Here is the thing about looking back: sometimes a single stretch of races, a heartbreak on the final lap, or a high-stakes garage shuffle tells you everything you need to know about who is going to dominate next year. The 2026 NTT IndyCar Series campaign delivered plenty of chaos, but four experts point to specific turning points that will echo loudly when the 2027 season fires up.
First, consider the quiet menace building inside Andretti Global. Curt Cavin points to a late-season tear from Will Power, who strung together three consecutive podium finishes by taking third at Portland, Markham, and Washington. That run was part of a seven-race streak where Power led laps, culminating in five top-three finishes for the year—just two shy of series champion Alex Palou. Even though Power finished 11th in the point standings, he enters his second season with Andretti Global brimming with confidence. Partnered with Kyle Kirkwood and Marcus Ericsson, the team tied Team Penske for the most podium finishes with 13. If Power acts as the ultimate foil, he just might give Kirkwood the backup he needs to finally overthrow Palou.
Then there is the sheer agony of May. Eric Smith looks straight at the Indy 500, arguing that the way David Malukas lost the race could be the exact anvil that forges his victory next year. Malukas crossed the finish line as the closest second-place finisher in Indy 500 history, marking his second consecutive runner-up result at the Brickyard. History shows that 36 drivers have finished second before eventually winning the race, with nine of those taking that runner-up spot the very year before their maiden Indy 500 triumph. Now steering a Team Penske machine, Malukas has the raw experience and the sting of recent defeats to close the deal in 2027.
Over at Arrow McLaren and Chip Ganassi Racing, the garage door is practically revolving. Arni Sribhen highlights the massive driver movement between the two outfits, centering on a virtual trade between Scott Dixon and Christian Lundgaard. Every single result Lundgaard delivers at his new home will be weighed directly against Dixon's performances. Add in the simmering bad blood leftover from the Alex Palou saga, and you have a fierce rivalry where one organization is going to be laughing a whole lot louder than the other by the time 2027 wraps up.
Finally, the calendar itself delivered a blueprint for the future. Paul Kelly points to the massive success of new street races in Arlington and Washington. The Java House Grand Prix of Arlington is primed to grow into a foundational tentpole event, potentially sitting right alongside the Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach as an unofficial major outside of the Indianapolis 500 presented by Gainbridge. While Washington might not return next year, its overwhelming success provides a gold standard for street circuits. IndyCar runs street circuits better than any series in North America, leaving open the tantalizing question of where the blueprint might land next—perhaps the streets of Philadelphia or Denver.
