Eyes on the grid as the second half kicks off at Road America
The NTT INDYCAR SERIES arrives at Road America for the XPEL Grand Prix with plenty of questions, but none louder than the form of Pato O’Ward. The Arrow McLaren driver sits fifth in the standings, yet the lack of a podium or a race win remains a stinging reality. Meanwhile, his teammate Christian Lundgaard is making a real case for himself, sitting fourth in points with a victory at the Sonsio Grand Prix and five consecutive podium finishes on permanent road courses. It is a fascinating dynamic to watch as the season hits its midpoint.
Then there is the titan of the circuit, Alex Palou. Chip Ganassi Racing has dominated at this track, securing eight wins here since 1997, and Palou himself has claimed three of the last five. A victory in Elkhart Lake would not just be another trophy; it would mark his 24th career win and his 50th career podium. History is firmly on the line for the Spaniard.
Down in the INDY NXT by Firestone championship, the battle is nothing short of insane. With eight of 17 races in the books, only 27 points separate the top four drivers, with Nikita Johnson holding a mere two-point lead over Enzo Fittipaldi and five over Tymek Kucharczyk. With four different winners across four permanent road course races, predicting a victor here is a fool's errand. This is the kind of close-quarters racing we live for.
