Let's Look at the League - 2025 Season

We are a little more than a week from the 2025 IndyCar season opener from St. Petersburg. While we have previewed every team and full-time driver, the start of the season re-ignites other extracurricular activities for the series, and for the seventh year, we are bringing back the League Format for the IndyCar Series.

In case you need a reminder...

Imagine the IndyCar season as any other sports league season. Teams are placed in conferences and each week of competition the teams go head-to-head against one another with one team coming out as the winner and the other being the loser. Each victory counts in the league standings with a playoff to determine the champion while the worst teams are relegated. Meanwhile, in the division below, teams are fighting to earn promotion into the top league. 

If you remember last year, I have good news for you. The format is the same. 

With the IndyCar grid remaining the same size, there was no point in trying to reinvent the wheel. Twenty-seven is an odd number to work with, literally and figuratively, and instead of exploring more formats and breakdowns, I am keeping it easy on myself. 

League One is still 16 teams, split into two conferences with a double round robin and no inter-conference play. The top four from each advance to the playoffs to decide a champion.

Fifth in each conference is guaranteed safety in League One for the following season. Sixth and seventh-place from each conference will enter the relegation playoff. The loser of that playoff will be relegated to League Two along with the automatically relegated teams that finished eighth in each conference. 

League Two remains 11 teams in a single round robin. After the round robin, the top two teams earn promotion to League One for the following season. The 11th-place team will be eliminated and the remaining eight entries will advance to the second phase.

The second phase will split the remaining eight entries into two groups where another round robin takes place. The top two from the groups will advance to the promotion playoff where the winner will earn the third and final promotion spot.

How does League One look this season?

Conference One

#10 Ganassi
#12 Penske
#5 McLaren
#2 Penske
#7 McLaren
#60 Meyer Shank
#28 Andretti
#15 RLLR

Conference Two

#26 Andretti
#3 Penske
#9 Ganassi
#27 Andretti
#14 Foyt
#45 RLLR
#21 ECR
#6 McLaren

Entering as defending champion is the #27 Andretti entry and it is paired in the same conference as last year's runner-up, the #9 Ganassi entry. Last year's semifinalists, the #12 Penske and #5 McLaren are both in the same conference. Quarterfinalists, the #10 Ganassi, #2 Penske, #26 Andretti and #3 Penske, are all evenly split across the conferences.

The #6 McLaren and #7 McLarens each were fifth in their respective conferences last year. The #15 RLLR and #45 RLLR entries each survived the relegation playoff as did the #28 Andretti. The #14 Foyt, #60 Meyer Shank and #21 ECR are all the promoted entries. The #21 ECR entry made it via the playoff.

Schedule

	Conference One	Conference Two
Week 1 (St. Petersburg)	#10 CGR vs. #15 RLLR	#26 Andretti vs. #6 McLaren
	#12 Penske vs. #28 Andretti	#3 Penske vs. #21 ECR
	#5 McLaren vs. #60 MSR	#9 CGR vs. #45 RLLR
	#2 Penske vs #7 McLaren	#27 Andretti vs. #14 Foyt
Week 2 (Thermal)	#10 CGR vs. #28 Andretti	#26 Andretti vs. #21 ECR
	#12 Penske vs. #15 RLLR	#3 Penske vs. #6 McLaren
	#5 McLaren vs. #7 McLaren	#9 CGR vs. #14 Foyt
	#2 Penske vs. #60 MSR	#27 Andreti vs. #45 RLLR
Week 3 (Long Beach)	#10 CGR vs. #60 MSR	#26 Andretti vs. #45 RLLR
	#12 Penske vs. #7 McLaren	#3 Penske vs. #14 Foyt
	#5 McLaren vs. #15 RLLR	#9 CGR vs. #6 McLaren
	#2 Penske vs. #28 Andretti	#27 Andretti vs. #21 ECR
Week 4 (Barber)	#10 CGR vs. #7 McLaren	#26 Andretti vs. #14 Foyt
	#12 Penske vs. #60 MSR	#3 Penske vs. #45 RLLR
	#5 McLaren vs. #28 Andretti	#9 CGR vs. #21 ECR
	#2 Penske vs. #15 RLLR	#27 Andretti vs. #6 McLaren
Week 5 (GPOI)	#10 CGR vs. #2 Penske	#26 Andretti vs. #27 Andretti
	#12 Penske vs. #5 McLaren	#3 Penske vs. #9 CGR
	#7 McLaren vs. #15 RLLR	#14 Foyt vs. #6 McLaren
	#60 MSR vs. #28 Andretti	#45 RLLR vs. #21 ECR
Week 6 (Indianapolis 500)	#10 CGR vs. #5 McLaren	#26 Andretti vs. #9 CGR
	#12 Penske vs. #2 Penske	#3 Penske vs. #27 Andretti
	#7 McLaren vs. #28 Andretti	#14 Foyt vs. #21 ECR
	#60 MSR vs. #15 RLLR	#45 RLLR vs. #6 McLaren
Week 7 (Detroit)	#10 CGR vs. #12 Penske	#26 Andretti vs. #3 Penske
	#5 McLaren vs. #2 Penske	#9 CGR vs. #27 Andretti
	#7 McLaren vs. #60 MSR	#14 Foyt vs. #45 RLLR
	#28 Andretti vs. #15 RLLR	#21 ECR vs. #6 McLaren
Week 8 (Gateway)	#10 CGR vs. #15 RLLR	#26 Andretti vs. #6 McLaren
	#12 Penske vs. #28 Andretti	#3 Penske vs. #21 ECR
	#5 McLaren vs. #60 MSR	#9 CGR vs. #45 RLLR
	#2 Penske vs #7 McLaren	#27 Andretti vs. #14 Foyt
Week 9 (Road America)	#10 CGR vs. #28 Andretti	#26 Andretti vs. #21 ECR
	#12 Penske vs. #15 RLLR	#3 Penske vs. #6 McLaren
	#5 McLaren vs. #7 McLaren	#9 CGR vs. #14 Foyt
	#2 Penske vs. #60 MSR	#27 Andreti vs. #45 RLLR
Week 10 (Mid-Ohio)	#10 CGR vs. #60 MSR	#26 Andretti vs. #45 RLLR
	#12 Penske vs. #7 McLaren	#3 Penske vs. #14 Foyt
	#5 McLaren vs. #15 RLLR	#9 CGR vs. #6 McLaren
	#2 Penske vs. #28 Andretti	#27 Andretti vs. #21 ECR
Week 11 (Iowa)	#10 CGR vs. #7 McLaren	#26 Andretti vs. #14 Foyt
	#12 Penske vs. #60 MSR	#3 Penske vs. #45 RLLR
	#5 McLaren vs. #28 Andretti	#9 CGR vs. #21 ECR
	#2 Penske vs. #15 RLLR	#27 Andretti vs. #6 McLaren
Week 12 (Iowa)	#10 CGR vs. #2 Penske	#26 Andretti vs. #27 Andretti
	#12 Penske vs. #5 McLaren	#3 Penske vs. #9 CGR
	#7 McLaren vs. #15 RLLR	#14 Foyt vs. #6 McLaren
	#60 MSR vs. #28 Andretti	#45 RLLR vs. #21 ECR
Week 13 (Toronto)	#10 CGR vs. #5 McLaren	#26 Andretti vs. #9 CGR
	#12 Penske vs. #2 Penske	#3 Penske vs. #27 Andretti
	#7 McLaren vs. #28 Andretti	#14 Foyt vs. #21 ECR
	#60 MSR vs. #15 RLLR	#45 RLLR vs. #6 McLaren
Week 14 (Laguna Seca)	#10 CGR vs. #12 Penske	#26 Andretti vs. #3 Penske
	#5 Mclaren vs. #2 Penske	#9 CGR vs. #27 Andretti
	#7 McLaren vs. #60 MSR	#14 Foyt vs. #45 RLLR
	#28 Andretti vs. #15 RLLR	#21 ECR vs. #6 McLaren

League Two

#8 Ganassi
#77 JHR
#66 MSR
#78 JHR
#20 ECR
#30 RLLR
#4 Foyt
#51 Coyne
#18 Coyne
#83 Prema
#90 Prema

The #8 Ganassi entry and the #11 Ganassi entry were the automatically relegated teams from League One in 2024. The #77 Juncos Hollinger Racing entry lost the relegation playoff and was sent down as well. 

As you know, with Chip Ganassi Racing downsizing to three cars and scuttling the #11 and #4 entries, both of those entrants are no longer in the league format. However, with the introduction of the two Prema entries, those spots are quickly filled and League Two remains at 11 teams.

Schedule

Week 1 (St. Petersburg)	#8 CGR vs. #51 Coyne
	#77 JHR vs. #18 Coyne
	#66 MSR vs. #4 Foyt
	#78 JHR vs. #20 ECR
	#30 RLLR vs. #83 Prema
Week 2 (Thermal)	#77 JHR vs. #30 RLLR
	#66 MSR vs. #20 ECR
	#78 JHR vs. #18 Coyne
	#4 Foyt vs. #90 Prema
	#51 Coyne vs. #83 Prema
Week 3 (Long Beach)	#8 CGR vs. #20 ECR
	#66 MSR vs. #30 RLLR
	#78 JHR vs. #90 Prema
	#4 Foyt vs. #83 Prema
	#51 Coyne vs. #18 Coyne
Week 4 (Barber)	#8 CGR vs. #66 MSR
	#77 JHR vs. #20 ECR
	#30 RLLR vs. #4 Foyt
	#51 Coyne vs. #90 Prema
	#18 Coyne vs. #83 Prema
Week 5 (GPOI)	#8 CGR vs. #4 Foyt
	#77 JHR vs. #83 Prema
	#66 MSR vs. #90 Prema
	#78 JHR vs. #30 RLLR
	#30 RLLR vs. #78 JHR
Week 6 (Indianapolis 500)	#8 CGR vs. #30 RLLR
	#77 JHR vs. #90 Prema
	#66 MSR vs. #18 Coyne
	#78 JHR vs. #51 Coyne
	#20 ECR vs. #4 Foyt
Week 7 (Detroit)	#8 CGR vs. #78 JHR
	#66 MSR vs. #77 JHR
	#20 ECR vs. #18 Coyne
	#4 Foyt vs. #51 Coyne
	#83 Prema vs. #90 Prema
Week 8 (Gateway)	#8 CGR vs. #77 JHR
	#66 MSR vs. #51 Coyne
	#78 JHR vs. #83 Prema
	#20 ECR vs. #30 RLLR
	#18 Coyne vs. #90 Prema
Week 9 (Road America)	#8 CGR vs. #18 Coyne
	#77 JHR vs. #51 Coyne
	#66 MSR vs. #83 Prema
	#78 JHR vs. #4 Foyt
	#30 RLLR vs. #90 Prema
Week 10 (Mid-Ohio)	#8 CGR vs. #83 Prema
	#77 JHR vs. #4 Foyt
	#66 MSR vs. #78 JHR
	#20 ECR vs. #90 Prema
	#30 RLLR vs. #18 Coyne
Week 11 (Iowa)	#8 CGR vs. #90 Prema
	#77 JHR vs. #78 JHR
	#20 ECR vs. #83 Prema
	#30 RLLR vs. #51 Coyne
	#4 Foyt vs. #18 Coyne

The second phase would begin with the second Iowa race before taking place at Toronto and Laguna Seca. Portland and Milwaukee will round out the promotion playoff. Portland and Milwaukee will also serve as the locations for the relegation playoff semifinals and final.

In League One, the playoffs will run over Portland, Milwaukee and Nashville.

We will keep an eye on the league sporadically over the 2025 season at key points as we approach the playoffs and settle who will be promoted and who will be relegated.