The final IndyCar Wrap-Up brings us to the champions. It was only two years removed from its most recent title, but Chip Ganassi Racing not only ended up on top. It had one of its most complete seasons as an organization, and it accomplished it under conflicting circumstances. After legal turmoil over its driver lineup and what appeared to be an inevitable breakup, not only did Ganassi win a championship, it salvaged a relationship.
Álex Palou
Palou made plenty of news leading into the 2023 season. After not being granted a release to Arrow McLaren, Palou still earned a reserve role for the McLaren Formula One team, and it looked certain he would be moving to McLaren in 2024. With a lame-duck season on paper with Ganassi, Palou shattered all expectations, on and off the track.
What objectively was his best race?
Palou won five races. The first was the Grand Prix of Indianapolis in May. Then Palou won three consecutive times, Detroit, Road America and Mid-Ohio. His victory at Portland clinched him the championship with a race remaining.
What subjectively was his best race?
Palou won five races. The first was the Grand Prix of Indianapolis in May. Then Palou won three consecutive times, Detroit, Road America and Mid-Ohio. His victory at Portland clinched him the championship with a race remaining.
What subjectively was his best race?
None of his victories! Yep! Believe it because Palou's best race was the one he probably was the best driver. The Indianapolis 500. Palou was leading and under caution when he came in for a pit stop, Palou looked set to resume the race in the top five, but Rinus VeeKay lost control exiting his pit box, collided with Palou, and damaged the Catalan's car.
The damage was not excessive, but it cost Palou ground and with the race around halfway done, it was a mighty setback. However, Palou went forward, driving from outside the top twenty to fourth by the time the checkered flag came out.
This could have been a bad race. This could have been a race where all Palou could have scored was a 16th-place finish and we all knew it didn't match his ability on the day. But Palou was launched out of a cannon and ended up getting just outside the mix for the victory. It also was a big swing in points because it could have been many points lost and the championship could have turned against him. Instead, he corrected course and came out on the right side.
What objectively was his worst race?
Palou had two eighth-place finishes. The first was at St. Petersburg where Palou was anonymous, one of the few days where he wasn't toward the front. The other was the first Iowa race. That was actually a little better than where Palou had run most of the race. Unfortunately, Palou was off the lead lap.
What subjectively was his worst race?
Palou had two eighth-place finishes. The first was at St. Petersburg where Palou was anonymous, one of the few days where he wasn't toward the front. The other was the first Iowa race. That was actually a little better than where Palou had run most of the race. Unfortunately, Palou was off the lead lap.
What subjectively was his worst race?
Palou didn't have any bad races this season. St. Petersburg gets this spot because it was the only one where he wasn't mentioned at any point. Sometimes not being mentioned can be a good thing. The first race was Palou's worst race of the season. It was all uphill from there.
Álex Palou's 2023 Statistics
Championship Position: 1st (656 points)
Wins: 5
Podiums: 10
Top Fives: 13
Top Tens: 17
Laps Led: 379
Poles: 2
Fast Sixes: 10
Fast Twelves: 12
Average Start: 6.0588
Average Finish: 3.7059
Wins: 5
Podiums: 10
Top Fives: 13
Top Tens: 17
Laps Led: 379
Poles: 2
Fast Sixes: 10
Fast Twelves: 12
Average Start: 6.0588
Average Finish: 3.7059
Scott Dixon
While Ganassi was juggling the future of one driver, it had the capable hands of Scott Dixon guiding one of its machines through the season. The veteran faced stiff competition from within the organization, and even on his best day, Dixon was still a distant second in the intra-team battle. It appeared Dixon was set to have one of his worst seasons in a long time during the middle of the summer. Then he did the remarkable.
What objectively was his best race?
Dixon pulled out not one, not two, but three stunning victory in the final four races of the season.
Dixon pulled out not one, not two, but three stunning victory in the final four races of the season.
It was a speechless drive to victory in the August race on the Indianapolis Motor Speedway road course. Dixon qualified 15th. He was spun in turn seven on lap one. He made his first pit stop on lap five. He restarted 23rd. He ran a 27-lap stint and emerged as a top five driver. He ran another 27-lap stint, leap-frogging himself to the lead, and then he drove a methodical 27-lap stint to hold off Graham Rahal. It was staggering, but a performance only fit for Scott Dixon.
That was one thing, but then Dixon did it again two weeks later at Gateway. This time, he committed to a three-stop strategy, breaking the race into 65-lap segments, while everyone else flaked and jumped to a four-stop race. Dixon had to start 16th after taking a nine-spot penalty due to an unapproved engine change. Dixon's consistency allowed him to smash the field, winning by over 22 seconds!
Twice is one thing, but then Dixon overcame a six-spot grid penalty, contact at the start, a penalty for that contact at the start and an untimely caution to win at Laguna Seca. Dixon ended up in the right spot when the caution came out for contact between Colton Herta and Hélio Castroneves. He inherited the lead and won with relative ease.
What subjectively was his best race?
What subjectively was his best race?
Did you not just read what I wrote above? Nobody else could have pulled out one of those races and yet Dixon did it three times! If I had to pick one, the IMS road course victory is the most impressive.
Dixon wasn't the only other driver to stop on lap five. Three other drivers stopped. The next best finisher was Colton Herta in 13th. David Malukas and Romain Grosjean both were outside the top fifteen. Herta and Grosjean aren't slouches. Neither came close to pulling off what Dixon accomplished.
What objectively was his worst race?
Dixon was put in the turn eight tires at Long Beach after contact with Patricio O'Ward. It felt like a 50/50 incident. Dixon wasn't happy with O'Ward afterward. The feeling was understandable.
What subjectively was his worst race?
Dixon was put in the turn eight tires at Long Beach after contact with Patricio O'Ward. It felt like a 50/50 incident. Dixon wasn't happy with O'Ward afterward. The feeling was understandable.
What subjectively was his worst race?
Long Beach was Dixon's only finish outside the top ten. It isn't something Dixon did. It is really the only race that got away from him.
Scott Dixon's 2023 Statistics
Championship Position: 2nd (578 points)
Wins: 3
Podiums: 6
Top Fives: 11
Top Tens: 16
Laps Led: 205
Poles: 0
Fast Sixes: 7
Fast Twelves: 11
Average Start: 8.4118
Average Finish: 5.3529
Wins: 3
Podiums: 6
Top Fives: 11
Top Tens: 16
Laps Led: 205
Poles: 0
Fast Sixes: 7
Fast Twelves: 11
Average Start: 8.4118
Average Finish: 5.3529
Marcus Ericsson
Often overlooked, Ericsson was ready to emerge as more with Ganassi. Always a reliable driver, Ericsson again showed top-tier form and spent more time in the top ten than most. However, he had a teammate that would not falter, and while the results remained impressive, they were not leading the way for the organization. Add to it, Ericsson was in a contract year and was looking for a pay-raise. The Swede did not quite find what he was looking for when this season was over.
What objectively was his best race?
Ericsson won the season opener at St. Petersburg. It wasn't really a race where Ericsson was the driver to beat. He was running well, competing for a top five result, but the Romain Grosjean-Scott McLaughlin contact gave the Swede two spots for free. Then Patricio O'Ward had a plenum event in his engine cause O'Ward to lose power for a moment off of the final corner, and Ericsson was there to pounce and take the lead with four laps remaining, which the Swede turned into victory.
What subjectively was his best race?
Ericsson won the season opener at St. Petersburg. It wasn't really a race where Ericsson was the driver to beat. He was running well, competing for a top five result, but the Romain Grosjean-Scott McLaughlin contact gave the Swede two spots for free. Then Patricio O'Ward had a plenum event in his engine cause O'Ward to lose power for a moment off of the final corner, and Ericsson was there to pounce and take the lead with four laps remaining, which the Swede turned into victory.
What subjectively was his best race?
It is not his victory. It is Ericsson's runner-up finish in the Indianapolis 500. Just like 2022, Ericsson stayed in the picture for the first for the first 300 miles and then he made his move to the front. He looked like the strongest car down the stretch. With the cautions and the red flags, it became a disjointed finish, a bit of a mess. Ericsson looked like he was going to steal a second consecutive Indianapolis 500 triumphant. Then he beat himself as much as Josef Newgarden beat him.
What objectively was his worst race?
An opening lap incident with fellow Swede Felix Rosenqvist at Mid-Ohio left Ericsson with a 27th-place finish. Ericsson clipped Rosenqvist in turn six. Ericsson made a bad move to the inside. Not the worst move in the world, but a costly one in this circumstance.
What subjectively was his worst race?
An opening lap incident with fellow Swede Felix Rosenqvist at Mid-Ohio left Ericsson with a 27th-place finish. Ericsson clipped Rosenqvist in turn six. Ericsson made a bad move to the inside. Not the worst move in the world, but a costly one in this circumstance.
What subjectively was his worst race?
Mid-Ohio was bad, but Toronto was a race where Ericsson had to make a pit stop on the final lap because he was out of fuel. This cost him a top ten finish. He still finished 11th, but he lost at least four or five spots due to this unscheduled stop.
Marcus Ericsson's 2023 Statistics
Championship Position: 6th (438 points)
Wins: 1
Podiums: 3
Top Fives: 4
Top Tens: 14
Laps Led: 51
Poles: 0
Fast Sixes: 4
Fast Twelves: 9
Average Start: 10.588
Average Finish: 8.6471
Wins: 1
Podiums: 3
Top Fives: 4
Top Tens: 14
Laps Led: 51
Poles: 0
Fast Sixes: 4
Fast Twelves: 9
Average Start: 10.588
Average Finish: 8.6471
Marcus Armstrong
It was a different season for Chip Ganassi Racing, as it split its fourth car between two drivers. For road and street courses, Ganassi fielded Armstrong, a rookie but veteran from Formula Two that showed good potential but could not shatter the European junior formula scene. The New Zealander found comfort in IndyCar and passed the audition.
What objectively was his best race?
In his first visit to Toronto, Armstrong was seventh. It was not a day where Armstrong did much, but on what can be a tricky circuit, Armstrong did not get flustered and saw the checkered flag without any issues.
What subjectively was his best race?
This is going to sound weird, but it is his 24th at Road America, because Armstrong spent much of the first half of that race in the top five. He looked like a podium contender. Then the team made a questionable decision not to bring Armstrong to the pit lane under caution for the David Malukas incident. It put Armstrong in a weird spot. He led five laps but after his pit stop he got stuck in traffic and was spun off course, which relegated him to 24th.
What objectively was his worst race?
Along with his 24th at Road America, Armstrong was 24th at the August IMS road course race after he was spun on the opening lap off the front wing of his teammate Palou. Armstrong was trapped a lap down and never got back on the lead lap. He was essentially racing to 24th after the opening lap.
What subjectively was his worst race?
Along with his 24th at Road America, Armstrong was 24th at the August IMS road course race after he was spun on the opening lap off the front wing of his teammate Palou. Armstrong was trapped a lap down and never got back on the lead lap. He was essentially racing to 24th after the opening lap.
What subjectively was his worst race?
Road America. He was a top five car that race. At worst that day should have been a top ten finish. This result wasn't on him. The team took a chance, and it could have worked out, but it didn't quite pan out.
Marcus Armstrong's 2023 Statistics
Championship Position: 20th (214 points)
Wins: 0
Podiums: 0
Top Fives: 0
Top Tens: 5
Laps Led: 5
Poles: 0
Fast Sixes: 0
Fast Twelves: 6
Average Start: 13.333
Average Finish: 13.083
Wins: 0
Podiums: 0
Top Fives: 0
Top Tens: 5
Laps Led: 5
Poles: 0
Fast Sixes: 0
Fast Twelves: 6
Average Start: 13.333
Average Finish: 13.083
Takuma Sato
While Armstrong focused on the road and street courses, Ganassi drafted Sato to run the ovals in what was the first season without Sato as a full-time competitor since 2009. The veteran was one the team knew could earn results at the oval races, but from day one this was not a guaranteed ride for all five oval events. Though there was a little pressure, Sato saw the season through. There were good days, and there were bad days.
What objectively was his best race?
Sato was seventh in the Indianapolis 500, in a race where he was up in the top ten for a majority of the races.
What subjectively was his best race?
Sato was seventh in the Indianapolis 500, in a race where he was up in the top ten for a majority of the races.
What subjectively was his best race?
It is Indianapolis. Sato was the fourth best of the Ganassi cars at Indianapolis, but the fourth best Ganassi car was still worthy of a top ten finish. Even if Palou did not get caught in the pit lane incident with Rinus VeeKay, Sato wasn't going to beat Palou. Ericsson and Dixon both rightfully finished ahead of Sato. Sato led two laps. Seventh was an accurate outcome for Sato performance on this day.
What objectively was his worst race?
In his first race of the season, Sato had an accident at Texas and that left him with a 28th-place finish with only 46 laps completed.
What subjectively was his worst race?
In his first race of the season, Sato had an accident at Texas and that left him with a 28th-place finish with only 46 laps completed.
What subjectively was his worst race?
It isn't one race, but all of the crashes. Texas was bad. It didn't help that the reports came out Sato was not assured to run all the oval races at the start of that weekend and an accident while in the top third of the field was not a great first outing. It worked out as Sato did run all the oval races, but it was not a promising start, and the rest of the season wasn't much better.
Sato retired from the second Iowa race after brushing the wall, but he spent his entire Gateway race trying to knock down the turn two wall. He hit it twice before knocking himself out of the race when he hit it a third time. He did get to run all the oval races, but retiring from 60% of them due to accidents, all of which can only be laid on his shoulders, is not how Sato wanted this abbreviated season to go.
Takuma Sato's 2023 Statistics
Championship Position: 30th (53 points)
Wins: 0
Podiums: 0
Top Fives: 0
Top Tens: 2
Laps Led: 3
Poles: 0
Fast Sixes: 0
Fast Twelves: 1
Average Start: 11
Average Finish: 19
Wins: 0
Podiums: 0
Top Fives: 0
Top Tens: 2
Laps Led: 3
Poles: 0
Fast Sixes: 0
Fast Twelves: 1
Average Start: 11
Average Finish: 19
An Early Look Ahead
Chip Ganassi Racing is coming off its most dominant season ever.
Nine victories is not the most for this team in a season, but Ganassi had at least three top ten finishers in every race. It had multiple top five finishers in 11 races. It took the top two in the championship for the first time since 2009. It was a season we have seen from Team Penske a few times in recent seasons but now completed with Chip Ganassi Racing.
And off of this historic stranglehold, Ganassi leans into the youth moment and only continues to make his team younger.
Scott Dixon will still be around, but joining the soon-to-be 27-year-old Álex Palou will be the soon-to-be 25-year-old rookie Linus Lundqvist while the 23-year-old Marcus Armstrong become the full-time driver in the #11 Honda, and Indy Lights driver Kyffin Simpson will join a five-car Ganassi lineup in 2024 at the age of 19 years old.
Ganassi has moved away from veterans. Three of its drivers have never raced an IndyCar oval race let alone completed a full schedule, but the team is making some wise decisions.
Armstrong was more than ready for full-time this season. Ganassi didn't wait a beat to snag Lundqvist after his cameo appearances with Meyer Shank Racing substituting for an injured Simon Pageanud. Ganassi's goal is to get young, and he has scooped up some pretty good talent.
It will not remain roses for this team into 2024. Palou will eventually finish outside the top ten. Dixon will not have a fuel conservation run go his way. The three young drivers will all make mistakes. Armstrong and Lundqvist will still have some impressive days, but there will be lessons learned the hard way. Simpson isn't ready for IndyCar, but Ganassi isn't going to turn down a few million dollars.
This will still be Palou and Dixon's team. Palou dominated but it should not overshadow what Dixon did. Even though his victories came late and came through methodical drives, Dixon had 16 top ten finishes. If it wasn't for Patricio O'Ward, it likely would have been the second 17-for-17 top ten finish season in 2023. Dixon ended the season with five consecutive top five results and he had 11 total top five finishes. In many seasons, three victories, 11 top five finishes and 16 top ten finishes is enough to win a championship.
We are not completely clear of the contractual conflict. McLaren has sued Palou after all, but Chip Ganassi is firmly behind his driver. It should not provide much distraction, but this will yet again not be a drama-free offseason for Ganassi and its championship driver. However, if the team could win the 2023 championship after everything that happened in 2022 and the expectation this would be the end of the Palou relationship, it should find a way through this predicament.
