The Road America stranglehold continues
It is honestly difficult to look past the giants at Road America. Since this 4.014-mile circuit returned to the calendar in 2016, Chip Ganassi Racing and Team Penske have combined to snatch 10 of the 11 NTT INDYCAR SERIES victories. With six wins in that span, Chip Ganassi Racing remains the benchmark, though Team Penske showed their sheer force with a 2024 podium sweep featuring Will Power, Josef Newgarden, and Scott McLaughlin.
While defending winner Alex Palou is the obvious headline, he has never managed to repeat at this track, which might just leave the door cracked for someone new. Keep an eye on Christian Lundgaard, who is currently on an incredible tear of five consecutive podium finishes on permanent road courses, or David Malukas, who makes his debut in Team Penske equipment after showing immense promise earlier this year.
The race itself is a 55-lap sprint, and the statistics favor those with deep experience. Drivers like Graham Rahal and Marcus Armstrong have historically found pace here, even if results haven't always followed. Whatever happens, the dominance of the top two teams is the story until someone actually finds a way to break it.
