League One
Washington, D.C. marks the final weekend of the regular season. For a number of teams, a spot has already been secured in the playoffs, a few teams are out of the mix, and in some instances everything is still to play for.
The top four from each conference will make the playoffs. Fifth will remain in League One for 2027. Sixth and seventh in each conference will participate in the relegation playoff. Eighth will be relegated for next season.
Results
| Conference #1 | Conference #2 | |
Week #11 (Mid-Ohio) | #10 CGR def. #12 Penske (5-8) | #5 McLaren def. #3 Penske (7-24) |
| #27 Andretti def. #2 Penske (3-9) | #4 Foyt def. #9 CGR (11-17) | |
| #7 McLaren def. #21 ECR (2-7) | #60 MSR def. #18 Coyne (13-23) | |
| #26 Andretti def. #6 McLaren (6-10) | #66 MSR def. #14 Foyt (14-19) | |
Week #12 (Nashville) | #10 CGR def. #26 Andretti (1-20) | #5 McLaren def. #66 MSR (7-24) |
| #27 Andretti def. #7 McLaren (10-16) | #60 MSR def. #9 CGR (5-18) | |
| #12 Penske def. #6 McLaren (3-11) | #3 Penske def. #14 Foyt (4-13) | |
| #2 Penske def. #21 ECR (2-22) | #18 Coyne def. #4 Foyt (14-25) | |
Week #13 (Portland) | #10 CGR def. #2 Penske (1-9) | #60 MSR def. #5 McLaren (2-11) |
| #26 Andretti def. #27 Andretti (3-5) | #9 CGR def. #66 MSR (14-25) | |
| #12 Penske def. #21 ECR (12-24) | #3 Penske def. #18 Coyne (17-19) | |
| #2 Penske def. #6 McLaren (8-18) | #4 Foyt def. #14 Foyt (20-21) | |
Week #14 (Markham) | #10 CGR def. #27 Andretti (4-21) | #5 McLaren def. #9 CGR (5-18) |
| #26 Andretti def. #7 McLaren (3-6) | #66 MSR def. #60 MSR (16-24) | |
| #2 Penske def. #12 Penske (13-17) | #3 Penske def. #4 Foyt (8-19) | |
| #6 McLaren def. #21 ECR (12-23) | #18 Coyne def. #14 Foyt (2-10) |
Conference One Standings
#10 Ganassi 11-3
#27 Andretti 10-4
#12 Penske 10-4
#7 McLaren 8-6
#2 Penske 7-7
#26 Andretti 6-8
#6 McLaren 2-12
#21 ECR 2-12
We know the playoff spots in Conference #1, and we are worried about the seeding. While the #7 McLaren and the #2 Penske could finish tied at 8-7, the #7 McLaren is 2-0 head-to-head over the #2 Penske this season with victories at St. Petersburg and Detroit. No matter what, the #7 McLaren will be the #4-seed in the quarterfinals of the playoffs.
The #10 Ganassi entry has locked up the #1-seed. While either or both the #27 Andretti and #12 Penske could finish level with the #10 Ganassi, the #10 Ganassi is 4-0 against those two entries.
The #27 Andretti and #12 Penske split their head-to-head meetings, and the #27 Andretti holds the #2-seed based on its championship position, second over the #12 Penske's third. What are the odds that the top four teams in the championship ended up in the same conference, and they are all position in their exact championship positions, one to four in conference?
While it appears the #2 Penske could be fighting to hold onto fifth and avoid the relegation playoff, it has already been clinched security to League One in 2027. The #2 Penske is 2-0 against the #26 Andretti with victories at Phoenix and Gateway. Those were not only head-to-head victories. Josef Newgarden won those races outright.
We know the #26 Andretti will be in the relegation playoff, and the automatic relegation spot is still undecided. The #6 McLaren moved out of the drop zone after it defeated the #21 ECR entry at Markham. Both of the #6 McLaren's victories have been against the #21 ECR entry. The other victory was the Indianapolis 500.
It is simple. If the #6 McLaren wins, it remains up, barring the #21 ECR doesn't overcome the 31-point deficit in the championship.
Conference Two Standings
#5 McLaren 12-2
#3 Penske 11-3
#60 Meyer Shank 9-5
#66 Meyer Shank 7-7
#18 Coyne 6-8
#9 Ganassi 6-8#14 Foyt 3-11
#4 Foyt 2-12
The #1-seed is still on the line in Conference #2. The #5 McLaren and the #3 Penske entries have a game between them, but they split their head-to-head meetings. There are 40 points between the #5 McLaren and the #3 Penske. Even if the #5 McLaren loses its head-to-head matchup at Washington, D.C., it will likely hold onto the #1-seed but there is slim chance it could flip.
We know the #60 MSR entry will be locked into the #3-seed for Conference Two. The final playoff spot, the safe spot for remaining in League One next year and one of the relegation playoff spots are all up for grabs between three teams.
The #66 MSR entry holds onto fourth at the moment... however, the #66 MSR entry has split both its matchups with the #9 CGR entry and the #18 Coyne entry. However! The #18 Coyne entry went 2-0 against the #9 CGR entry, defeating it at St. Petersburg and Detroit.
If there is a three-way tie with the #66 MSR losing at Washington, D.C. and both the #9 CGR and #18 Coyne entries winning, the #18 Coyne will make the playoffs, the #66 MSR will take fifth and the #9 CGR entry will be in the relegation playoff. If the #66 MSR entry ends up tied with only one of the #9 CGR entry or the #18 Coyne entry, it will come down to championship position. The #9 CGR entry is 20 points ahead of the #66 MSR while the #18 Coyne entry is 35 points behind the #66 MSR entry.
Relegation is decided. Though the #14 Foyt entry is only one game ahead of the #4 Foyt entry and they can end the season tied on record, and the #14 Foyt entry is 67 points ahead of the #4 Foyt, an insurmountable amount in one race. Even if they finished tied, the #14 Foyt entry cannot be surpassed in the championship.
For Week 15, we have League One inter-conference matchups for the first time since we began doing this exercise, and these matchups are set via where each team was seeded at the start of the season. The top entry from each conference was paired together with second paired second, third paired with third, and so on all the way down to the eighth-seeded teams facing one another.
Week 15 Matchups
#10 CGR vs. #5 McLaren
#27 Andretti vs. #9 CGR
#7 McLaren vs. #60 MSR
#26 Andretti vs. #66 MSR
#12 Penske vs. #3 Penske
#2 Penske vs. #4 Foyt
#21 ECR vs. #18 Coyne
#6 McLaren vs. #14 Foyt
Going down the fixture list in the final week we have...
Essentially a dead rubber between the top teams from each conference, foreshadowing a potential championship matchup...
Two teams meeting with one wanting to win to lock up second and the other needing a win to make the playoffs or at least take fifth and secure a place in League One for 2027...
A dead-rubber with the #7 McLaren locked into fourth and the #60 MSR locked into third in their respective conferences...
A matchup where one team has nothing to race for and the other must win to clinch a playoff spot...
One Penske car racing for seeding against another Penske car that could improve its seeding but would need significant help to do so and is essentially locked into second, and this could be a quarterfinal matchup in the playoffs.
A dead-rubber with the #2 Penske locked into fifth and the #4 Foyt locked into eighth and relegated.
One team looking to avoid relegation versus a team that could be in the playoffs but could also wind up in the relegation playoff.
A matchup with one entry needing a win to at least clinch a relegation playoff spot versus a car that will definitely be in the relegation playoff.
Tentative Quarterfinal Matchups
#10 CGR vs. #66 MSR
#3 Penske vs. #12 Penske
#27 Andretti vs. #60 MSR
#5 McLaren vs. #7 McLaren
League Two
This is a double-round robin, meaning all nine entries will face each other twice. The top three teams will be promoted.
Week #11 (Mid-Ohio) | #20 ECR def. #47 RLLR (20-24) |
#8 Ganassi def. #28 Andretti (15-21) | |
#76 JHR def. #19 Coyne (4-25) | |
#45 RLLR def. #77 JHR (18-22) | |
Week #12 (Nashville) | #77 JHR def. #20 ECR (15-23) |
#8 Ganassi def. #45 RLLR (9-17) | |
#28 Andretti def. #76 JHR (6-12) | |
#47 RLLR def. #15 RLLR (8-19) | |
Week #13 (Portland) | #45 RLLR def. #20 ECR (15-19) |
#76 JHR def. #15 RLLR (4-23) | |
#28 Andretti def. #19 Coyne (6-13) | |
#47 RLLR def. #77 JHR (16-22) | |
Week #14 (Markham) | #28 Andretti def. #20 ECR (1-20) |
#77 JHR def. #8 Ganassi (11-14) | |
#76 JHR def. #47 RLLR (7-25) | |
#15 RLLR def. #19 Coyne (9-15) |
League Two Standings
#45 RLLR 8-4
#8 Ganassi 8-4
#76 JHR 8-5
#28 Andretti 7-5
#15 RLLR 6-6
#20 ECR 6-7
#77 JHR 6-7
#19 Coyne 4-8
#47 RLLR 3-10
It is insanely tight in League Two with everyone having either three or four matchups remaining. The only team eliminated from promotion is the #47 RLLR.
The #45 RLLR is 2-0 against the #8 Ganassi. The #45 RLLR defeated the #76 JHR at Detroit, and these two will meet in the penultimate race of the season at Milwaukee. The #28 Andretti has won a race outright this season and is on the outside of promotion. The good news for the #28 Andretti is it faces the bottom two teams in the final four weeks. It also has the #45 RLLR in the first Milwaukee race.
The #19 Coyne entry has lost four consecutive matchups with four matchups remaining and needing to win all of those with some help to have any shot to finish in the top three.
We will come back when the season is complete and see how everything shakes out.
