Whirlwind, exciting season takes checkered Sunday at Laguna Seca

Time sure flies at these high speeds. That is the exact scenario the NTT INDYCAR SERIES finds itself in heading into the 18th and final race weekend of the season. The campaign began back in March with a bang, featuring three races in as many weekends and a record fourth to close out the month, including a return to Raceway for the first time since 2018. It has been a wildly frenetic stretch run with five races in four weekends, and now it all culminates at for the Mission Foods Grand Prix of Monterey on Sunday at 2:30 p.m. ET.

Chip Ganassi Racing’s has already secured his fourth consecutive series championship and fifth in six years, joining as the only drivers in history with four titles in a row. Palou has taken six wins and eight poles this season, pushing his career win total to 25 to tie Gordon Johncock for 17th all-time. Though he drove conservatively during last weekend's Milwaukee doubleheader to lock up the title, he figures to be full gas for this 95-lap race. He arrives with three wins in the past four races, including the past two at Laguna Seca, though an unusual stat bothers him: his current run of four races without a podium is his longest since 2024.

Meanwhile, an era is ending. and Chip Ganassi Racing are contesting their farewell after 25 years together before Dixon moves to Arrow McLaren for 2027. They have won races as a pairing for 21 consecutive seasons, but they need a win Sunday to keep that record alive after a winless campaign that has left Dixon 12th in points. Elsewhere in the standings, the battle for second place is fierce. holds a two-point advantage over and a four-point advantage over Pato O’Ward, with Lundgaard leaving Arrow McLaren after the race. Team Penske’s sits fifth in the standings, trailing Lundgaard by 23 points.

The Rookie of the Year battle is also going down to the wire. Dale Coyne Racing’s leads Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing’s by 18 points and AJ Foyt Racing’s by 30 points, with all three mathematically eligible. Malukas remains hunting for his first career win after collecting six runner-up finishes, including one last weekend at Milwaukee. Down the order, Juncos Hollinger Racing’s is aiming to lock down 10th in the standings ahead of Andretti Global’s Will Power, while Chip Ganassi Racing’s Kyffin Simpson sits just 11 points behind Dixon in a battle for 12th.