Musings From the Weekend: Hola, Phase Two!

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

MotoGP's final grand prix at Phillip Island was cancelled due to poor weather preventing the medical helicopter from leaving the circuit. Moto3 and Moto2 races were also cancelled. At least we got a sprint race where Marc Márquez took victory and Jorge Martín suffered a forearm injury while battling Márquez for the lead. Márquez takes a ten-point lead into Sepang next week. Elsewhere, NASCAR was in Talladega and the championship could be clinched next week at Martinsville, Formula One was in Austin and the championship could be clinched next week at Mexico City, and IndyCar answered the question, "Where is Phase Two?" The full 2027 IndyCar schedule is here. Where do you think we would begin this week?

Hola, Phase Two!

On Friday, IndyCar's latest best-kept secret became public in an announcement from Barcelona. With series champion Álex Palou present, the series confirmed it will race at Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya in 2027 with a race announced for July 18. The deal reportedly is a ten-year agreement to bring IndyCar to Catalunya. It will be IndyCar's first fly-away race since 2013, and it is American open-wheel racing's first venue to Europe since 2007.

About three hours after the announcement from Barcelona, the remainder of the 2027 calendar was confirmed. 

There are a few changes, nothing was added into the opening half of the calendar, which was announced during the "Phase One" announcement back in August, and a smattering of people are upset about the lack of oval races, especially as another oval track has fallen off the schedule.

So... you know... same as it ever was in IndyCar.

We already knew the season would begin with three consecutive races at the start of March from St. Petersburg to Phoenix on the NASCAR weekend to the second Arlington race. Barber Motorsports Park will run the first Sunday in April with Long Beach occurring two weeks after that. There will be a month between races with the Grand Prix of Indianapolis on May 15 before the Indianapolis 500 on May 30 and Detroit the week after that. 

Between Phase One and Phase Two, Gateway and Road America announced, accidentally and intentionally respectively, their races on June 13 and June 27 respectively. 

What Phase Two has confirmed is a summer that is largely unchanged.

July 4th will be spent at Mid-Ohio. Two weeks later will be Barcelona. Two weeks after that will be Portland. Two weeks after that, IndyCar's second international trip to Markham. Two weeks after that, two races at Milwaukee. A week after Milwaukee will be the season finale from Laguna Seca on September 5. The good news is the races are spaced out.

The only change is Barcelona in and Nashville Superspeedway leaves the schedule as Music City Grand Prix promoters wanted to turn their focus to the event returning to a downtown street race. Washington, D.C. is also absent after being long suspected as a one-off event. 

Look... I am older, I have been around, everything hurts, this is an IndyCar schedule. It is no different from many IndyCar schedules before it. There is nothing to be overly upset about. It wasn't that long ago we had three ovals on the schedule with one being a doubleheader, and we all survived. The core of the schedule is still there, and now there is an international race. 

If you had been told on Carb Day this past May that IndyCar would have a European race in 2027, majority of the fanbase likely would have been thrilled. The problem is Nashville ran into its own issue with a promoter no longer fancying an oval race 45 minutes outside the city as an alternative event in the area, and another oval falls off the schedule with none to replace it. 

So... you know... same as it ever was in IndyCar. 

I have been in the mob, and now I am outside of it, perhaps because sanity and reason has washed over me. IndyCar could use a few more oval races, but for the better part of the last two decades ovals die because crowds dwindled and most were in front of empty grandstands. Texas Motor Speedway didn't go away because it was doing too well. There weren't 10,000 people there the last few years. 

It is an unfortunate cycle for IndyCar oval events. An IndyCar oval race is a promising first year but with room for growth, the second year is flat or slightly less and then a decline occurs that either leads to a exit after year three or a slower decline that sees an oval get a few more years. Milwaukee this year wasn't spectacular after two strong years before, and some of that might have been the weather this year, but it could have always been the lost of steam after a strong start.

I might be outside the mob, but I am realistic about the oval issues, and I am not a part of the other mob saying "Fans need to support ovals." The same 15,000 people cannot attend a half-dozen oval races spread across four time zones. If IndyCar is promoting better viewership and more interest in the series, it must be able to attract crowd from the local areas that can support these races. 

Nashville, Tennessee has about two million people living its the metropolitan area. IndyCar cannot draw out 35,000 locals for its one visit to town? That isn't a lot of people and Nashville Superspeedway only holds 40,000 people for the NASCAR Cup race. IndyCar might only need 30,000 to sell out the race. 

IndyCar cannot speak out both sides of its both and say viewership is up and more people who were previously not engaged with IndyCar are now watching, and yet cannot find anyone new to the audience to support its races, especially oval races. 

Formula One has added two races in the United States over the last five years, and those races don't have the same 100,000 people attending them who have been Formula One races in this country for the last 25 or 30 years. Those people are new. Those people started watching in 2019 or 2020 or 2021 and now they are spending $3,500 for three-day tickets. Those people were out there and there are still people out there like them who will engaging with something that feels worthy of their attention. 

Formula One could add a race anywhere in this country and 150,000 people would be there on race day. IndyCar adds a race and it cannot even break 15,000 people but it fingers will point the failure to the people who already watch IndyCar on a regular basis for not showing up when the race is two time zones over. 

And quick sidebar, why does every IndyCar race live-and-die by the walkup crowd? This isn't a Formula One or NASCAR issue. It shouldn't come down to weather, and whether or not 5,000 to 8,000 people decide they feel like they want to go to a race within 48 hours of it taking place. IndyCar must get to a place where the demand is there and people want to go and know they will be going six months or more before it happens. That is what makes a race an event. People are planning to do it months in advance, not waiting and seeing if they are free that weekend or if the weather is going to be hospitable. 

Any councilor would look at the relationship between IndyCar and its regular followers as a severely damaged relationship, and no one within the series wants to address it. If it was an intimate relationship, it would be advised to cease the cohabitation immediately. 

This is what an IndyCar schedule has been essentially since 2012. It isn't bad. There are holes. It is frustrating the series does not do more to fill the craters and set it up more for success. Fixes are always pushed 18 months down the line and we are always back where we started 18 months later. It would be nice if the series showed more proactiveness. IndyCar has taken on promoting more of its events, see buying Long Beach and setting up Milwaukee, but no one else is stepping up to help with the remaining issues. As much as the series might not want to acknowledge it, the remaining problems will only be solved when the series steps up and addressed them on its own.

There does feel like lost momentum after Washington, D.C. where an event attracted 100,000 some-odd people each day and now there is no race in that area in the country. I know a fair number of people were there because it was free, but there must be at least 40,000 people who attended that would travel and buy a ticket to Richmond and then another 15,000 people who weren't at Washington, D.C., but who live in the area and would also go to Richmond. 

Even if it was a place holder, Richmond makes sense for the first weekend in May, two weeks after Long Beach and two weeks prior to the Grand Prix of Indianapolis. It might cost a pretty penny to rent out, but IndyCar already spent $35 million for Washington D.C. A Richmond race must cost a tenth of that, and it could have kept five oval circuits on the schedule while filling a month gap. Yet, the opportunity was missed. 

Of course, easier said than done, but it feels like something that should bother the series and IndyCar should step up and address it. Yet the track record told us it wouldn't do a thing and it didn't do a thing. We cannot be surprised, but we can continue to feel disappointed. 

For all the talk of growth, it is hard to see. Yes, we have an international race and a trip to Europe and a world-class city in Barcelona, but simultaneously an oval race has been lost. Growth is adding to what you already have. This is another case of net-zero change for IndyCar. One event enters and another leaves. An event fell off the schedule because the promoter grew tired of the challenge. If Nashville Superspeedway was successful and making money for the Music City Grand Prix promoters, it would be on the schedule in 2027. It wouldn't be spinning it as focusing on returning the race to downtown Nashville. They are in the money-making business, and the money wasn't in Lebanon, Tennessee. 

Maybe we need to properly frame whatever metrics IndyCar is using in terms of growth because entering 2027 the series feels like it is exactly where it has been for the last 15 years. It could be worse but let's not confuse it for being better than ever before even with a European trip planned next summer. 

Winners From the Weekend

You know about Marc Márquez, but did you know...

Andrea Kimi Antonelli won the United States Grand Prix, his ninth victory of the season.

Chaz Mostert and Broc Feeney split the Supercars races from Surfers Paradise.

Kyle Larson won the NASCAR Cup race from Talladega, his third victory of the season. Sammy Smith won the Grand National Series race and Truck race from Talladega, and Smith became the first non-Cup driver to win the lower NASCAR national touring series races in the same weekend at the same track since Greg Biffle won at Phoenix in 2001.

Coming Up This Weekend

Formula One spends the holiday weekend in Mexico City, and Andrea Kimi Antonelli could clinch the championship.

MotoGP hopes the weather cooperates in Malaysia.

NASCAR's penultimate weekend will be in Martinsville, and Kyle Larson could clinch the championship.

IndyCar Wrap-Up: Chip Ganassi Racing's 2026 Season

We have reached the end of our IndyCar Wrap-Up series, and for the fourth consecutive year, we are ending with Chip Ganassi Racing. Álex Palou made history and became only the second driver to win four consecutive IndyCar championships. With this title, Chip Ganassi Racing moved into the all-time lead in championships. For all the history that was made, it was a sliding-door season for the team, as much change is awaiting this group for 2027.

Álex Palou

What else must be said? It was not the same level of domination we saw in 2025, and Palou did not win the Indianapolis 500, but he was firmly in control of the championship almost from the drop of the green flag. Palou did have bad races. He had some unlucky breaks, but his form was too strong for those to be any cause for concern. 

What objectively was his best race?

Palou led in IndyCar victories for another season as Palou won six times, and he became the third driver in IndyCar history to win at least six races in consecutive seasons joining Mario Andretti and Sébastien Bourdais. Palou won at St. Petersburg, Barber Motorsports Park, Long Beach, Detroit, Nashville and Portland.

What subjectively was his best race?

Barber was Palou's most dominant race, leading 79 of 90 laps and winning by over 13 seconds. For a moment, it looked like Palou was in danger of losing the lead through pit cycle to Christian Lundgaard, but Palou's team nailed the stop and he drove off into the sunset. 

What objectively was his worst race?

Contact with Rinus VeeKay on a restart ended Palou's Phoenix race after 21 laps and he was classified in 24th position.

What subjectively was his worst race?

Washington, D.C. was a race where nothing went right for Palou and the #10 Ganassi team. Where do we begin? Palou started on pole position but lost the lead immediately when Kyle Kirkwood had the better start. Not the end of the world as Palou was still second. 

Then Palou clipped Mick Schumacher's tire in the pit lane and it led to a penalty, knocking Palou down the order. On the next pit stop, the crew had an issue with the left front tire, costing Palou more time. He attempted to go off strategy to somehow get back to the front before clipping a barrier and damaging his left rear suspension. Repairs were made, but Palou was 20th.

Gateway should be mentioned because Palou lost a potentially victory when he ran out of fuel under caution entering his pit box. This issue cost him a lap, and took him out of the running for a stellar finish.

Alex Palou's 2026 Statistics

Championship Position: 1st (631 points)
Wins: 6
Podiums: 7 
Top Fives: 12
Top Tens: 15
Laps Led: 673
Poles: 8
Fast Sixes: 11 
Fast Twelves: 13 
Average Start: 3.611
Average Finish: 6.555

Scott Dixon

We are accustomed to Dixon making history, and each season he seems to do something new or something few had accomplished before. This was not a special season for Dixon in a good way. He looked good to start, but he was not quite the top runner we are familiar with seeing. Dixon never got to the level we expected. He had his worst season in over 20 years. The winning streak ended. This ended up being Dixon's final season at Ganassi

What objectively was his best race?

Dixon had one top five finish the entire season. It was third at Long Beach.

What subjectively was his best race?

It is really Long Beach and that was his only respectable race all season. Dixon spent the entire race in the top five and leaped into a podium position through the final round of pit stops. 

What objectively was his worst race?

A hybrid issue took Dixon out at Detroit and he was classified in 24th after he was potentially going to finish in the top five.

What subjectively was his worst race?

It is every race from the Indianapolis 500 onward. Dixon wasn't good this year, and it was something we were not accustomed to seeing. He struggled for speed. Anything that could go wrong did go wrong. Considering how he was running, the unfortunate breaks didn't cost him much. If all the races went without blemish, Dixon may have another two or three top ten finishes, and that is it. It likely would not have got him a position better in the championship, nor would it have gotten him a victory.

If we must pick out one race, Nashville did not look good. Dixon started fifth, but was shuffled backward quickly. Then he hit Alexander Rossi on the back straightway and it led to a penalty. What was hopefully going to be a positive day and possibly a victory was 18th, seven laps down in the final results.

Scott Dixon's 2026 Statistics

Championship Position: 12th (331 points)
Wins: 0
Podiums: 1
Top Fives: 1
Top Tens: 6
Laps Led: 79
Poles: 0
Fast Sixes: 1
Fast Twelves: 6
Average Start: 11.667
Average Finish: 13.333

Kyffin Simpson

The forgotten Ganassi driver, Simpson was hoping to build on a 2025 season where he had more impressive results than anyone expected. It wasn't a case Simpson was a factor everywhere, but on certain weekends he stood above most. That was the case in 2025, and it remained the case in 2026. There were still races where he did as well as you expected, but there were others where he was competitive.

What objectively was his best race?

Simpson picked up two top five finishes this season. The first was his best result of the season. He was fourth at Road America. Simpson did benefit when Christian Rasmussen broke down and brought out a caution, elevating Simpson up the running order after starting 19th.

What subjectively was his best race?

A four-stop strategy allowed Simpson to finish fifth in Washington, D.C. The cautions fell in Simpson's favor that put him on the same cycle as the leaders, and he was able to turn a 23rd starting position into a top five result.

What objectively was his worst race?

Did you know Simpson was running at the finish of every race this season? A mechanical issue cost him at Gateway, but he was able to see the checkered flag, though in 21st.

What subjectively was his worst race?

Hitting a tire in pit lane at Arlington led to a penalty, and the best he could do was 20th. Simpson also had a nondescript weekend in Milwaukee, competing in two races, being mentioned zero times and having finishes of 16th and 19th.

Kyffin Simpson's 2026 Statistics

Championship Position: 13th (327 points)
Wins: 0
Podiums: 0
Top Fives: 2
Top Tens: 8
Laps Led: 4
Poles: 0
Fast Sixes: 1
Fast Twelves: 4
Average Start: 15
Average Finish: 12.944

An Early Look Ahead

We are about to enter a new chapter in Chip Ganassi Racing history not because Scott Dixon is leaving but because of everyone behind the scenes. 

Performance director Chris Simmons and race engineer Ross Bunnell are both leaving the team to join Arrow McLaren. Palou's engineer Julien Robertson is reportedly considering retirement. Chip Ganassi Racing has not become the most successful team in IndyCar history on its drivers alone. The minds on the timing stand and at the shop are immeasurable to this team's success. Three of them could be gone in one offseason. 

It isn't going to sink Ganassi, but it could be a greater challenge to find speed. Palou could be facing a learning curve. Christian Lundgaard is entirely new to this team and he might not be stepping into as sure of a situation as he first thought he was getting. Simpson could become the red-headed stepchild. 

Conventional wisdom would tell us Ganassi will be ok. Bunnell was loaned out to Meyer Shank Racing for the previous two seasons anyway. It is really two people that are changing, two important people, but it is not a complete upheaval within the shop. Mike Hull is still in charge, there are plenty of great minds ready to step up and the team likely has succession plans in mind, but we cannot be surprised if Ganassi isn't as sharp as we are accustomed to seeing in recent years. 

It could still be a successful year, but it just might not be a year where the team wins seven or eight races, pulls out a few races through pit cycles and leapfrogging the leader and there could be days where the team is struggling for speed and none of the three cars can find it. Dare I say it might not even be a championship season in 2027 for this group?

Things will be fine. Palou is going to win a handful of races, and he is still the championship favorite. I don't think it is a guarantee he will repeat what we have seen over the last two years. This could be the opening the rest of the grid was hoping for. 

Timing could not have been less ideal for Lundgaard, joining this team as it is about to face its biggest shakeup possibly ever in team history. It should be an opportunity for him to flourish and challenge Palou. Instead, there will be questions over the makeup of this team behind the scenes. 

It does feel like Ganassi has the best 1-2 combination on the grid. Lundgaard is stepping up a level and if he reading from the same hymn sheet as Palou, Lundgaard should make up some ground. It doesn't mean Lundgaard will surpass Palou. Though he ended 2026 with a good Milwaukee weekend, everyone suspects Lundgaard still has improvements to make on ovals. It should bring Lundgaard closer to Palou and maybe it tips a victory or two into the Dane's favor. 

Next year will be different. Ever since June and the announcement Dixon was leaving, we have all been trying to process what that will look like and adjusting to the idea of Dixon racing elsewhere. It has been a quarter-century since Ganassi didn't have Dixon in its lineup. Ganassi still has an ace though. This isn't a team transitioning without a leader. Palou has been #1 for the last three seasons, lawsuit and all. 

Ganassi has its drivers for the present and future. This change could not have come at a better time. We will fine out if the team is setup to weather whatever changes come next, and they are coming. 

IndyCar Wrap-Up: Andretti Global's 2026 Season

The penultimate IndyCar Wrap-Up takes us to Andretti Global. With a new addition to the driver lineup, expectations were high for Andretti to find its way back to championship form. Overall, it was a pleasant seasons for the group, though not perfect. It did not end in a championship. The team did see an unexpected turnaround from a driver many thought would be dismissed once the 2026 season was over. Instead, the lineup will remain unchanged for 2027.

Kyle Kirkwood

After having his best season in IndyCar in 2025, Kirkwood was hoping for more in 2026. The 2025 season started strongly and it looked like Kirkwood was one of the fewer drivers who could challenge for the championship. Then his second half was rather unimpressive. In 2026, he had a more balanced season, and it led to even better results... just not a championship.

What objectively was his best race?

Kirkwood won a pair of races, and both were inaugural races. At Arlington, Kirkwood drove from seventh to first and he passed Álex Palou in the process to take the victory in the final stint. At Washington, D.C, Kirkwood started second to Palou, but Kirkwood got the jump at the start and went on to lead 128 of 147 laps. After an offensive victory in Arlington, Kirkwood had a defensive victory in Washington, D.C., holding off all challengers.

What subjectively was his best race?

It will hard to be look pass Washington, D.C. because Kirkwood was near-flawless in the inaugural event, and one we may never see again. It was Kirkwood's finest day with heightened attention on IndyCar. Kirkwood passed Palou early, he drove away for a good portion of the race, and when cautions packed the field together, Kirkwood withstood the challenges from Scott McLaughlin and Christian Lundgaard. 

Arlington should be mentioned because Kirkwood was incredible and he had a stellar car. Running down Palou is fantastic no matter who it is. 

What objectively was his worst race?

At Markham, Kirkwood clipped the inside barrier in turn three, just like Louis Foster had earlier in the race, and it sent Kirkwood into the outside barrier. Kirkwood was on the verge of turning around a 22nd-place starting position into a top five result prior to the contact with the barrier.

What subjectively was his worst race?

Markham is probably the worst race, but the Indianapolis 500 should be mentioned because he was 16th at the finish, but Kirkwood was moving forward. The way the cautions fell and pit strategy working for the likes of the Meyer Shank Racing, Santino Ferrucci Romain Grosjean, Takuma Sato and Nolan Siegel among others up the order. Without those strategies working, Kirkwood probably finishes in the top ten.

Kyle Kirkwood's 2026 Statistics

Championship Position: 2nd (545 points)
Wins: 2
Podiums: 6 
Top Fives: 10
Top Tens: 15
Laps Led: 220
Poles: 1
Fast Sixes: 4
Fast Twelves: 9 
Average Start: 10.889
Average Finish: 6.777

Marcus Ericsson

Ericsson's first two seasons at Andretti Global were rather disappointing, and 2025 was a concerning step backward, even if it wasn't entirely on the driver. Some hope was lost that Ericsson could be a productive member of the Andretti Global organization. Everyone thought he was destined for dismissal. Ericsson saved his job with elevated results, and helping Andretti Global rise up the pecking order.

What objectively was his best race?

Ericsson ended a 63-race winless streak with victory in Markham after Ericsson erased nearly a six-second gap in the final 21 laps to take the lead with five laps remaining before winning by over seven seconds to Romain Grosjean.

What subjectively was his best race?

It is Markham. Andretti Global was thought to have bungled the strategy having Ericsson pit so late in the race under green flag conditions, but it allowed Ericsson to go harder with fresher tires and take advantage of drivers that had ten to 15-lap older tires. Ericsson still had to navigate a rather unknown circuit and pass a handful of competitors to take the victory. 

Arlington and Gateway should both be recognized. Arlington saw Ericsson score his first career pole position, and though he did not win, Ericsson spent the entire race in the top five and finished fourth. Gateway might have been Ericsson's best race in IndyCar, leading the most laps, but Josef Newgarden got the better of Ericsson though the Swede kept Newgarden honest to the checkered flag and Ericsson was second. 

What objectively was his worst race?

A hybrid issue at Long Beach ended Ericsson's race after 38 laps.

What subjectively was his worst race?

For how well Ericsson's season went, he had a few results escape him. 

At the Grand Prix of Indianapolis, a mechanical issue on his final pit stop ended his race while he was running ninth. At Road America, he was in the running for a top five finish before being shuffled back and going on a few off-track excursions. Ericsson was issued an avoidable contact penalty for contact with Scott Dixon at Mid-Ohio, relegating Ericsson to 21st in the final results. 

Ericsson was 54 points behind Scott McLaughlin for sixth in the championship. I am not sure flipping those three results equal greater than 54 points, but it could have padded his top five and top ten finish totals. 

Marcus Ericsson's 2026 Statistics

Championship Position: 7th (429 points)
Wins: 1
Podiums: 2
Top Fives: 4
Top Tens: 12
Laps Led: 151
Poles: 1
Fast Sixes: 5
Fast Twelves: 9
Average Start: 9.889
Average Finish: 10.1667

Will Power

After over 15 years at Team Penske, Power made the switch to Andretti Global for the 2026 season. Power was leaving Penske on a high, and there was hope a new circumstance could vault him upward. That was not the case, and Power had a rocky start to his Andretti tenure. Results did see an uptick in the final portion of the season, and a victory may have slipped through his grasp.

What objectively was his best race?

On five occasions did Power finish third in 2026: Arlington, Road America, Portland, Markham and Washington, D.C.

What subjectively was his best race?

Power looked his most competitive at Markham. Despite starting 25th, Power was moving forward immediately. He looked like a driver capable of winning, but the way the cautions fell took the advantage away from Power. He made his final pit stop with 31 laps remaining, and the difference turn out to be Ericsson being able to stop ten laps later.

What objectively was his worst race?

A gearbox failure ended his Indianapolis 500 after only 91 laps, placing him 29th.

What subjectively was his worst race?

There are two. At Detroit, Power was having his best race of the season before contact with Scott McLaughlin ended Power's day. Both drivers should have been in the top five. Neither were classified better than 19th. 

In the Milwaukee race that started on Sunday, Power was leading when the final pit cycle began. The pit stop was clean. If Power doesn't speed, he emerges from the pit lane in first and he likely wins this race. I would say Milwaukee was worse than Detroit. Milwaukee was set to be a victory. Detroit was a really good day, but at best it would have been a podium finish.

Will Power's 2026 Statistics

Championship Position: 11th (368 points)
Wins: 0
Podiums: 5
Top Fives: 5
Top Tens: 7
Laps Led: 98
Poles: 0
Fast Sixes: 4
Fast Twelves: 6
Average Start: 12.611
Average Finish: 13

An Early Look Ahead

This is one of the few teams that is not changing its driver lineup for 2027, and it should help this group. Everyone should be better. Kirkwood was already better in 2026 when he really needed to make a step after how 2025 ended. Ericsson completely saved his career with this season. I am not sure anyone expected that. Power had plenty of growing pains, but he showed progress.

For many years, the Andretti organization has felt like a team that makes one step forward and then falls two steps back. It hasn't really built upon anything. Things feel different under new management. The investments the team made ahead of 2026 should set it up for a better 2027 and a real chance to achieve more. 

Kirkwood is the leader. For the better part of the last two seasons he has been the one driver to regularly hang with Álex Palou. The only problem is Palou is still able to best Kirkwood more times than not. It feels like Kirkwood had a slight advantage on street courses, but Palou has the clear upper hand on permanent road courses, and ovals may be even. Kirkwood's biggest issue is Palou's worst days are seventh or eighth and Kirkwood's worst days are still somewhere between 15th and 20th. How does he fix that? 

Based on the rest of the competition, Kirkwood is one of the top drivers. He just happens to be racing in the age of Palou where he is unfathomably clear of the rest of the field. 

Ericsson ended 2026 with seven consecutive top ten finishes. He seems to be back to where he was when he was at Ganassi. In 2023, Ericsson had one victory, four top five finishes and 14 top ten finishes. In 2026, Ericsson had one victory, four top five finishes and 12 top ten finishes. This is where Ericsson has been when he is at his best in IndyCar. It is a good place to be. Not many are better, but a few are and the very top is not quite within reach.

Power was his best and worst in 2026. At his best, he was competitive and maybe should have won a race. At his worst, he coughed up results through his own mistakes and the pace continues to fade as his qualifying form is not close to where it once stood. 

Can this team win the championship? 

It will take a lot to overtake Palou, but Kirkwood has the ability to do it if flawless. It would require Kirkwood being on the podium at every street course and finishing ahead of Palou in nearly all of those occasions, winning at least one or twice on road courses and averaging a sixth-place finish on ovals. That is asking a lot but it is not unthinkable that Kirkwood could be at that level.

Power is technically the last driver to beat Palou for a championship, but Power's 2022 season will not get it done in 2027. At his peak, Power could give Palou a run for his money. That time is not now.

As for Ericsson, he has never finished better than sixth in the championship. It is a stretch imaging Ericsson could be the one.

There is one clear contender for this team. Every year, Kirkwood has improved his championship position. He has one spot to go and a long way to reach the top.

Musings From the Weekend: Where is Phase Two?

Here is a rundown of what got me thinking…

Max Verstappen ran a GT3 car. It was a busy weekend on the Iberian peninsula. Álex Palou was fastest in Indy Lights testing. The NASCAR Cup Series championship got significantly tighter, though it may be too little too late for one driver who has won a lot this season. Colton Herta is using hindsight. Cadillac is finalizing its driver lineups for 2027. Team Penske could be running a Cadillac at Le Mans in the not-too-distant-future. Josh Pierson was approved an IndyCar license and people are mad, or at least upset. Mad could be too strong. However, we are not talking about licenses today. We are discussing something IndyCar has stretched out for far too long.

Where is Phase Two?

On the verge of the inaugural Markham race, while the final quarter of the 2026 season was fully in motion, IndyCar did something rather uncommon, if not unprecedented in series history. IndyCar released the first phase of the 2027 calendar. 

The first eight rounds were announced on August 13, where we learned the first half of next season was essentially unchanged from 2026, the stretch beginning with St. Petersburg in March to Detroit in June. Races moved a week here or there based on how certain dates fell, most notably Easter and Memorial Day. A spring gap remained but that has come to be expected in contemporary IndyCar. We had the first half of 2027 set and the expectation the second half would be ironed out shortly.

Over two months have passed since phase one was released. Where is phase two?

It felt like the 2027 calendar would be finalized around the final round. There was three weeks between phase one becoming public and the Laguna Seca finale. If the first half was locked down, the second half could not have been that far behind. Even if it was not released before the final race was concluded, IndyCar normally does not take long to release its next calendar once the offseason begins. The 2026 calendar was out a little over two weeks after the 2025 finale. We were spoiled when the 2025 calendar came out in June 2024.

The strange thing is all the rumors about the 2027 season involve events that are options to possible fill IndyCar’s spring gap, even though it sounded like the first half was set in stone. The rumors are not what are holding up the schedule release.

Barcelona keeps rumbling, as Circuit de Catalunya reportedly has interest in holding a round and a home race for Catalunya’s own Álex Palou. What started out as a slim hope has persisted long enough to think it has a realistic chance to appear on next year’s calendar. No date has been reported, but conventional wisdom points to late-April or early-May, the period when IndyCar current has three weekends without races. 

It is also a time of year when Barcelona has historically hosted a Formula One grand prix. In 2027, Barcelona is not on the Formula One calendar, as it begins a yearly rotation with Spa-Francorchamps. That part of spring is also a time when Formula One will be between racing in the Middle East and North America and before it starts its European portion of the season. Spring makes sense for IndyCar as its summer is usually packed,  Barcelona is usually rather warm during the summer, and IndyCar likely would not want to end the season in Spain and prefer to end in the United States. 

Other than Barcelona, it appears nothing possibly in the second half of next season is hanging up the remainder of the schedule being released. No rounds are being rumored for July and August. The only other toothless rumor is a chance IndyCar pairing with NASCAR to run at Texas, which is the weekend of May 2, and that could also fill the spring gap, but that hasn’t been seriously mentioned. It has mostly been floated as a theoretical to fill spring. Nothing points to Texas becoming a reality. 

A few pieces have trickled out. Gateway did release it would remain in mid-June, even if it wanted to keep that a secret a little longer, and Road America announced it would be the last Sunday in June. Essentially the first ten races are confirmed. What is taking so long to confirm the final six or seven weekends?

There really are not going to be any surprises. Mid-Ohio will be on the schedule. Nothing suggested Portland was hosting its final IndyCar round when IndyCar visited this past August. Markham just started a five-year contract. The series is committed to Milwaukee and there was no sign this year IndyCar was looking to move on. It sounded like Laguna Seca would be back and likely remain the finale for 2027 when IndyCar closed out this season. 

All that leaves from the 2026 season unaccounted for are Nashville and Washington, D.C. 

The Music City Grand Prix promoters sounded dissuaded after this year's oval show at Nashville Superspeedway and wants to return the race to downtown Nashville. The ongoing stadium construction on the banks of the Cumberland River make a street race return rather difficult at this time. It is hard to draw people to Lebanon, Tennessee, but Nashville Superspeedway is the only option other than scuttling the entire event. Is there a fight to keep the event alive with IndyCar taking on more of the operational costs with it on the oval? Could an alternate street course layout be in the works that avoids the construction area? 

Nothing is known. For all this waiting on the second half of the calendar, there has been no rumbles on what is causing the delays and what events are in what type of limbo. Losing Nashville would be a knock on IndyCar, and this calendar delay only makes any potential change more disastrous. 

Then there is Washington, D.C., which drew plenty of interest and was a remarkable achievement for the series considering the event came together in about eight month's time from announcement to green flag for the opening session. While it was IndyCar's second-most visible event of the season, it also cost $35 million to put on, and there does not seem to be a desire for federal funding to keep that event alive... but I am sure after pulling off the race this year and the buzz IndyCar received, it desperately wants what was planned to be a one-off to become a staple event. 

Some of these final details take time to work out, and IndyCar does have about four-and-a-half months left in its offseason, but delaying the release of the remainder of the calendar only barriers it under a great pile of clutter. IndyCar has already been out of the spotlight for over a month. IndyCar is also IndyCar. How many people are aware when next season's calendar is released before the current season is over? Nothing may matter, but it is surely not the plan to have the calendar drag out this far into the offseason.

We still have over a month to Thanksgiving and the holiday season. Any track wishing to do holiday ticket deals still have time, but for a handful of events, it is getting close and they do not have their dates set yet. 

We do know over half the schedule at this point, and most of the unannounced rounds we know will be on the schedule, we just don't know the exact dates and what race number they will fall on the calendar. This should work out, but for a series that struggles for attention and being seen, dragging out confirming next year's calendar this deep into the offseason and autumn is a little ridiculous. 

Last year, IndyCar announced a calendar and then Washington, D.C. was added in January, not usually when events are announced for the upcoming season, but it came with the circumstances of the event. If we can wait until January to announce one event, we can announce what races are confirmed and wait for the final pieces to fall whether they need a few more weeks or a few more months. 

If four races are known and two are still being ironed out, give us the four and we will sit on the fence for the other two. The late announcement of Washington, D.C. surely did not hurt the interest in that event. Both days were packed with spectators and it still earned IndyCar its most viewership outside the Indianapolis 500 in over 30 years. If the series must wait until January again to confirm that race, I am sure the series and event will be fine. 

Everything will work out, but this long delay for phase two of the calendar places IndyCar in a spot where its 2027 calendar will be lost as the days grow colder and shorter. No one is looking for IndyCar at this moment, and most will not realize when the 2027 calendar will officially be confirmed, unless IndyCar makes a big bang with its schedule announcement, and I have my hesitations that IndyCar will do such a thing. 

That is not how it should be, especially if the calendar is going to be almost entirely unchanged from last season. It is one thing if there was something completely unexpected added and that was the hang up. Confirming what we already got should not take this long. Two months has been plenty of time to confirm the second half of the calendar, and yet the wait continues for the final piece of the puzzle.

Champions From the Weekend

Toyota clinched the FIA World Endurance Championship manufacturers' championship with a victory for the #8 Toyota of Sébastien Buemi, Brendon Hartley and Ryō Hirakawa in the 6 Hours of Barcelona.

Toyota clinched the NASCAR Cup Series manufacturers' championship with Tyler Reddick's victory in the NASCAR Cup race from Phoenix, Reddick's sixth victory of the season. 

Maro Engel and Lucas Auer clinched the GT World Challenge Europe drivers' championship when their third-place finish from the second Misano race during the Sprint Cup weekend was reinstated. 

Winners From the Weekend

You know about Toyota, but did you know…

The #17 Mercedes-AMG Team GetSpeed Mercedes-AMG of Ralf Aron, Maximillian Götz and Fabian Schiller won the 3 Hours of Portimão.

Jesse Love won the NASCAR Grand National Series race from Phoenix, his second victory of the season. Kaden Honeycutt won the Truck race, his fourth victory of the season.

The #92 The Bend Manthey Racing Porsche of Ricard Lietz, Riccardo Pera and Yasser Shahin won in LMGT3 in the 6 Hours of Barcelona.

Nicolò Bulega swept the World Superbike races from Jerez. Albert Arenas and Jeremy Alcoba split the World Supersport races.

The #100 Team Kunimitsu Honda of Naoki Yamamoto and Tadasuke Makino won the Super GT race from Autopolis. The #96 K-tunes Racing Lexus of Morio Nitta and Shinichi Takagi won in GT300.

Coming Up This Weekend

Formula One is back for the United States Grand Prix.

MotoGP has one more visit to Phillip Island.

Supercars will run at Surfers Paradise.

NASCAR has a late visit to Talladega.

IndyCar Wrap-Up: Arrow McLaren's 2026 Season

We are nearing the end of our IndyCar Wrap-Ups, and we move onto Arrow McLaren. For the first time since McLaren's IndyCar return, the team had multiple drivers win a race. The team won a combined five races, again its best since returning to IndyCar. For the second consecutive year, two driver cracked the championship top five, but it was a different driver on top, and McLaren honored that success the only way it could. Changing two-thirds of its driver lineup, including  dismissing its top driver in the championship. 

Christian Lundgaard

After an outstanding first season with the McLaren organization, Lundgaard still had room to growth in year two. The Dane made those steps. After going winless, Lundgaard found his way to the top with some impressive performances. He wound up leading the team for most of the season, and ended 2026 top in the organization. However, it ended up not being enough.

What objectively was his best race?

Two victories for Lundgaard in his second season at McLaren. The first came in the Grand Prix of Indianapolis when Lundgaard spent much of the race in second, but leaped into the lead through the final pit cycle and overtaking David Malukas. At Road America, Lundgaard suffered front wing damage on the opening lap and it shuffled him to dead last. Nearly every caution fell into his favor, but Lundgaard still had to make passes. Being slightly off strategy allowed Lundgaard to run harder and place him into second when Marcus Armstrong was leading until Armstrong lost his engine with three laps remaining. Lundgaard had to hold on for one restart and took a rather improbable victory.

What subjectively was his best race?

Take your pick of either victory. On the IMS road course, Lundgaard looked threatening and was going to take his shot when within striking distance of Malukas, and Lundgaard pulled off a wonderful pass to take the lead. He drove away from there. At Road America, Lundgaard was on the offensive, and even before Armstrong's engine failure, Lundgaard was closing and may have had a shot to drive to victory even before catching the break.

What objectively was his worst race?

Lundgaard was 20th at Long Beach after attempting a three-stop strategy that did not work for anybody. Lundgaard had started 11th and was hoping to turn into something greater.

What subjectively was his worst race?

Two oval races where Lundgaard was nonexistent. At the Indianapolis 500, Lundgaard started 18th and finished 17th but never showed any brilliant pace or ability to move forward. At Nashville, Lundgaard never looked comfortable and was just hanging on. He was 16th at the finish.

Christian Lundgaard's 2026 Statistics

Championship Position: 3rd (535 points)
Wins: 2
Podiums: 7
Top Fives: 8
Top Tens: 14
Laps Led: 91
Poles: 1
Fast Sixes: 5
Fast Twelves: 9
Average Start: 11.778
Average Finish: 7.1667

Patricio O'Ward

Every year, expectations are high for O'Ward to have that long-awaited breakthrough. It didn't quite happen in 2026, but O'Ward was still fantastic. The only problem is he was not winning. He had plenty of top five finishes, but they were not competitive drives where O'Ward was controlling the race. He was in the background. The breakthroughs came during summer, and they made his season look a little better though something was lacking. 

What objectively was his best race?

O'Ward won three times. At Mid-Ohio, O'Ward had a battle with his teammate Christian Lundgaard. Lundgaard led, but a brief instance of running wide opened the door for O'Ward, who swept into the lead. There was not much of a challenge from Lundgaard, and O'Ward got his first victory of the season. 

O'Ward swept the weekend at Milwaukee. In the race that started on Sunday, O'Ward was rather unnoticed for most of the race. His team actually had a botched pit stop, but it did not hurt them that much. During the final pit cycle, O'Ward leaped into the lead, especially after Will Power sped entering the pit lane. In the race that started on Saturday and finished on Sunday, O'Ward again found himself at the front and he took advantage of David Malukas stumbling on a late restart to take the lead and ultimately the victory.

What subjectively was his best race?

It must be Mid-Ohio because he beat his teammate and it was a key race as Lundgaard had won twice already at that point in season. This swung the intra-team battle from decisively being for Lundgaard to being rather split between the two drivers. Lundgaard ended up finishing better in the championship, but O'Ward finished with more victories, and it all started with this race.

What objectively was his worst race?

An opening lap spin in the Grand Prix of Indianapolis shuffled O'Ward to the back after he started on the front row. The team made an attempt to go off strategy, but all he could manage was 18th.

What subjectively was his worst race?

Considering his history at Barber Motorsports Park, it was stunning he was poor this past March, and he was 17th, dropping from 12th on the grid. He also cost himself a top ten finish in Washington, D.C. when he went long in turn six and had to spin around in the runoff area. This unforced error ended in a 16th-place finish.

Patricio O'Ward's 2026 Statistics

Championship Position: 4th (522 points)
Wins: 3
Podiums: 3
Top Fives: 10
Top Tens: 11
Laps Led: 238
Poles: 0
Fast Sixes: 6
Fast Twelves: 10
Average Start: 7.833
Average Finish: 7.667

Nolan Siegel

Pressure was on Siegel before the calendar flipped to 2025 let alone before the season even started. McLaren Team Principal Tony Kanaan said Siegel had to finish in the championship top ten to keep his ride with the team. Siegel never came close to fulfilling that ultimatum. It was still Siegel's best season in IndyCar, but significantly behind his teammates.

What objectively was his best race?

On a four-stop strategy, Siegel was sixth in Washington, D.C. He spent almost the entire race in the top ten, and as other drivers had issues, Siegel remained pointing in the right direction.

What subjectively was his best race?

It is Washington, D.C., but Siegel also was tenth at the Grand Prix of Indianapolis and Mid-Ohio. In both races did Siegel move forward. Mid-Ohio is probably his next best race because he at least made it a triple top ten day for McLaren as his teammates went 1-2.

What objectively was his worst race?

Three times did Siegel finish 24th. At Arlington, Siegel was hit from behind on the final restart and the contact from Kyffin Simpson sent Siegel into Romain Grosjean. At Gateway, slight contact with Álex Palou entering turn one ended Siegel's night as Palou was on fresh tires and quicker entering the corner. Siegel turned in and they collided. In the Laguna Seca finale, Siegel never had the pace and dropped to 24th, one of two drivers to finish off the lead lap.

What subjectively was his worst race?

Gateway is bad because Siegel tried to pin the accident on Palou, and it was a racing incident. At Road America, Siegel should have had a top ten finish, but contact on the final lap in turn five with Josef Newgarden spun Siegel and dropped him to 21st. Siegel had a really good Road America race and got nothing to show for it.

Nolan Siegel's 2026 Statistics

Championship Position: 20th (259 points)
Wins: 0
Podiums: 0
Top Fives: 0
Top Tens: 3
Laps Led: 8
Poles: 0
Fast Sixes: 0
Fast Twelves: 1
Average Start: 17.333
Average Finish: 15.777

An Early Look Ahead

Can we acknowledge the insanity of a team firing the driver that finished third in the championship and who won multiple races because of the perception he cannot win the Indianapolis 500? Lundgaard was the best McLaren driver this season and he was dismissed because of his track record in one race. The Indianapolis 500 is the biggest race, but there are 16 or 17 other races on the calendar and an entire championship. 

McLaren hasn't produced an Indianapolis 500 winner but it has hired Indianapolis 500, and that should do it. 

The team is plenty capable of winning it and it is a few passes away from having two within the last five years. It is the one-track mind that is baffling, especially when it is hiring Scott Dixon after his worst season in over 20 years and while Dixon is 46 years old. There is a lot of hope in McLaren's strategy, and hope isn't a strategy.

Dixon could see an uptick in form from 2026, but we don't see many 46 years old bounce back from a winless season. 

It also wasn't that long ago McLaren couldn't get rid of Felix Rosenqvist fast enough. Regret was on their faces during the first practice session for the Swede. He was going to be exiled to Formula E at one point. Now he won the Indianapolis 500 and McLaren is back at his doorstep only a few years after it didn't entirely click within the organization. 

Changes go beyond the driver lineup as McLaren is shaking up its engineer department. Chip Ganassi Racing performance director Chris Simmons has been linked to a move to McLaren, though Simmons may have a non-compete that prevents him from starting immediately with the team. Ross Bunnell, Rosenqvist's engineer last season, will be joining McLaren, and will likely remain on Rosenqvist's timing stand. Simmons had a long-working relationship with Dixon. 

After years of chasing drivers, McLaren is snagging engineers as well. It could be what puts it over the top. It is also McLaren, which has been making big swings and whiffing for years. Ok, maybe it is making some contact, but after seven seasons in IndyCar, it still hasn't won a championship. It still hasn't won an Indianapolis 500. It has become a contender, an entity worth watching, but it hasn't surpassed Ganassi, it hasn't surpassed Penske, and it arguably hasn't surpassed Andretti. It is fourth, but this isn't a "Big Four." There isn't a "Big Three." There is competition, but McLaren hasn't ruled IndyCar, and it probably thought it would have conquered it by now. 

This team is Patricio O'Ward. Rosenqvist won the Indianapolis 500, but that is still his only victory in the last five years. Is McLaren really the difference between him not converting those pole positions and front row starts he earned with Meyer Shank Racing into victories? Probably not. Rosenqvist isn't any different than when McLaren fired him except he has an extra accolade to his name. It is hard to believe a change of scenery is all Dixon needed after one bad year. He might not be as bad as he was in 2025, but that doesn't mean he will be back to being a contender. He has only won once in the last 46 races and he had only one top five finish last season.

You can only feel comfortable with one driver producing for this team entering 2027. This seismic change isn't going to lead to seismic results. We have seen these shakeups not produce at McLaren. It feels unlikely this one will be much different. 

IndyCar Wrap-Up: Team Penske's 2026 Season

We are reaching the final stretch of our IndyCar Wrap-Up, and we reach Team Penske, which was good in 2026, and that was about it. Good, but not great, and this is where Team Penske has been for the last two seasons. While the team cracked the championship top five after being shut out last year, it only won three races. This was the second consecutive season the organization failed to crack four victories, a first for the team since 2004-05. It was the first time since 1997-99 Team Penske went consecutive seasons without a top-four championship finisher. It should not feel overwhelmingly negative after this season, but positivity is nearly nonexistent. 

David Malukas

Despite having not won a race in his first four IndyCar seasons, Malukas earned the call to Team Penske. He had never finished in the top five on a road or street course in his first four seasons. He had only five top five finishes in his first 61 starts. While he was coming off his best championship finish, this was a momentous opportunity for Malukas, and his greatest shot in IndyCar. The moment was not too great for him. 

What objectively was his best race?

Malukas was runner-up in three races this season: The Grand Prix of Indianapolis, the Indianapolis 500 and the Milwaukee race that began on Saturday. The Grand Prix of Indianapolis was his first podium finish on a road or street course. 

What subjectively was his best race?

Second place in the Indianapolis 500 is supposed to feel painful. I am sure it is agonizing to finish second by 0.0233 seconds, the closest finish in race history. It should not overshadow how well Malukas ran in that race and that he led the third-most laps. He looked comfortable and made moves to put him in position to lead on the final lap, even if it was not enough to finish first. 

The Milwaukee race that started on Saturday should be recognized because Malukas was one of the best cars, and if it wasn’t for a stumble in his engine on a late restart, he likely would have held off Patricio O’Ward. Instead, O’Ward bolted through and took the victory. 

Even the IMS road course race should get a mention because Malukas had never had a road or street course race like that. He was leading entering the final phase of the race, and Christian Lundgaard took advantage of traffic and warmer tires to take the lead after the final pit cycle. It didn’t finish how Malukas wished, but he should be proud about the entire race went.

What objectively was his worst race?

Clipping the barrier on entrance of the final turn at Washington, D.C. ricocheted Malukas into the outside barrier and placed Malukas 24th in the final result. It was Malukas’ only retirement of the season. 

What subjectively was his worst race?

Two of his three runner-up finishes are his worst races, but they weren’t bad races. Indianapolis hurts because it appeared he had it in the bag. Malukas took the lead at the start of the final lap and second and third proceeded to run side-by-side for about 80% of the lap. It should have been game over. The field should have lost its momentum and Malukas should have held on for one laps, and yet he didn’t. 

Milwaukee was in his hand. The match was on his racket and an error occurred. He was in control and it fell out of his grasp seemingly without Malukas doing anything wrong.

David Malukas's 2026 Statistics

Championship Position: 5th (514 points)

Wins: 0
Podiums: 6
Top Fives: 9
Top Tens: 13
Laps Led: 282
Poles: 1
Fast Sixes: 9
Fast Twelves: 12
Average Start: 8.1667
Average Finish: 7.1667

Scott McLaughlin

After a winless 2025 season, McLaughlin was hoping to return to his top tier form in 2026. For the first half of the season, McLaughlin was hardly notable. Good races were not frequent. He was a little more consistent over the summer, but he was still not outstanding. The final two weekends swung McLaughlin’s season mightily, and he ended on one of the highest notes. 

What objectively was his best race?

McLaughlin ended a 35-race winless drought in the Laguna Seca season finale. McLaughlin led from pole position and went on to lead 87 of 95 laps. He never fully pulled away from Kyle Kirkwood, but McLaughlin was never under much pressure. 

What subjectively was his best race?

It is Laguna Seca. McLaughlin was the best driver in this race. It was probably the only time he was one of the best drivers in a race. St. Petersburg should receive a mention as well, another race where he started on pole position only to lose the lead through pit cycle to Álex Palou.

What objectively was his worst race?

McLaughlin went for the lead late in Washington, D.C. On a late restart, McLaughlin dove up the inside of Kirkwood entering turn one. McLaughlin got ahead, the only problem is he had to avoid the barrier and he drove straight into it. Instead of first, McLaughlin was 22nd. 

What subjectively was his worst race?

It is Washington, D.C. because of the lost result, but McLaughlin had a handful of races where he did not factor. He wasn’t good at Barber Motorsports Park, finishing 16th. Contact with Will Power cost him a possible top five in Detroit, taking 19th instead. He never had the pace at Mid-Ohio. 

Scott McLaughlin's 2026 Statistics

Championship Position: 6th (483 points)
Wins: 1
Podiums: 4
Top Fives: 7
Top Tens: 12
Laps Led: 189
Poles: 3
Fast Sixes: 6
Fast Twelves: 8
Average Start: 8.722
Average Finish: 8.777

Josef Newgarden

After nearly going winless and having his worst championship finish in over a decade, Newgarden was hoping for a bounce back in 2026. He didn’t have to wait until the last day of the season for a victory, however, the overall season was not a return to his top form. It was an improvement but the struggles continued, and an injury suffered in the Indianapolis 500 plagued the rest of his year. 

What objectively was his best race?

Newgarden won twice this season. The first victory was at the second race of the season at Phoenix when a late caution saw Newgarden make a pit stop for fresh tires. Those tires proved to be the difference as Newgarden worked his way from tenth to first in a race where Newgarden did not show great potential for victory until he had the tire advantage.

 

The second victory was at Gateway, and Newgarden spent much of this race in the top five. He did not lead the most laps but he timed it to lead late and led 52 of the final 57 laps on his way to victory. 

What subjectively was his best race?

The Phoenix drive was impressive, but the tires largely decided that race. Gateway saw Newgarden run at the front and be one of the best drivers. He didn’t lead 200 laps, but he paced himself for the final stint and asserted his dominance as the laps wound down. Even when running second or third, it felt like Newgarden was always going to win at Gateway. 

What objectively was his worst race?

An accident on a restart in the Indianapolis 500 placed Newgarden 28th despite running in the top five at the time. This accident left Newgarden with a left foot injury that saw him in a walking boot for much of the remainder of the season. 

What subjectively was his worst race?

Indianapolis hurt his season. Though Newgarden won at Gateway with the injury, he struggled mightily at road and street courses afterward. He salvaged some respectable results but he was not at 100% and running as well as he could. It didn’t cost him victories, but days where he barely held onto the top ten or snuck into the top ten could have been races he was pushing for the top five. 

Road America should be mentioned because contact with Nolan Siegel late led to a penalty and cost Newgarden a possible top ten result. 

He also had an odd outing in the Milwaukee race that started on Sunday. He started strong, drove to the lead and then struggled on the long run and lost ground. He spun exiting turn four and it cost him a potential top five result. 

Josef Newgarden's 2026 Statistics

Championship Position: 8th (423 points)
Wins: 2
Podiums: 3
Top Fives: 3
Top Tens: 4
Laps Led: 88
Poles: 0
Fast Sixes: 0
Fast Twelves: 4
Average Start: 12.222
Average Finish: 11.055

An Early Look Ahead

Team Penske is at an odd spot because its best driver in the championship went winless and its worst driver in the championship was responsibility for most of the team’s victories, and the team’s most confident driver at the end season is likely the driver that finished in the middle. 

This team was a whisker away from winning the Indianapolis 500, and it probably should have won another two races. This was closer to a great season than a terrible season even if it doesn’t feel that way. 

Nobodies job security feels safe. 

Malukas is exciting, but he must win eventually. He should. He should have already, but it might not happen. Then what?

McLaughlin ended with a victory, but he also essentially went two full seasons without a victory. We are one result away from saying 2027 is make-or-break, and there is a chance we could be saying that come this time next year. 

Newgarden is winning races, but his overall form has been subpar and he has not shown competitive pace on road/street courses for basically three seasons, you know, the part that makes up two-thirds of the schedule. Not to forget mentioning Newgarden feels emotionally withdrawn from the team, especially after the 2024 push-to-pass scandal. 

There is a greater than zero chance Penske could have three new drivers in 2028. It isn’t high but it exists and that sounds crazy. That is the worst case scenario for 2027. 

Somewhere in the middle, but not quite the best case scenario, is all three drivers are winning races next year, they are a little better in the championship and one, if not two, of them have a good chance at the title. There is a world where Penske wins six races and goes second, third and sixth in the championship, and it feels like Penske never took a dip. 

It feels like everything is on the table for Team Penske, good and bad, I am not sure any other team can say that, especially for the worst outcomes. It will likely work out, and everything will be close to average, but this does not feel like a locked down and secure unit like we are used to with Team Penske. 

All three drivers are on a hot seat and need results in a sense despite all three being rather productive in 2026. There will be a pressure to perform and it will add a layer to next season. With this level of uncertainty, change feels inevitable. 

Musing From the Weekend: Winning at Team Penske

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

The Bathurst 1000 had an unprecedented race and finish for the ages. What is the point of sprint races? At least in Formula One, but even in MotoGP as it will have a new weekend format with a dedicated sprint qualifying session. NASCAR punted on Saturday due to weather, creating a doubleheader on Sunday, and an excellent finish. The final Indianapolis 8 Hour took place. The new IndyCar chassis will be testing at Sebring. However, this week, we cover something I have been thinking about for quite some time, I just hadn't gotten around to it. 

Winning at Team Penske

It feels like everyone who drives for Team Penske in IndyCar ends up winning. That is kind of part of the deal. Team Penske hires the best and they are expected to be the best. Team Penske doesn't hire anybody. The team attracts the best talent around, and with some of the best engineers and crew members in the paddock, all the pieces are there for Team Penske drivers to win races. 

It feels like they all win. Who is the last Team Penske driver to end up empty-handed? 

With such a track record, it makes you think it is the team leading to all this success, and really anybody could win. Is that what the track record says? 

Thirty-eight drivers have started an IndyCar race for Team Penske. Twenty of those drivers have won a race. That is just over half, but consider of the 18 drivers that did not win in their time with Team Penske, only three made ten starts or more. Twelve of those drivers made five starts or fewer. 

That rules out infrequent one-off drivers for Team Penske and the occasional substitute for injury, the likes of Bobby Allison, Mike Hiss, David Hobbs, Jan Magnussen, Johnny Rutherford, Alex Barron, Max Papis, Gordon Johncock and Oriol Servià. There is not much you can do when you are only around for a short time. 

Let's look at the 20 winners. They didn’t take long to win. The average number of starts it takes for a first victory at Team Penske is 8.5. Ten of the 20 winners won within their first five starts with Team Penske. Seven of the 20 drivers took more than ten starts, but five of those drivers took more than 15 starts. The most starts for that first career victory at Team Penske is 19. We will get back to that in a moment. 

Drivers are expected to win immediately at Team Penske, and they generally do. These are finished products joining the organization. These drivers do not have questions over their heads. There is no hope they will develop into something. They already are something. Team Penske knows what it is getting, and it should not take look for a victory to go their way. 

Nobody has taken more than 19 starts to score their first victory at Penske. Not many get that much longer of a leash. Three drivers made more than ten starts at Penske and never won. 

Kevin Cogan spent the 1982 season with Team Penske but was released after the one season that is remembered for Cogan's accident at the start of the Indianapolis 500 from second on the grid. His best finish that season was second at Pocono, and he started on pole position twice. 

André Ribeiro joined Penske in the 1998 season having previously spent three years at Tasman Motorsports, and he had three victories to his name. Ribeiro joined Team Penske when it was in the earliest stages of its worst funk. The Penske PC-27 chassis was horrendous. While Al Unser, Jr. got on the podium twice that season, the car was not contending for victories, and Ribeiro's best finish was seventh. The Brazilian retired at the end of the 1998 season where he started 18 races.

Then there is David Malukas. Having gone winless in his first season with Penske in 2026, Malukas is tied for the most starts for a Team Penske driver without a victory. If he does not win the 2027 season opener, Malukas will enter uncharted territories. No Team Penske driver has taken at least 20 starts to score his first career victory. 

No pressure.

The team that is largely seen as a no-nonsense organization, and it has a track record that backs it up. Everybody wins at Team Penske, but then again, the team has never had a driver that has stayed for an extended period without winning. 

Does that tell us anything for the near-future? 

It would be easy to believe Malukas will entered 2027 with the most pressure on him out of all the drivers on the grid. Team Penske has never had to judge whether or not to keep a driver after 20 or 25 or 30 or 35 starts without a victory. It could make the team's decision very easy come the end of 2027, but this is a different IndyCar. This isn't the 1980s or 1990s. Team Penske doesn't usually take on development projects, but Malukas is a special case based on the team's own history. 

While going winless, Malukas was the top Team Penske driver in the championship, and he was the top Penske driver in the championship for most of the season. Malukas had six podium finishes and nine top five finishes from 18 races. He was runner-up in his first Indianapolis 500 with the team, and he was 0.0233 seconds away from victory, the closest margin of victory in the event's history. 

Everyone wins by year two at Team Penske. Scott McLaughlin opened his second full season with a victory. Simon Pagenaud won in his second season with Team Penske after going winless in year one. Pagenaud holds the mark of most starts before first Penske victory. Paul Tracy won it what was his first full season, but third season after he was part-time in 1991 and replaced an injured Rick Mears in 1992. Most don't need a third year to show they can win at Penske. Those three examples won early in the seasons where they scored their first victories for the team.  

Penske may be willing to give Malukas a third year and see if that is enough to be lucky. Malukas just turned 25 years old on September 27. He was the fourth-youngest driver to ever run an IndyCar race for Team Penske behind only Paul Tracy, Jan Magnussen and Tarso Marques. Tracy is really the only other young driver Penske has taken and developed. Maybe Malukas gets a longer leash, and the team is willing to let him grow. Then again, if someone else is succeeding and beating Team Penske, Team Penske will make changes. It has a good eye for talent, and it usually can grab whatever driver it wants. 

Champions From the Weekend

Maxime Martin clinched the Intercontinental GT Challenge championship with a fifth-place finish in the Indianapolis 8 Hour.

Thomas Preining clinched the Deutsche Tourenwagen Masters championship with finishes of fifth and third from Hockenheim. 

The #22 United Autosport Oreca-Gibson of Ben Hanley, Grégoire Saucy and Griffin Peebles clinched the European Le Mans Series LMP2 championship with a victory in the 4 Hours of Portimão.

The #17 CLX Motorsport Ligier-Toyota of Paul Lanchère and Alexander Jacoby clinched the European Le Mans Series LMP3 championship with victory in Portimão with third driver Louis Iglesias.

The #33 TF Sport Corvette of Charlie Eastwood, Blake McDonald and Alec Udell clinched the European Le Mans Series LMGT3 championship with a runner-up finish in Portimão behind the #75 Proton Competition Porsche of Matt Kurzejewski, Richard Lietz and Tom Sargent.

The #29 Turner Motorsport BMW of Robby Foley and Justin Rothberg clinched the GT World Challenge America championship with a third-place finish in the Indianapolis 8 Hour.

The #028 RS1 Porsche of Spencer Pumpelly and Luca Mars clinched GT4 America championship with finishes of tenth and 30th from Indianapolis. 

Albert Arenas clinched the World Supersport championship with a fourth-place finish in the first race from Estoril.

Winners From the Weekend

You know about a few champions, but did you know...

The #17 Dick Johnson Racing Ford of Brodie Kostecki and Todd Hazelwood won the 69th Bathurst 1000.

Max Verstappen won the Singapore Grand Prix, his second consecutive victory, and Verstappen also won the sprint race.

Marco Bezzecchi won MotoGP's Indonesian Grand Prix, his fifth victory of the season. Marc Márquez won the sprint race. Izan Guevara won in Moto2, his third consecutive victory and fourth of the season. Máximo Quiles won in Moto3, his tenth victory of the season.

The #32 GMG Racing Porsche of Kyle Washington, Riccardo Pera and Ayhancan Güven won the Indianapolis 8 Hour.

The #68 RAFA Racing Team Toyota of Westin Workman and Tyler Gonzalez swept the GT4 America races from Indianapolis. Peter Dempsey swept the GT America races.

Chase Briscoe won the NASCAR Cup race from Charlotte by 0.029 seconds over Christopher Bell. Corey Day won the Grand National Series race, his second consecutive victory and his fourth of the season. Layne Riggs won the Truck race, his seventh victory of the season. 

Lucas Auer and Mario Engel split the Deutsche Tourenwagen Masters races from Hockenheim. 

Igor Fraga and Ayumu Iwasa split the Super Formula races from Fuji.

Nicolò Bulega swept the World Superbike races from Estoril. Tom Booth-Amos and Jeremy Alcoba split the World Supersport races.

Coming Up This Weekend

Max Verstappen will spend his Formula One off-weekend competing in the GT World Challenge Europe Endurance Cup finale from Portimão.

World Superbike closes 2026 with a round at Jerez.

The FIA World Endurance Championship keeps busy with its penultimate round from Barcelona.

NASCAR is at Phoenix.

Super GT will be at Autopolis.