week, the numbers are rather favorable. 

In those 12 unchanged races, the number of passes went up. This year had 3,628 passes compared to 3,544 passes. Nothing earth-shattering, but more than last year. 

Why did it feel so much worse than it was? 

We can point to that middle of the season stretch that coincided with the introduction of the hybrid. 

The first hybrid race from Mid-Ohio was not a barnburner, though it did have a great finish and battle between Patricio O'Ward and Álex Palou. Everyone was worried the hybrid would affect the quality of the racing, and people are reactionary. It might have only been the first time, anything but a positive is seen as the end of the world and a step back. 

That Iowa weekend following did not help, but I think we can all point to the lack of passing stemming from the partial track re-pave. The new asphalt in the lower lanes of the corner made it a processional race. With nowhere to pass, cars slowed down to save fuel and make it on two stops, and that made the race worse. The hybrid was not the culprit there.

The numbers are not a perfect indicator of how a race was. Ever since IndyCar starting highly publicizing the passing numbers from race-to-race in 2018, we have been given a figure to react on, but the quality of a race is not as simple as meeting a threshold. It shouldn't be. It is a dangerous thing to keep track of because whether a race was enjoyable or exciting is not as objective as hitting a number. It is a feeling. 

It also not as simple as up or down year-to-year. Passing could be down from the year before but still better than every year prior. That was the case at Road America. This year's Road America had a 44.144% decrease in passing, but last year's Road America race had 444 passes. Prior to 2023, no Road America race had more than 250 passes. This year's race had 248 passes, the second-most since 2018.

For all the concerns about passing, the hybrid didn't seem to hurt the oval races later in the season. Gateway had its most passes since 2018. After all the concerns about quality of racing at Milwaukee and Nashville, Milwaukee had 667 passes and 763 passes over its two races. Nashville had 653 passes. For perspective, the average number of passes in an Iowa race prior to this season was 861.375. The average number of passes in the Indianapolis 500 since 2018 is 537.1429 passes. Prior to its exit from the calendar, Texas Motor Speedway races had an average of 516.4386 passes over it seven races from 2018 to 2023.

Along with Gateway, Barber Motorsports Park, Laguna Seca and the Indianapolis Motor Speedway oval each had its most passes in a race since 2018.

Coincidentally, the only tracks this season that had their fewest number of passes since 2018 this season were Mid-Ohio, Iowa and Toronto, the first three tracks after the hybrid was introduced, but even Mid-Ohio and Toronto weren't that far off the average. Mid-Ohio had only 116 passes, but the average there is 161.625. The most passes the track has had since 2018 is 188. This year's Toronto race had 140 passes. The most at Exhibition Place is 184 passes. Neither race was historically bad even by the standard of these circuits. They were low, but not disastrously bad as Iowa.

Not every race can be the greatest ever. Not every season can be the greatest ever. Some races and some years will be adequate. Nothing stellar but nothing horrendous either, and 2024 fell right at that intersection. It feels bad because adequate doesn't feel good enough. IndyCar is looking for more, it wants more, and any missed opportunity to turn heads and grab the viewers by the throat feels like failure. It is unrealistic but unhealthy obsessions are rather easy to embrace. 

It is easy to declare something as worse or disappointing even if the numbers suggest it wasn't that bad at all. We are far from rocking bottom, but that is easier to understand than floating somewhere in the middle, unsure how hard the crash will be, and unsure how far we are from Heaven. 

Champions From the Weekend

Jett Lawrence won the SuperMotocross championship on tiebreaker over brother Hunter Lawrence after Jett Lawrence won the finale from Las Vegas Motor Speedway.

Haiden Deegan clinched 250cc SuperMotocross championship with a runner-up finish behind Pierce Brown.

Winners From the Weekend

You know about Lando Norris, but did you know...

Enea Bastianini won MotoGP's Emilia-Romagna Grand Prix, his second victory of the season. Francesco Bagnaia won the sprint race. Celestino Vietti won the Moto2 race, his second victory of the season. David Alonso won the Moto3 race, his eighth victory of the season.

The #24 BMW M Team RLL BMW of Philipp Eng and Jesse Krohn won IMSA's Battle at the Bricks. The #11 TDS Racing Oreca-Gibson of Mikkel Jensen, Steven Thomas and Hunter McElrea won in LMP2. The #77 AO Racing Porsche of Laurin Heinrich and Michael Christensen won in GTD Pro. The #120 Wright Motorsports Porsche of Jan Heylen, Elliott Skeer and Adam Adelson won in GTD.

Kyle Larson won the NASCAR Cup race from Bristol, his fifth victory of the season. Cole Custer won the Grand National Series race, his second victory of the season. Layne Riggs won the Truck race, his second consecutive victory.

Will Brown and Scott Pye won the Sandown 500.

The #37 TGR Team Deloitte TOM'S Toyota of Uyko Sasahara and Giuliano Alesi won the Super GT race from Sportsland SUGO. The #65 K2 R&D LEON Racing Mercedes-AMG of Naoya Gamou and Takuro Shinohara won in GT300.

The #30 OQ by Oman Racing BMW of Jens Klingmann, Sam De Haan and Ahmad Al Harthy won the 3 Hours of Monza.

Danilo Petrucci swept the World Superbike races from Cremona. Adrián Huertas and Stefano Manzi split the World Supersport races.

Coming Up This Weekend

MotoGP flies from Italy to Indonesia.

The European Le Mans Series makes its first visit to Mugello and keeps Italy busy.

NASCAR begins the second round of its playoffs at Kansas.

The Deutsche Tourenwagen Masters has its penultimate round from the Red Bull Ring. 

World Superbike moves on to Aragón.

Rally Chile is held.

2024 Road to Indy Review

It wasn't only the IndyCar season that finished at Nashville. The Road to Indy concluded its 2024 season at the 1.333-mile oval. Technically, two-thirds of the series were completed at Portland, but the entire ladder system season has come to a close. 

Like IndyCar, we can now review the 2024 Road to Indy season and evaluate how the top drivers did and assess what should come next. Who should move up? Who should stay put? And who have been seen enough from?

Indy Lights

Louis Foster: #26 Copart/Novara Technologies Dallara (1st, 639 points)

What did I write before the season: Foster found his form in the latter stages of last season. He should have the speed to be in the title mix. A few victories is the minimum.

How wrong was it: Foster set the tone for the season and proved to be the driver to beat. He won eight races and he had an 11-race stretch of finishing in the top two. He started on pole position six times. No one could keep up with his pace and Foster clinched the championship a race early.

What should he do in 2025: IndyCar. The problem is there is no sign of any team rushing to sign Foster. This has been the issue with a number of Indy Lights champions. No one was rushing to sign Linus Lundqvist. Christian Rasmussen had to settle for the road/street course driver role at Ed Carpenter Racing. I don't know how dominant you must be in this championship to get a team to sign you, but Foster has shown he is more than ready and he could be successful in a capable pair of hands.

Jacob Abel: #51 Abel Construction Dallara (2nd, 517 points)

What did I write before the season: Abel was a surprise fifth in the championship and was on the verge of a victory for most of the season. That victory should come in 2024. A championship push could be possible, but the top of the field is strong.

How wrong was it: It was a bit of a championship push, but not enough to keep up with Foster, and Abel likely benefitted from a rival being promoted early. It was less competition out there. The results were still going to be strong for Abel, but the level dropped. He won three times and he had ten podium finishes.

What should he do in 2025: Abel wants to get to IndyCar. His father wants to move the team to IndyCar. There are not enough engine leases in IndyCar. The charter system is another wrinkle. A third season in Indy Lights is a net-zero gain. It would not hurt but it isn't going to lift Abel’s value any more. For all the openings in IndyCar, Abel's name does not get thrown about. The only way I see Abel moving up is if his father and Abel Motorsports partners with Dale Coyne Racing with one of those charters. That is feasible and exactly how Coyne wants to run his business. However, if Abel remains in this series, that would not be a surprise.

Caio Collet: #18 HMD Motorsports Dallara (3rd, 436 points)

What did I write before the season: Collet did well in Europe, and he should be a sleeper. It would not be surprising if he picked up a victory or two and ended up on the podium semi-regularly. He should make the championship top ten.   

How wrong was it: Collet performed better than expected. He was one of the few drivers who could get consistent results. The problem is he was not close to Foster or Abel's output. These were new circuits, but Collet adjusted well. He won at Mid-Ohio and he had six podium finishes. 

What should he do in 2025: It has already been announced Collet will return for another Indy Lights season, the correct decision.

Callum Hedge: #17 HMD Motorsports Dallara (4th, 332 points)

What did I write before the season: Track record is hit-or-miss for drivers from Formula Regional Americas coming to Indy Lights. Other past Formula Regional Americas champions include Kyle Kirkwood and Linus Lundqvist. David Malukas won races in the series. Another past champion was Kyffin Simpson, who did not have great Indy Lights results, and then there was Benjamin Pedersen. Hedge will have competitive days, but I don't think the championship will go through him.   

How wrong was it: Hedge had a competitive middle of the season and he made strides forward, but he was still prone to an off day. He was not a factor in the championship, but he made sure he was in the fight for the top five. His best finish was third and he had five top five finishes, but he had six results outside the top ten, including the final three races.

What should he do in 2025: Stick to Indy Lights because he should develop and be contending for more races next year.

No one is looking to sign anyone in Indy Lights at the moment. Other than Foster, Abel, and maybe Jamie Chadwick, all of these drivers are hoping to stay in Indy Lights or will look to sports cars. IndyCar is really not an option for most.

Salvador de Alba: #2 Grupo Indi Dallara (5th, 331 points)

What did I write before the season: De Alba had a good results in USF Pro 2000, and he should have some good days this season. A few podium results should be a good start. A victory would be great. Somewhere in the championship top ten. 

How wrong was it: The results improved as the season went along. De Alba did get a few podium finishes and a few top five finishes. The victory did not come, but this was a good first year in Indy Lights.

What should he do in 2025: De Alba will be back in Indy Lights next year.

James Roe, Jr.: #29 TopCon Dallara (6th, 316 points)

What did I write before the season: Roe, Jr. performed better than expected in 2023. I don't expect much improvement from where he was last year. Another year in seventh would not be a surprise.  

How wrong was it: It was a little better than seventh. It was sixth. Roe, Jr. had a great day at Iowa but ended up second. He also had a third at Barber Motorsports Park. The problem is it was alternating good days and horrible days for Roe, Jr: 16th, third, 15th, fourth, 16th, 18th, fifth, 19th, 15th, second, tenth, 16th, sixth, fourth. Inconsistency hurts.

What should he do in 2025: This was year three in Indy Lights. He did improve from year one to year two but year three was about flat. Roe, Jr. turns 26 years old in October. If he returns, 2025 will likely be his final year in Indy Lights. I think his future is in sports cars.

Jamie Chadwick: #28 VEXT Dallara (7th, 310 points)

What did I write before the season: Improvements from 2023, and Chadwick felt more confident in testing. It is unlikely she will regularly be on the podium or finishing in the top five, but she should be in the top ten more and break into the top five once or twice. 

How wrong was it: Chadwick was not regularly on the podium, but she did have the speed to win at Road America and she had a podium on the Indianapolis Motor Speedway road course. She had a few races slip away from her, but her pace mostly had her in the middle of the top ten.

What should she do in 2025: The pressure is on to get her into IndyCar, but she could use another year to develop better consistency. For the pace she did show, she was not beating on the door for podium finishes on a regular basis. A third season could get her there. But we should acknowledge she turns 27 years old next May. Time could force her forward. Not many drivers made a debut after 27 years old.

Yuven Sundaramoorthy: #22 S Team Motorsports Dallara (8th, 309 points)

What did I write before the season: Sundaramoorthy has been good in the Road to Indy, but not great and it has usually taken him a few years to get up to speed. This feels like a step too soon. He should be outside the top ten in the championship.

How wrong was it: Sundaramoorthy received a boost from a runner-up finish n the season finale, combined with a third at Gateway. He had five consecutive top ten finishes to end the season and seven top ten finishes in the final eight races. This was after opening the season with an average finish of17.6 in the first five races. This year was better than expected and Sundaramoorthy improved over the entire season.

What should he do in 2025: He is set for a step forward in 2025 if he sticks to Indy Lights.

Bryce Aron: #27 Jaguar Land Rover Chesterfield Dallara (9th, 302 points)

What did I write before the season: Aron did ok in Europe, but wasn't lighting the world on fire. He should be behind Foster, but he has a chance to be the second best of the Andretti group. Any trip to the podium will be a good sign.

How wrong was it: Aron ended up at the bottom of the Andretti Global drivers. He had good days and he did get on the podium. He ended on a high note with five consecutive top ten finishes after only three in the first nine races. Every circuit was new to him but adjustments were being made as the season went along.

What should he do in 2025: Aron turns 21 years old at the end of the month. Indy Lights is where he should be in 2025.

Reece Gold: #10 HMD Motorsports Dallara (10th, 289 points)

What did I write before the season: Gold has good spats of results, but he also stumbled into slumps. He should be more settled into the top ten of the championship, but I don't think he will enter that top group.

How wrong was it: Gold wasn't quite in the top group of drivers. He was not competing for podium finishes and he only had consecutive top ten finishes once in 2024. Sadly, his season ended a weekend early due to funding.

What should he do in 2025: Gold is only 20 years old. He has been good, but nothing staggeringly impressive. If he can find the funding, a third year in Indy Lights would be a good thing, but the writing might be on the wall for his single-seater future.

Myles Rowe: #99 HMD Motorsports with Force Indy Dallara (11th, 285 points)

What did I write before the season: Rowe got up to pace quickly in testing. He did show teething issues in U.S. F2000 and USF Pro 2000. He should have a few podium finishes, possible a victory or two. The championship is not out of the question, but it is not a given. 

How wrong was it: After the first five races, the championship quickly became a pipe dream. The results were good, but the teething problems returned. Some were not his fault, but Rowe made his own errors. It was a strange turn of results considering how his season started. He ended the season with two top ten finishes in the final nine races after having five top ten results to open the year. He finished behind Gold, who missed a race.

What should he do in 2025: In the final nine races, Rowe had six finishes of 15th or worse. Rowe didn't forget to drive, and a few of these results were mechanical problems. A tire puncture in Nashville ruined a chance at a top five result. Things should get better next year. Things improved from year one to year two in U.S. F2000. Rowe should return and work on getting better results. 

Christian Bogle: #7 HMD Motorsports Dallara (12th, 284 points)

What did I write before the season: In three Indy Lights seasons, Bogle has finished 11th in the championship each season. He has had only one top five finish in each of the last two seasons. A fourth year should benefit him. This is a large Indy Lights field but not necessarily a stronger Indy Lights field.  

How wrong was it: It was pretty much what we have seen from Bogle. This was a little better, but he was not a threat. His average points per start in four Indy Lights seasons has been 11.35, 21.285, 19 and 20.285. We know who Bogle is.

What should he do in 2025: He turns 24 years old next March. Is anything going to change in year five of Indy Lights? I am sure teams will happily take his money, but Bogle has already been dabbling in sports cars. His future is likely there.

Jonathan Browne: #23 HMD Motorsports Dallara (13th, 279 points)

What did I write before the season: A few good days, but ending up in the back half of the field more times than not. 

How wrong was it: Browne had eight top ten finishes and six finishes outside the top ten, but only two of those results were outside the top fifteen. 

What should he do in 2025: Browne is like Bogle in a sense. This was Browne's first season in Indy Lights, but he has never been one of the best drivers in a season in the Road to Indy. If he does not return to Indy Lights, I don't know where his career goes. 

Josh Pierson: #14 HMD Motorsports Dallara (14th, 264 points)

What did I write before the season: Pierson will focus on Indy Lights this year, and his results should be better. He should be competing for the podium in a few races, and he has an outside shot at the championship. It will require a big step forward, as his best finish last season was sixth. 

How wrong was it: Pierson never really pushed for a podium finish. He didn't even crack the top five. His best finish was seventh. He was never a threat for the championship. After averaging 19.222 points per start in 2023, his average dropped to 18.857 points.

What should he do in 2025: He is technically an Ed Carpenter Racing development driver, but IndyCar development drivers are a meaningless title like "Assistant to the Regional Manager." Pierson will only be 19 years old next year. He should return and see if he can improve. I am not sure anyone expected him to take a step back like this one.

Jack William Miller: #40 Patterson Dental Haven Go by SAAM Dallara (15th, 216 points)

What did I write before the season: Miller has had good days in the Road to Indy, but he has never been the knockout driver. It will be tough to crack the championship top ten this season.

How wrong was it: Miller never got close to the top ten in the championship. He barely made the top ten in a race. His best finish was tenth in both races of the Laguna Seca doubleheader. 

What should he do in 2025: The family money is behind Miller so I expect he will be back next year.

The Rest of the Field

Christian Brooks went on to run the final eight races after Nolan Siegel's sudden promotion to IndyCar. Brooks scored 208 points with top ten finishes in all eight starts, including three top five finishes. 

Nolan Siegel scored 177 points in the five races he ran, which included a victory and a runner-up finish. 

Michael d'Orlando ran out of funding after the first six races but he was able to return for the Nashville season finale. He had a top five finishes and five top ten finishes in seven starts. 

Based on average points per start, these three drivers would have placed fourth (Siegel), fifth (Brooks), and sixth (d'Orlando) respectively in the championship.  

Who should we have seen more of?

It is a bummer d'Orlando's season ended so early. He won the U.S. F2000 championship. His USF Pro 2000 results were either great or terrible and he still finished fourth in that championship last year. He is 22 years old and a career should not be over in the junior series at that age with this level of talent. I hope we see him get a full-time shot in 2025. 

However, second in the 2023 USF Pro 2000 championship only ran one race, and that was Kiko Porto, who filled in for Siegel at Road America when Siegel was called into Juncos Hollinger Racing's IndyCar entry in place of Agustín Canapino. Porto was a regular winner in the Road to Indy. He is only 21 years old. 

The Indy Lights grid has grown but plenty of talent remains shut out.

USF Pro 2000

Lochie Hughes: #44 Turn 3 Motorsport Tatuus

What did I write before the season: Hughes was quickest in testing. His U.S. F2000 championship was derailed when he was caught in a few accidents and he had to be more cautious. With a new season and crash damage not hanging over this head, Hughes is going to be in the fight for the championship.

How wrong was it: Hughes won the championship and he won five times with 11 podium finishes. He ended the season with 14 consecutive top ten finishes. He avoided the accidents and could run for results through the end of the season, running away from the competition in the process.

What should he do in 2025: Indy Lights. Hughes is ready. He has been immediately at the top of every championship he has run at the junior level. Hughes is ready for Indy Lights, and it should not take him long to be quick there either.

Nikita Johnson: #17 Allen Exploration, LCC/Walker's Cay Tatuus (2nd, 355 points)

What did I write before the season: Johnson was already winning in USF Pro 2000 last year. He should be in the thick of it for the championship. Multiple race victories, regularly in the top five.  

How wrong was it: Johnson was in the thick of the championship battle, but after a disqualification, his second half of the season was rough. It was feast or famine. He ended with eight victories, but five fines outside the top ten, including the disqualification. It cost him the championship.

What should he do in 2025: Johnson felt like he was on a rocket ship. He will turn 17 years old next May. I think he could benefit from staying in USF Pro 2000 and putting together a full championship. The disqualification flipped his season. If he goes to Indy Lights, he will be spending at least two, if not three, seasons there. He could spend a second season in USF Pro 2000 and then get to Indy Lights in the year he turns 18 years old. 

Jace Denmark: #20 Pabst Racing Tatuus (3rd, 345 points)

What did I write before the season: Denmark was close to victory on a few occasions last year. The series has reenforced. He could be on the podium a few more times, including a victory, but not make a great leap in the championship. 

How wrong was it: Denmark did make a leap, going from seventh in the championship to third, but victory continued to elude him. He had nine podium finishes, which included five runner-up finishes. He had only three finishes outside the top ten.

What should he do in 2025: Denmark could stay or go. Either would be a good option. Wherever he goes, he must win a race eventually.

Simon Sikes: #18 Mockett/Bell Racing/Sabelt Tatuus (4th, 

What did I write before the season: Sikes pulled through in his first full season in U.S. F2000. His testing results were not spectacular. This season could start slow before Sikes shows better results in the later stages of the season.  

How wrong was it: The season did start slow. In the first 11 races, he had one victory, two podium finishes, three top five finishes and six finishes outside the top ten. In the final seven races, Sikes won one once, had three podium finishes, five top five finishes and his worst finish was eighth.

What should he do in 2025: Sikes turns 24 years old in December. Time almost forces his hand to jump to Indy Lights. With how this season ended, he appears ready for it, but this is a tense time in his career.

Liam Sceats: #26 Tony Quinn Foundation/Omega Rental Cars Tatuus (5th, 272 points)

What did I write before the season: Testing was good, but these will be new tracks. Sceats has a chance to break into the top ten. 

How wrong was it: Sceats broke into the top five, finishing fifth in the championship. He won on the Indianapolis Motor Speedway road course. He had five podium finishes. He ended on a horrendous note with five finishes outside the top ten in the final six races, but this season was better than anticipated. 

What should he do in 2025: He turns 19 years old tomorrow. I think staying in USF Pro 2000 would be a good thing. He could move up to Indy Lights, but another year in this series wouldn't be a bad thing.

Christian Brooks: #19 BUCKED UP/Deploy Surveillance Tatuus (6th, 232 points)

What did I write before the season: Brooks has had his season fail to get through the first round in consecutive years. It feels like if he runs a full season he could be competitive. Until he does that, we should expect the season ending prematurely.  

How wrong was it: Well... Brooks' USF Pro 2000 did end prematurely, but because he moved up to Indy Lights. Prior to leaving, he ran 14 of 18 races. He had four podium finishes and seven top five finishes. He missed four races and he still finished sixth in the championship. Based on points per start, Brooks was on pace for about 298 points, which would have put him fourth in the championship.

What should he do in 2025: He is already doing it. Running Indy Lights.

Danny Dyszelski: #3 Vera Guitars/Formula Imports/Charlotte Mechanical Tatuus (7th, 230 points)

What did I write before the season: Dyszelski was in the top ten in every session at the NOLA test. Top ten in the championship with a few podium and top five finishes is practical. 

How wrong was it: Dyszelski was in the top ten of the championship with a few podium finishes (two) and a few top five finishes (six).  

What should he do in 2025: He will only ten 17 years old next year. Stay in USF Pro 2000 and develop more.

Frankie Mossman: #6 ShopGLD/Offset Sport/Stilo/Simpson Tatuus (8th, 222 points)

What did I write before the season: Bottom half of the championship. 

How wrong was it: Very because Mossman ended up eighth in the championship out of 32 drivers that started a race. To be fair, about 17 drivers ran a vast majority of the schedule, so he was kind of in the middle, but Mossman still had 13 top ten finishes and he even stood on the podium twice.

What should he do in 2025: This might have been better than expected, but Mossman has more room to grow in USF Pro 2000.

Ricardo Escotto: #77 BN Racing Tatuus (9th, 218 points)

What did I write before the season: Escotto was not far off his teammate (Nicolás) Baptiste. Escotto does have experience in this series. His results should improve and he should find a way into the championship top ten. 

How wrong was it: Escotto did improve and he did finish in the top ten of the championship. He didn't win a race but he did have two podium finishes and five top five finishes while finsihingin the top ten in ten races.  

What should he do in 2025: Escotto was already dipping his toe in the Indy Lights water. Another year in USF Pro 2000 could be better, but that ship could have already set sail. His dad sells billboards in Mexico after all. 

Jorge Garciarce: #10 Sidral Aga/Red Cola/Skarch Tatuus (10th, 199 points)

What did I write before the season: Garciarce was good in U.S. F2000, but good is not going to be good enough at this level.  

How wrong was it: Good was good enough for tenth in the championship. Garciarce never scored a top five result, but he did have 11 top ten finishes. 

What should he do in 2025: He spent two seasons in U.S. F2000. He should spend a second season in USF Pro 2000.

The Rest of the Field

Mac Clark missed the Portland finale and he ended up 11th on 187 points with four top five finishes. 

Braden Eves missed the final two rounds at Toronto and Portland despite winning at Indianapolis Raceway Park. Eves' three top five finishes placed him 12th in the championship. 

Hunter Yeany had a victory, three podium finishes and five top five finishes in the first eight races, but his season went no further and he was 14th in the championship.

Who should we have seen more of?

All three of the drivers listed above. It would be nice if the ladder system allowed good drivers to stick around. Yeany was on pace to finish fourth in the championship. Clark had a tough season but he had strong finishes in U.S. F2000. Eves is 25 years old and he missed last season but he has been a regular winner at this level since 2019. 

U.S. F2000

Max Garcia: #24 Advance Auto Parts Tatuus (1st, 428 points)

What did I write before the season: Garcia will only be turning 15 years old a week after St. Petersburg, but he got up to speed quickly last year. He led the NOLA test. He should be one of the championship favorites and pick up a few victories.

How wrong was it: Garcia won the championship and he started his season with three consecutive victories. He did win only two of the remaining 16 races but he started on pole position seven times and his worst finish all season was seventh at Indianapolis Raceway Park. He had ten podium finishes and 15 top five finishes.

What should he do in 2025: Garcia might be 15 years old and will only turn 16 in April, but he must move up to USF Pro 2000. He can pace himself and stay in either of the next two levels for multiple seasons. There is no rush to get to IndyCar by the time you are 18 years old. You can get there at 20 years old and be just fine.

Sam Corry: #23 Redline Oil/Stilo/Simpson Race Products Tatuus (2nd, 355 points)

What did I write before the season: Corry was solidly in the top ten in testing. He could be a fringe player for the top five in the championship.

How wrong was it: Corry took second in the championship thanks to three victories and seven podium finishes, but he had more finishes between sixth and tenth that cost him points.

What should he do in 2025: He turns 17 years old in November. He is ready for USF Pro 2000.

Max Taylor: #3 PINK ETF/Susan G. Komen Foundation Tatuus (3rd, 343 points)

What did I write before the season: Taylor was consistently quick in testing, but never topping the speed charts. Championship top five is in play, but he could be squeezed out. It should not be a cause for concern though for the 16-year-old.

How wrong was it: The pace was there for Taylor to take third in the championship. a slow start and a bad round at St. Petersburg set him back. His first trip to Indianapolis Raceway Park did not go smoothly. He still won four races but he was dug into too deep of a hole. He did push for second, but took third.

What should he do in 2025: Taylor ran USF Juniors and U.S. F2000 simultaneously last year. If you can do both those series, you can move up to USF Pro 2000. However, if he wants to dedicate his attention to U.S. F2000 he could. Taylor turns 17 on October 1.

Evagoras Papasavvas: #6 BodyWise/Tiger Natural Gas/Ares Elite Tatuus (4th, 326 points)

What did I write before the season: Papasavvas is the top returning driver from last season. Experience will go a long way. Papasavvas should win more. He and Max Garcia should be battling it out quite a bit this season. 

How wrong was it: It was kind of the case that Papasavvas battled Garcia, especially in the opening rounds as Papasavvas opened with five consecutive podium finishes. He won twice, which is more than last year, but not quite as much as we were thinking. That consistency at the start could not keep up later in the season, and he dropped to fourth.

What should he do in 2025: Papasavvas likely did not win as much as he hoped, but he is ready for the next level. He can move up and continue to improve.

Joey Brienza: #91 Huntsman Mental Health Foundation/UBS Tatuus (5th, 265 points)

What did I write before the season: Brienza was consistently in the top five at the NOLA test. He might not be a championship favorite, but he should pick up a few podium finishes and could win a race or two.  

How wrong was it: A victory did fall Brienza's way, but he had four podium finishes.He only had two finishes outside the top ten, but he was in the top five in eight races. It got him fifth in the championship. 

What should he do in 2025: A late bloomer, Brienza is 20 years old. He only ran in USF Juniors in 2023. Age would say move up, but another season in U.S. F2000 could be a good thing.

Elliot Cox: #67 Drive Planning/Hartman Oil Tatuus (6th, 264 points)

What did I write before the season: Cox will be in a fight to finish in the championship top ten.  

How wrong was it: Cox did better than fight for the top ten, he fought in the middle of the top ten. There were some down weekends, but he did get on the podium a few times.

What should he do in 2025: Stay in U.S. F2000 for another season. Cox is only 17 years old. He improved from 12th in 2023 to sixth in 2024. Another year will be beneficial for him.

Nicolas Giaffone: #1 OMNI Tatuus (7th, 245 points)

What did I write before the season: Giaffone is coming in off an impressive USF Juniors season. At 18 years old, he is a little older than others in this series. He should be in the championship top ten, but there should be tougher weekends than what he experienced last year. 

How wrong was it: It was tougher than last year as Giaffone did not get a top five finish until the seventh race of the season. He ended the season with nine consecutive top ten finishes.

What should he do in 2025: Giaffone turns 20 years old on October 5. Staying in U.S. F2000 could be a good thing, but like Brienza, time could tell him to move up.

Hudson Schwartz: #22 Lucas Oil School of Racing/Axios/Axios HQ Tatuus (8th, 227 points)

What did I write before the season: Schwartz ran respectable times in the NOLA test. He will have tough competition within his own team. The goal should be somewhere in the championship top ten. He will only turn 15 years old this May. Regular top ten results would be a good year.

How wrong was it: Schwartz was a regular top ten finisher, and it got him a good championship finish. He had only three top five finishes with one podium result.

What should he do in 2025: Schwartz is only 15 years old. Stay in U.S. F2000 and build off this season.

Michael Costello: #8 ProGuard Warranty Tatuus (9th, 218 points)

What did I write before the season: Costello showed good speed in testing. He wasn't quite pushing for the top five. He looks like a consistent top ten finisher that could pull out some top five results. 

How wrong was it: Costello had ten top ten finishes but he pulled out some better results, three podium finishes with a victory in the final weekend at Portland. 

What should he do in 2025: Stick to U.S. F2000. He should look to get more consistent finishes in the top five and pull out some more victories.

Quinn Armstrong: #11 NDA Tatuus (10th, 184 points)

What did I write before the season: Armstrong was constantly between eighth and 14th in testing. Making the championship top ten would be a good season.

How wrong was it: Armstrong took tenth with some room to spare. It was a good season. Nothing brilliants, but a good year.

What should he do in 2025: Stay in U.S. F2000. He got a feel for the car. A second season will get better results.

The Rest of the Field

Ayrton Houk was 11th on 161 points. 

Thomas Schrage won three pole positions and stood on the podium twice while finishing 12th in the championship on 156 points. 

There were three drivers that won that finished outside the top ten in the finish. G3 Argyros won the final race at Portland as he focused on USF Juniors. Tanner DeFabis won at IRP but his season ended after Road America. Nico Christodoulou won at NOLA Motorsports Park, but he only made it through the first seven races.

Who should we have seen more of?

Christodoulou, though he did move up and run a few rounds in USF Pro 2000. It is tough to see so many young drivers winning races but still unable to secure funding for a full season and living round to round. We lose out when such talent is not competing, and we get a weaker IndyCar in the process.