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INDYCAR SERIESNXT SERIES

INDYCAR SERIES

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The IndyCar Series, officially known as the NTT IndyCar Series for sponsorship reasons, is the highest class of American open-wheel car racing in the United States, which has been conducted under the auspices of various sanctioning bodies since 1920. The series is self-sanctioned by its parent company, IndyCar, LLC, which began in 1996 as the Indy Racing League (IRL) and was created by then Indianapolis Motor Speedway owner Tony George as a competitor to Championship Auto Racing Teams (CART). In 2008, the IndyCar Series merged with CART's successor, the Champ Car World Series, unifying the history and statistics of both series (as well as those from their predecessors).

MONTEREY, Calif. (Sunday, Sept. 6, 2026) – Scott McLaughlin ended a long winless streak and the 2026 NTT INDYCAR SERIES season in style, dominating the Mission Foods Grand Prix of Monterey for his first victory in more than two years.

Pole sitter McLaughlin drove the No. 3 DEX Team Penske Chevrolet to victory by 1.3739 seconds over the No. 27 Sam’s Club Honda of Andretti Global’s Kyle Kirkwood. The win was the eighth of McLaughlin’s INDYCAR SERIES career and his first since Sept. 1, 2024, in the second race of a doubleheader weekend at the Milwaukee Mile, snapping a drought of 36 races.

SEE: Race Results

“My little girl (Lucy, born in October 2024) hasn’t seen me win yet, and now she has,” McLaughlin said. “So, Dad’s coming home with a trophy, baby. Let’s go!

“These guys and girls at Team Penske have stood behind me the whole time. Congrats to Alex (Palou) on his fifth (championship), but we’re working hard to beat them, and today was a big step in the right direction.”

Alexander Rossi finished third in the No. 20 Java House ECR Chevrolet for his first podium finish since placing third at this event for Arrow McLaren in June 2024.

Felix Rosenqvist placed fourth in the No. 60 Meyer Shank Racing w/Curb Agajanian Honda. David Malukas put two Team Penske cars in the top five in the No. 12 Verizon Team Penske Chevrolet.

Alex Palou punctuated the fifth NTT INDYCAR SERIES championship that he clinched last weekend at Milwaukee with a quiet drive to eighth place in the No. 10 DHL Lightning Bolt Honda of Chip Ganassi Racing after he won this race the last two years. But Palou and the CGR team celebrated its record-tying fourth consecutive season title with donuts on the front straightaway by the driver and again in a boisterous post-race Astor Challenge Cup presentation.

McLaughlin left absolutely no doubt about his dominance in this race on the 11-turn, 2.238-mile road course. He only trailed during pit stop sequences and ended up leading 87 of 95 laps, erasing all memories of the six podium finishes without a win since his last triumph.

There was only one caution period in the race, for a Lap 1 incident in which Sting Ray Robb’s No. 77 Juncos Hollinger Racing – Goodheart Chevrolet hit the rear of Dennis Hauger’s No. 19 Ault Block Chain Honda of Dale Coyne Racing in Turn 6, sending Hauger spinning into the tire barrier.

McLaughlin had no problem pulling away from the field on the restart on Lap 4, and his precise driving and Team Penske’s clean, quick work during three pit stops took care of the rest.

“We had to be solid,” McLaughlin said. “That’s what it’s going to take to win a championship. What a great warmup we had. Bring on 2027.”

Kirkwood, who started sixth, had climbed to second by Lap 20 after Palou pitted to switch to a different tire strategy and shadowed McLaughlin for the rest of the way, pitting at the same time as McLaughlin on all three stops. McLaughlin’s lead was nearly four seconds at the halfway point, but Kirkwood pulled as close as 1.2 seconds on Lap 72 due to running his final stint on the faster but less-durable Firestone Firehawk alternate tire.

But McLaughlin eased away in the closing laps on the more durable Firestone primary tire, as Kirkwood admitted he and the Andretti Global team took a safety-first approach to ensure the driver would finish a career-best second in the standings. Kirkwood ended up 86 points behind champion Palou.

“Second in the championship, and that’s my best road-course finish,” Kirkwood said. “We just played it super clean, super methodical. I wish I could have had a go at Scotty there at the end on the better tires, but we knew who we were fighting, and that was for the championship, mostly. So, we played it safe there. Second place is best of the rest.”

2016 Indianapolis 500 winner Rossi also was a fixture in the top three for most of the race, producing the best day for ECR since teammate Christian Rasmussen won in August 2025 at Milwaukee. Rasmussen also finished third this year at World Wide Technology Raceway, but road courses have been a weak spot for ECR this season. The best previous finish on this type of circuit was sixth by Rossi in June at Road America.

“I don’t think I could state the significance of it just with how challenging this year has been for the whole organization and how much road courses have been a huge struggle of ours,” Rossi said. “There was a lot of doubt coming into this event whether we could find a direction, so I think this is just a huge reward for all the effort.”

Despite finishing last in the 25-car field due to the incident with Robb, Hauger hung on to win series Rookie of the Year honors. He finished with 228 points, 15 ahead of Mick Schumacher of Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing in the rookie race.

The 2027 NTT INDYCAR SERIES season opens Sunday, March 7 on the streets of St. Petersburg, Florida.

MONTEREY, Calif. (Saturday, Sept. 5, 2026) – One goal down for Scott McLaughlin this weekend, one to go.

McLaughlin delivered Chevrolet its 250th INDYCAR SERIES pole position, taking the top spot for the season-ending Mission Foods Grand Prix of Monterey with a lap of 1 minute, 9.1363 seconds in the No. 3 DEX Team Penske Chevrolet.

SEE: Qualifying Results

Now, McLaughlin hopes that speed will help him win the race Sunday, ending a 36-race dry spell since his last NTT INDYCAR SERIES victory in August 2024 at the Milwaukee Mile. A good omen: The pole winner has driven to victory in this race in 18 of the 28 INDYCAR SERIES races held at this iconic Central California Coast road course.

“Since the thing left the hauler, this thing has been unreal,” McLaughlin said. “So stoked for Chevy to get the 250th pole, but I’ve got to try and transition this into a win. Really proud of everyone.

“We were a little bit lost there for a little bit, but to finally get back a little pace on road courses, which we’ve been a little bit lost, I’m really proud of Raul (Prados, race engineer) and the team.”

Live coverage of the 95-lap race starts at 2:30 p.m. ET Sunday on FOX, FOX Deportes, FOX One and INDYCAR Radio powered by OnlyBulls.

McLaughlin used his final lap in the Firestone Fast Six to earn his third NTT P1 Award of the season, as he won the pole for the season-opening race on the street circuit at St. Petersburg and last weekend on the Milwaukee Mile oval. This was his first pole on a road course since April 2024 at Barber Motorsports Park.

The impressive speed by McLaughlin, who also led practice this morning, was enough to dislodge five-time series champion and Laguna Seca dominator Alex Palou from the top spot.

Reigning series champion Palou ended up second at 1:09.1540 in the No. 10 DHL Lightning Bolt Honda of Chip Ganassi Racing. Palou has won this race three of the last four years, including in 2024 and 2025 from the pole.

Despite just missing his series-leading ninth pole of the season, Palou’s metronomic speed should serve him well in the race Sunday and send a shiver down the spines of his rivals. Palou led the first round of qualifying at 1:09.1398 and the Fast 12 round at 1:09.1496.

Just .0142 of a second separated Palou’s three best laps from each round of qualifying. He earned his 12th front-row qualifying position in 18 races this season.

“It’s not the race, so consistency doesn’t matter much,” Palou said. “But honestly, happy. We went for it. We tried to get the pole. Really happy with another front-row start. Scott did a great lap.”

Felix Rosenqvist also continued his consistent weekend by qualifying third at 1:09.1931 in the No. 60 Meyer Shank Racing w/Curb Agajanian Honda. Rosenqvist was second in both practice sessions at this event preceding qualifying on the 11-turn, 2.238-mile circuit.

Alexander Rossi produced his best non-oval qualifying position of the season with ease, as he will join Rosenqvist in Row 2 Sunday after earning the fourth spot at 1:09.3247 in the No. 20 ECR Java House Chevrolet. Rossi’s previous best this year on a road or street circuit was eighth at Markham.

Christian Lundgaard qualified fifth at 1:10.2227 in the No. 7 Arrow McLaren Chevrolet, but he will line up 11th Sunday due to a six-spot grid penalty for an unapproved engine change after the doubleheader last weekend at Milwaukee.

David Malukas rounded out the Firestone Fast Six at 1:12.8461 in the No. 12 Verizon Team Penske Chevrolet.

Lundgaard and Malukas are locked in a four-driver fight for second place. Lundgaard is second with Kyle Kirkwood of Andretti Global two points behind in third, Pato O’Ward of Arrow McLaren four points back in fourth and Malukas 23 points behind Lundgaard.

Kirkwood qualified seventh in the No. 27 Sam’s Club Honda, while O’Ward was narrowly eliminated in the first round of qualifying and earned the 13th spot in the No. 5 Arrow McLaren Chevrolet.

MONTEREY, Calif. (Friday, Sept. 4, 2026) – No wonder Alex Palou calls WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca his favorite road course on the NTT INDYCAR SERIES schedule.

Palou, fresh off clinching his fifth series championship last weekend, continued to look untouchable at the picturesque Central California circuit after the first practice Friday for the Mission Foods Grand Prix of Monterey. He led with a best lap of 1 minute, 9.8994 seconds in the No. 10 DHL Lightning Bolt Honda of Chip Ganassi Racing that is an ode to Alex Zanardi, who won two INDYCAR SERIES titles for CGR in a car with a similar livery. Zanardi died in May.

SEE: Practice Results

“Super cool to be here at Laguna, my favorite road course of the year and especially this weekend,” Palou said. “We don’t need to think about points; we can focus on winning.

“First-ever session I’ve run the bolt, the lightning bolt, with the No. 10 car. It was good. It was fast. I cannot wait for the rest of the weekend.”

The Spaniard has dominated at this 11-turn, 2.238-mile road course since his first start here in 2021. He has never finished worse than third in five starts, and he has three victories, including the last two years. He has won the pole for this event the last two years.

His average finish at this circuit is a mind-melting 1.6. He has led 250 laps on this iconic circuit that includes the newly renamed Zanardi Corkscrew turn complex, including 84 of 95 last year.

Add it all up, and it’s safe to say Palou remains the overwhelming favorite to win the NTT P1 Award during qualifying Saturday (4:30 p.m. ET, FS2) and the 95-lap race Sunday (2:30 p.m. ET, FOX, FOX Deportes).

Felix Rosenqvist kept Palou close, ending up second at 1:09.9907 in the No. 60 Meyer Shank Racing w/Curb Agajanian Honda that includes a special livery featuring hard rock superstars Nickelback.

Pato O’Ward, who swept both races of the Milwaukee doubleheader last Sunday, was third at 1:10.1764 in the No. 5 Arrow McLaren Chevrolet. O’Ward is one of three drivers in a very tight fight for second place in the championship standings behind Palou in this season-ending race. He is fourth, two points behind third-place Kyle Kirkwood of Andretti Global and four points behind teammate Christian Lundgaard in second.

Scott McLaughlin ended up fourth at 1:10.3198 in the No. 3 DEX Team Penske Chevrolet. Kyffin Simpson put two Chip Ganassi Racing cars in the top five with his best lap of 1:10.3765 in the No. 8 Sunoco CGR Honda.

There was one incident involving contact in the 64-minute session, divided into three groups. Santino Ferrucci ran wide in Turn 9 and made nose-first contact with the tire barrier in the No. 14 Homes For Our Troops Chevrolet of A.J. Foyt Enterprises. The car suffered minor damage, and Ferrucci was unhurt.

Up next is another practice session at 1 p.m. ET Saturday (FS2), leading into NTT P1 Award qualifying later that afternoon. FOX One and INDYCAR Radio powered by OnlyBulls also are broadcasting all sessions live this weekend.

Pato O'Ward Sweeps Milwaukee; Alex Palou Clinches Fifth Title

WEST ALLIS, Wis. (Sunday, Aug. 30, 2026) – The INDYCAR SERIES history book got a workout after Pato O’Ward won the completion of the Snap-on Makers and Fixers 250 on Sunday at the Milwaukee Mile.

O’Ward swept both races Sunday in the No. 5 Arrow McLaren Chevrolet on the historic 1.015-mile oval, winning the race that was suspended due to weather Saturday just a few hours after taking the checkered flag in the Snap-on Milwaukee Mile 250. The Mexican became the first driver to win two INDYCAR SERIES races on the same day since Rick Mears swept a doubleheader June 28, 1981, at Atlanta Motor Speedway.

SEE: Race Results

“I’ve dreamed of weekends like this before, having doubleheaders just a couple of times in my career, wishing I wanted to win both of them in a weekend,” O’Ward said. “We got to win both in a day. That’s definitely a dream come true for myself and the team.”

More history was made when Alex Palou clinched his fifth NTT INDYCAR SERIES championship after finishing 10th in this race in the No. 10 DHL Chip Ganassi Racing Honda. It was the Spaniard’s fourth straight title, tying a series record set by Sebastien Bourdais from 2004-07.

Palou, 29, also became the youngest driver in series history to win five titles. A.J. Foyt was 32 when he earned his fifth championship in 1967. Only Foyt, with seven, and Scott Dixon, with six, have won more INDYCAR SERIES titles than Palou.

“Incredible,” Palou said. “I owe everything to this team. So proud of this team. It is great to have another championship and ready for the next one.”

O’Ward, who started first Saturday and led when the race resumed today, crossed the finish line 1.7535 seconds ahead of David Malukas in the No. 12 Verizon Team Penske Chevrolet. Rinus VeeKay scored his first podium finish of his strong season in the No. 76 Juncos Hollinger Racing Chevrolet.

Scott McLaughlin finished fourth in the No. 3 Clarience Technologies Team Penske Chevrolet, while 2025 Milwaukee winner Christian Rasmussen rounded out the top five in the No. 21 Splenda Stevia Chevrolet of ECR.

Chevrolet-powered drivers took the top seven spots in the finishing order on a day that Honda clinched its 12th INDYCAR SERIES manufacturers’ championship.

O’Ward grabbed the lead for good on Lap 226 on a breathtaking final restart. Malukas led the field to the green flag, but his car was sluggish on the restart. O’Ward dove low and McLaughlin moved high, with the trio going three-wide into Turn 1.

The Mexican pulled ahead for the lead, making one of the track-record 372 on-track passes for position, and never trailed thereafter. Malukas stayed within a second of O’Ward for 10 laps after the restart but faded in the last 10 laps.

It was the sixth career runner-up finish without a victory for Malukas. Four of those second-place finishes have come in his first year for Team Penske, which he joined this year for his fifth season in the series.

“I’m just so frustrated,” Malukas said. “We had the car; we did everything right. We’re just cursed. I literally believe I have some sort of curse. Everything was in our favor there.

“This weekend, both races we were having issues with the engine on restarts and coming out of the pits, needing to lift and having these events where we just lose power. That really let us down.”

O’Ward and Malukas were the dominant drivers of the race, which was suspended after 90 laps Saturday due to rain and wet track conditions. They combined to lead 212 of the 250 laps, with O’Ward out front for 119 and Malukas 93.

“David was so quick, he was so good in traffic,” O’Ward said. “I was just going to have to wait for something like that (slow restart) to happen in order to have a chance on him. Otherwise, it was just going to be pedaling it to the end.”

Rasmussen and Christian Lundgaard, who ended up sixth in the No. 7 Arrow McLaren Chevrolet, both led laps during the completion of the race today but only during pit cycles. Otherwise, it was the O’Ward-Malukas show.

Palou struggled with handling problems in this race and kept a wide berth nearly every time a rival passed him. He led the standings by 97 points entering this race after finishing fifth in the Snap-on Milwaukee Mile 250 earlier today and needed to lead by just 54 points after this race to seal the title. So, it was safety first.

“Today was a really bad race for us,” Palou said. “We were suffering all the time. But just keep focused, keep on going.”

The next race is the season-ending Mission Grand Prix of Monterey this Friday through Sunday at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca in Monterey, California. Palou has won that race three of the last four years, including two in a row. He will race in a special livery saluting CGR legend and two-time INDYCAR SERIES champion Alex Zanardi, who passed away May 1.

“I’m very excited for next weekend,” Palou said. “My favorite racetrack of the year, repping that beautiful livery in honor of Alex Zanardi.”

WEST ALLIS, Wis. (Sunday, Aug. 30, 2026) – Pato O’Ward has just two podium finishes this season, but he stood in the best spot after both – on top.

O’Ward earned his second victory of the season in the No. 5 Arrow McLaren Chevrolet, capitalizing on a fast final pit stop and skilled driving through lapped traffic to win the Snap-on Milwaukee Mile 250 on Sunday at the 1.015-mile oval. O’Ward’s other podium finish came with his first win of the season in July at the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course.

SEE: Race Results

“We like Milwaukee,” O’Ward said. “Yesterday, the car was feeling really good. I can say I was struggling a little bit in the race. I definitely was.

“It took me a little bit to find a rhythm. The track was a bit hotter today. It definitely makes these things a little more on the edge. I used it up when we needed it.”

The Mexican captured his 11th career victory by .7916 of a second over the No. 3 PPG Team Penske Chevrolet of Scott McLaughlin, who used one less pit stop than his rivals to gain track position in the 250-lap race.

Christian Lundgaard gave Arrow McLaren two of the three podium positions with his best career oval finish in the team’s No. 7 Chevrolet. This was the first podium sweep this season by Chevrolet-powered drivers in a race in which rival Honda clinched its 12th INDYCAR SERIES engine manufacturers championship.

David Malukas kept the good times rolling for Chevy by finishing fourth in the No. 12 Verizon Team Penske Chevrolet. Series leader Alex Palou moved within inches of his fifth championship and record-tying fourth in a row by rounding out the top five in the No. 10 DHL Chip Ganassi Racing Honda.

Palou leads Kyle Kirkwood by 97 points with two races remaining. Palou only needs to lead by 54 points after the completion of the Snap-on Makers and Fixers 250 at 6 p.m. ET Sunday (FS1), a race halted by rain and wet track conditions after 90 laps were completed Saturday.

The Spaniard led a race-high 115 laps but faded toward the end of this race. Kirkwood finished sixth in the No. 27 Sam’s Club Honda of Andretti Global.

“We were going for the win today and didn’t really have enough pace,” Palou said. “Good opportunity tonight to get that championship. We know it’s going to be tough, but we’re going to try and fix the car a little it and try to see if we can make it faster.”

The race featured a variety of pit strategies, as some teams decided to pit early during cycles in an attempt to “undercut” their rivals on worn Firestone Firehawk tires and gain track position. Meanwhile, McLaughlin capitalized on the decision by strategist Tim Cindric to make four stops, instead of the five trips to the pits for every other top-10 finisher.

O’Ward’s path to victory also was paved in the pits. He was running fourth, right behind McLaughlin, when both made their final stop on Lap 192.

O’Ward’s crew atoned from a slow first stop early in the race by servicing his car in 6.6 seconds, letting O’Ward beat McLaughlin out of the pits.

The top two drivers at the time, Will Power of Andretti Global and Lundgaard, pitted on the next lap – with tough results for each.

Power was caught speeding entering the pits for that stop and was ordered to serve a drive-through penalty. Lundgaard’s crew had trouble changing the right front and left rear tires, resulting in an 11.3-second stop and perhaps costing Lundgaard a chance at his first career oval victory.

Many other cars cycled through stops in the next few laps, with O’Ward taking the lead for good on Lap 196 when Santino Ferrucci pitted from the lead in the No. 14 Homes For Our Troops Chevrolet of A.J. Foyt Enterprises.

Then the gap between O’Ward and McLaughlin see-sawed as both drivers danced through lapped traffic in a race that featured 333 passes for position – the most ever for the INDYCAR SERIES during its long history at the Milwaukee Mile.

O’Ward’s margin shriveled from 3.299 seconds on Lap 224 to just five-tenths of a second five laps later as he tried to pass Power, who was at the tail end of the lead lap due to his penalty and desperately trying to stay there or advance in a fast No. 26 Phoenix Investors Honda.

Power finally surrendered that spot when O’Ward cleared him on Lap 235 and set sail for the checkered flag. O’Ward led McLaughlin by two seconds by Lap 245 and was home free.

O’Ward also took heart in Victory Lane that he would strap back into his car within a few hours as the leader of the race that was suspended Saturday, with a chance to win two NTT INDYCAR SERIES races on the same day.

“I’ve never been in this position before,” O’Ward said. “We just won a race while leading another one. That’s pretty crazy.”

First Race To Resume at 9 a.m. ET on FS1, Second Race at 1 p.m. ET on FOX

WEST ALLIS, Wis. (Saturday, Aug. 29, 2026) – The NTT INDYCAR SERIES could feature 410 laps of racing action Sunday at the Milwaukee Mile after rain Saturday afternoon forced a delay of the completion of the first race of the Snap-on INDYCAR Weekend doubleheader.

The red flag flew over the historic 1.015-mile oval due to rain after 90 of the scheduled 250 laps of the Snap-on Makers and Fixers 250, with Pato O’Ward leading in the No. 5 Arrow McLaren Chevrolet. The race will resume at 9 a.m. ET and run the full 250-lap distance or until 10:25 a.m. ET, whichever comes first.

FS1, FOX One and the INDYCAR Radio Network will provide live coverage starting at 9 a.m. ET.

Live coverage of the second race of the doubleheader, the Snap-on Milwaukee Mile 250, will start as scheduled at 1 p.m. ET on FOX, FOX One and the INDYCAR Radio Network. Reigning and four-time series champion Alex Palou will start on the pole for that 250-lap race in the No. 10 DHL Chip Ganassi Racing Honda.

The rain that forced the red flag ended, but INDYCAR and track officials determined there was not enough daylight remaining to completely dry the oval, pit lane and access lanes for competition.

The INDY NXT by Firestone race also will start as scheduled at 11 a.m. ET Sunday.

WEST ALLIS, Wis. (Friday, Aug. 28, 2026) – There was some normalcy in the first practice for the Snap-on INDYCAR Weekend on Friday at the Milwaukee Mile, as Josef Newgarden led the session to open the only doubleheader on the 2026 NTT INDYCAR SERIES schedule.

But a surprise, context and chaos reigned among some of the sport’s other top drivers around the historic 1.015-mile oval.

SEE: Practice Results

Newgarden, who has won two of the three short-oval events so far this season, was fastest at 159.430 mph in the No. 2 Snap-on Team Penske Chevrolet. Two-time series champion Newgarden has earned 14 of his 34 career victories on short ovals like Milwaukee.

The first surprise came when Dennis Hauger, the leader in the Rookie of the Year standings, ended up second at 159.378 in the No. 19 Ault Block Chain Honda of Dale Coyne Racing. 2025 INDY NXT by Firestone champion Hauger’s best finish in four prior oval starts this season is 15th in March at Phoenix, and his best oval qualifying spot is 22nd, also at Phoenix.

Reigning series champion Alex Palou was third at 158.890 in the No. 10 DHL Chip Ganassi Racing Honda as he tries to clinch his fourth consecutive and fifth overall NTT INDYCAR SERIES title.

Palou leads Kyle Kirkwood by 91 points and must lead by either 108 after the Snap-on Makers and Fixers 250 on Saturday (2:30 p.m. ET) or 54 after the Snap-on Milwaukee Mile 250 on Sunday (1 p.m. ET) to seal the Astor Challenge Cup. FOX, FOX One and INDYCAR Radio powered by OnlyBulls will broadcast both races live.

But there is context when looking at Palou’s strong result in practice as he and the other 24 drivers in the field look ahead to NTT P1 Award qualifying at 11 a.m. ET Saturday (FS1, FOX One, INDYCAR Radio powered by OnlyBulls). The Spaniard will incur a nine-spot penalty on the starting grid of Saturday’s race for an unapproved engine change after the race last Sunday in Washington, D.C.

David Malukas, who has scored more oval points than any driver this season, was fourth at 158.665 in the No. 12 Verizon Team Penske Chevrolet as he seeks his first career victory this weekend on one of his beloved short ovals. But like Palou, Malukas will serve a nine-spot grid penalty Saturday for an unapproved engine change after the race last Sunday in the nation’s capital.

Rinus VeeKay rounded out the top five at 158.648 in the No. 76 Juncos Hollinger Racing Chevrolet. But he, too, will move back nine spots after qualifying for the race Saturday after an unapproved engine change after the D.C. race.

The biggest flashpoint with the most significant impact – literally and perhaps figuratively – took place with 24 minutes remaining in the 90-minute session when title contender Kirkwood and last year’s Milwaukee race winner, Christian Rasmussen, crashed heavily.

Andretti Global’s Kirkwood and ECR’s Rasmussen ran side-by-side through Turn 2 and down the back straightaway – uncharacteristically aggressive for an opening practice – and into the entrance of Turn 3, with Kirkwood on the inside and Rasmussen outside. The No. 27 Sam’s Club Honda of Kirkwood and the No. 21 Splenda Stevia Chevrolet then made side-by-side contact, hurtling both into the SAFER Barrier.

Both cars suffered heavy damage. Neither driver was hurt, but both were bewildered by the incident, with the expected differing opinions about the cause.

“It wasn’t actually meant to be aggressive,” Kirkwood said. “I was just giving him some space there. He started to turn in really early, and I don’t know if his spotter didn’t tell him I was still there on the inside or he expected me to turn down early or what, but he just started his turn-in too early. That’s not the way you want to end practice like.”

Said Rasmussen: “It felt like he kind of never turned in. I was on the outside, and it didn’t feel like I turned in early. But I think his rear tire probably touched mine. I didn’t feel like I could have been much higher than I was. It was a little bit of a weird one because to me, it just seemed like he was never really turned in. It’s really unfortunate because we have a really fast race car.”

That was the second and final incident of the practice. Nolan Siegel did a quarter-spin and backed the No. 6 Arrow McLaren Chevrolet into the SAFER Barrier in Turn 2 about 16 minutes into the session. The car suffered moderate damage, and Siegel was unhurt.

The Andretti, ECR and Arrow McLaren teams face extra work either repairing those machines or preparing backup cars, and qualifying will be the next time those three drivers will get to test their new machines. There is no practice Saturday morning since this event features races Saturday and Sunday.

NDIANAPOLIS (Thursday, Sept. 10, 2026) – Alex Palou completed the second day of INDYCAR’s IR-28 oval validation test Thursday at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, giving engineers another valuable set of data and driver feedback as development continues on the next-generation NTT INDYCAR SERIES car.

The test went so well that Palou ended his running 15 minutes early after the team completed every item on its checklist.

“Very fun,” Palou said. “At the beginning, it was super fun because it’s a new car and you’re back at the Speedway. Then you’re like, ‘Can we go faster?’

“It’s still super fun. I’m testing the new car at the Speedway.”

Five-time NTT INDYCAR SERIES champion and 2025 Indianapolis 500 presented by Gainbridge winner Palou was the second driver to experience the IR-28’s oval configuration, following Wednesday's testing by Alexander Rossi.

Palou and Rossi shared driving duties during the car’s track debut last month on the IMS road course. That three-day test was extended by rain. Rossi, driving for ECR, provided feedback representing Chevrolet teams, while Palou represented Honda teams for Chip Ganassi Racing. Both returned to IMS for the oval validation test.

Rossi completed his testing Wednesday in temperatures that climbed into the low 90s with high humidity. An approaching cold front dropped temperatures nearly 10 degrees Thursday, giving INDYCAR engineers another set of environmental conditions to evaluate the car.

The focus remained on data collection rather than outright speed, despite Palou and Rossi qualifying first and second, respectively, for this year’s Indianapolis 500.

Single-car running allowed engineers to evaluate the IR-28 through a variety of aerodynamic configurations while gathering driver feedback on how the car responds to the demands of oval racing.

Rossi had a separate plan Wednesday than Palou’s checklist Thursday.

The goal of the test was to understand the car’s behavior across different aerodynamic setups and ride heights while identifying opportunities to improve its performance and raceability.

“I don’t really know what he did,” Palou said of Rossi. “I think he did a lot of basic stuff. Even us, we did a lot of basic stuff and trying to get a lot of data for Dallara itself to try and see what the car is doing when we get like crazy ride heights up, down, like just trying to get like basic numbers.”

Considerable development work remains before the IR-28 makes its NTT INDYCAR SERIES race debut in 2028. The two days of oval running at IMS provided another important step in that process, adding data from a variety of aerodynamic configurations and feedback from two Indy 500 winners.

Palou and Rossi now have their first oval impressions of the car that will define the next generation of INDYCAR SERIES racing.

“We got a lot more laps than I expected with the weather, and the car felt good,” Palou said. “We actually got quite a lot of speed. We improved over 2 miles an hour throughout the day, and we didn’t really work too much to get it.”

INDIANAPOLIS (Wednesday, Sept. 9, 2026) – There is plenty that remains unknown about the NTT INDYCAR SERIES’ next-generation car.

Alexander Rossi discovered a little more Wednesday.

On a hot and humid day with temperatures climbing into the low 90s at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, Rossi became the first driver to turn a wheel in the superspeedway configuration of the IR-28 chassis, beginning the next phase of INDYCAR’s development of its new-for-2028 car.

“It does everything that INDYCAR SERIES machinery should do around here,” Rossi said. “We got through some basic mechanical and aero changes to kind of understand the offsets that they're going to present to us in a couple of years, and there was no surprise. It was really pretty standard.”

The test marked the first time the IR-28 has run on an oval after making its public track debut early last month on the Indianapolis Motor Speedway road course. Rossi and Alex Palou shared driving duties during that initial outing, extended to three days because of rain.

Both drivers are back for this oval test, with ECR’s Rossi again representing Chevrolet teams and Chip Ganassi Racing’s Palou representing Honda teams, and learning how the car responds to the unique demands of an oval.

The IR-28 is designed to be lighter than the current car, with revised aerodynamics intended to improve stability and reduce the aerodynamic disadvantage of closely following another car. Wednesday’s laps at IMS provided the first indication of how those objectives translate to an oval.

“The car is doing everything it's supposed to,” said Mike O’Gara, INDYCAR’s vice president of Competition and Race Engineering. “Obviously, Dallara took everything they knew from the DW12 and put it into this car. Immediately, without honestly changing any setup on it, Alex (Rossi) went out and was flat on the throttle and very comfortable.”

That was an encouraging first step, but O’Gara and Rossi each stressed that Wednesday was about gathering information rather than chasing performance.

INDYCAR is approaching the test with a “crawl, walk, run” philosophy, using Rossi’s laps to begin understanding how the car responds to changes before pushing the development further.

That gradual approach is particularly important on an oval.

The current INDYCAR SERIES machinery has been developed for more than a decade, and its Speedway package is highly refined. The IR-28, meanwhile, is beginning that process from scratch.

Rossi said the IR-28 already feels how an INDYCAR SERIES car should on the 2.5-mile IMS oval, even if there is still considerable work ahead.

“I wouldn't say there was anything drastically different from this car to the current car that we have,” Rossi said. “Some subtle things here and there if you're really nitpicking at it, but, in general, I think it's important to remember that the current-generation Speedway car that we have around here is pretty dialed and it's pretty good.”

That makes Wednesday less about discovering a revolutionary difference and more about identifying the smaller changes that can ultimately shape the 2028 car.

“I don't think that there needs to really be any major glaring issues,” Rossi said. “It's all just early days and trying to get time on it and understanding what little adjustments do here and there. There’s nothing huge separating it from the current car that we have.”

O’Gara said the ease with which 2016 Indianapolis 500 winner Rossi adapted was another positive sign.

“I was just talking to (INDYCAR Officiating technical director) Nick Allen, who's sort of pseudo-crew chief this week, and super happy with how easy the car is to work on,” O’Gara said. “It's very intuitive.”

Rossi’s test day was the first step. 2025 Indianapolis 500 winner Palou takes over Thursday, giving INDYCAR and Dallara another perspective on the car and its potential in “The Greatest Spectacle in Racing.” The feedback from Rossi and Palou will be measured against the data collected by engineers as development continues toward the car’s race debut in 2028.

INDIANAPOLIS (Sunday, Sept. 6, 2026) – INDYCAR Officiating has announced a six-position starting grid penalty for the entry of No. 28 Andretti Global for an unapproved engine change following yesterday’s warmup session at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca.

The entry was in violation of:

Rule 16.1.2.3.2. A fifth (5th) Engine is eligible to earn Engine Manufacturer points and will be considered an Approved Engine Change-Out if a Full Season Entrant has completed the Full Season Entrant Engine Mileage with its first four (4) Engines. Otherwise, a fifth (5th) or more Engine does not earn Engine Manufacturer points and will be considered an Unapproved Engine Change-Out.

According to Rule 16.1.6.1.2., the penalty is a six-position starting grid penalty on road and street course events and nine positions at oval events and will be served at the series’ next race, which is the Mission Foods Grand Prix of Monterey, today, at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca.

INDYCAR Officiating Announces
WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca Grid Penalties

INDIANAPOLIS (Friday, Sept. 4, 2026) – INDYCAR Officiating has announced six-position starting grid penalties for the entries of No. 4 A.J. Foyt Enterprises and No. 7 Arrow McLaren for unapproved engine changes following the two races at the Milwaukee Mile Sunday, Aug. 30.

The entries were in violation of:

According to Rule 16.1.6.1.2., the penalty is a six-position starting grid penalty on road and street course events and nine positions at oval events and will be served at the series’ next event, which is the Mission Foods Grand Prix of Monterey at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca Sunday, Sept. 6.

Race weekend: Friday, Sept. 4-Sunday, Sept. 6

Track: WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca, an 11-turn, 2.238-mile permanent road course in Monterey, California

Race distance: NTT INDYCAR SERIES: Mission Foods Grand Prix of Monterey: 95 laps / 212.61 miles | INDY NXT by Firestone: INDY NXT by Firestone Grand Prix of Monterey Race 1: 35 laps / 78.33 miles / 55 minutes; INDY NXT by Firestone Grand Prix of Monterey Race 2: 30 laps / 67.14 miles / 50 minutes (each race)

Media links: NTT INDYCAR SERIES Entry List (PDF) | INDY NXT by Firestone Entry List (PDF) | Trackside Media Guide (Interactive PDF) | Weekend Event Schedule (PDF)

Push to Pass parameters: NTT INDYCAR SERIES: 150 seconds of total time, with a maximum time of 15 seconds per activation. | INDY NXT by Firestone: 65 seconds of total time.

Hybrid energy deployment parameters: NTT INDYCAR SERIES: Unlimited activation, with a maximum deployment of 350 kilojoules (kJ) per lap.

Firestone tire allotment: NTT INDYCAR SERIES: Five sets primary, five sets alternate to be used during the event weekend. Teams must use one set of primary and one new set of alternate tires unless wet conditions are declared. One additional set is available for the weekend’s first session to teams fielding a rookie driver. | INDY NXT by Firestone: Three new sets to be used during the event weekend. Two carryover sets from the Portland event may be used during Friday’s practice sessions.

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Event website: www.weathertechraceway.com

INDYCAR website: www.indycar.com

INDY NXT by Firestone website: www.indynxt.com

2025 race winners:

NTT INDYCAR SERIES

Alex Palou (No. 10 DHL Chip Ganassi Racing Honda)

INDY NXT by Firestone

Race 1: Caio Collet (No. 76 HMD Motorsports)

Race 2: Caio Collet (No. 76 HMD Motorsports)

2025 NTT P1 Award winner (NTT INDYCAR SERIES): Alex Palou (No. 10 DHL Chip Ganassi Racing Honda), 1:08.3413, 117.891 mph

2025 INDY NXT by Firestone pole winners:

Race 1: Caio Collet (No. 76 HMD Motorsports), 1:13.2566, 109.981 mph

Race 2: Caio Collet (No. 76 HMD Motorsports), 1:13.3283, 109.873 mph

Qualifying records:

NTT INDYCAR SERIES

Christian Lundgaard, 1:06.4610, 121.226 mph, Sept. 9, 2023

INDY NXT by Firestone

Christian Rasmussen, 1:11.7225, 112.333 mph, Sept. 9, 2023

FOX Sports telecasts: NTT INDYCAR SERIES: Practice 1, 5 p.m. ET Friday, FS2 (live); Practice 2, 1 p.m. ET Saturday, FS2 (live); Qualifying, 4:30 p.m. ET Saturday, FS2 (live); Final Practice, 8 p.m. ET Saturday, FS2 (live); Pre-Race Show, 2:30 p.m. Sunday, FOX (live); Mission Foods Grand Prix of Monterey, 3 p.m. ET Sunday, FOX (live). Will Buxton is the play-by-play announcer for FOX’s coverage of the NTT INDYCAR SERIES, alongside analysts Townsend Bell and James Hinchcliffe. Georgia Henneberry, Kevin Lee and Jack Harvey are the pit reporters. A Spanish-language telecast will be available on FOX Deportes. | INDY NXT by Firestone: Practice 1, 4 p.m. ET Friday, FS2 (live); Practice 2, 6:30 p.m. ET Friday, FS2 (live); Qualifying, 3 p.m. ET Saturday, FS2 (live); Race 1, 6:30 p.m. ET Saturday, FS2 (live); Race 2, 12:30 p.m. ET Sunday, FS1 (live). Kevin Lee is the play-by-play announcer for FOX Sports’ coverage of INDY NXT by Firestone alongside analyst Jack Harvey. Georgia Henneberry is the pit reporter.

INDYCAR Radio powered by OnlyBulls broadcasts: Mark Jaynes is the anchor alongside driver analyst Davey Hamilton. Nick Yeoman is the turn announcer. Michael Young, Alex Wollf and DJ Clark are the pit reporters. The Mission Foods Grand Prix of Monterey race (2:30 p.m. ET Sunday) can be heard live on network affiliates nationwide. The NTT INDYCAR SERIES race, NTT P1 Award Qualifying (4:30 p.m. ET Saturday) and all NTT INDYCAR SERIES practices also air live on SiriusXM INDYCAR Nation 190, indycar.com/leaderboard and the INDYCAR App powered by NTT DATA. All INDY NXT by Firestone practices, qualifying sessions and races are available on SiriusXM INDYCAR Nation 190, indycar.com/leaderboard and the INDYCAR App powered by NTT DATA.

At-track schedule (all times local):

Friday, Sept. 4

1-1:25 p.m. – INDY NXT by Firestone practice 1, FS2 (Live)

2-3:20 p.m. – NTT INDYCAR SERIES practice 1 (40 minutes for all cars, followed by two groups for 12 minutes each), FS2 (Live)

3:35-4 p.m. – INDY NXT by Firestone practice 2, FS2 (Live)

Saturday, Sept. 5

10:05-11:25 a.m. – NTT INDYCAR SERIES practice 2 (40 minutes for all cars, followed by two groups for 12 minutes each), FS2 (Live)

Noon-12:30 p.m. – INDY NXT by Firestone Qualifying (Two groups, 10 minutes each / Fastest lap determines the lineup for Race 1, second fastest lap determines the lineup for Race 2), FS2 (Live)

1:35 p.m. – Mission Foods Grand Prix of Monterey NTT P1 Award qualifying (three rounds of knockout qualifying), FS2 (Live)

3:31 p.m. – INDY NXT by Firestone Grand Prix of Monterey Race 1 “Drivers, Start Your Engines”

3:38 p.m. – INDY NXT by Firestone Grand Prix of Monterey Race 1 (35 laps / 78.33 miles / 55 minutes), FS2 (Live)

5:10-5:40 p.m. – NTT INDYCAR SERIES final practice, FS2 (Live)

Sunday, Sept. 6

9:31 a.m. – INDY NXT by Firestone Grand Prix of Monterey Race 2 “Drivers, Start Your Engines”

9:38 a.m. – INDY NXT by Firestone Grand Prix of Monterey Race 2 (30 laps / 67.14 miles / 50 minutes), FS1 (Live)

11:30 a.m. – FOX on air

11:58 a.m. – Mission Foods Grand Prix of Monterey “Drivers, Start Your Engines”

12:05 p.m. – Mission Foods Grand Prix of Monterey (95 laps/212.61 miles), FOX (Live)

Race Notes:

Alex Palou became the second driver to win four consecutive INDYCAR SERIES championships when he clinched his fifth NTT INDYCAR SERIES crown on Aug. 30 at the Milwaukee Mile.
The Mission Foods Grand Prix of Monterey will be the 29th INDYCAR SERIES race at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca but just the sixth since 2004. Teo Fabi won the first INDYCAR SERIES race at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca in 1983. Alex Palou has won the last two races at the track in 2024 and 2025.
Scott Dixon and Alex Palou are the only former winners entered in this year's race.

ACTIVE RACE WINNER	WINS	SEASONS
Alex Palou	3	2022, 2024, 2025
Scott Dixon	1	2023

Fourteen INDYCAR SERIES drivers have won at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca from the pole – Teo Fabi (1983), Bobby Rahal (1985), Danny Sullivan (1988), Rick Mears (1989), Danny Sullivan (1990), Michael Andretti (1991, 1992), Paul Tracy (1994), Alex Zanardi (1996), Bryan Herta (1998, 1999), Helio Castroneves (2000), Cristiano da Matta (2002), Patrick Carpentier (2003), Colton Herta (2019, 2021) and Alex Palou (2024, 2025).

ACTIVE POLE WINNER	POLES	SEASONS
Alex Palou	2	2024, 2025
Will Power	1	2022
Felix Rosenqvist	1	2023

Team Penske has won six times at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca. Penske's winning drivers are Danny Sullivan (1988, 1990), Rick Mears (1989), Paul Tracy (1993, 1994) and Helio Castroneves (2000). Chip Ganassi Racing also has six wins with Alex Palou (2022, 2024, 2025), Scott Dixon (2023), Alex Zanardi (1996) and Jimmy Vasser (1997). Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing has three wins with Bryan Herta (1998, 1999) and Max Papis (2001).
Twenty-two drivers entered in the event have competed in past INDYCAR SERIES races at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca. Scott Dixon has eight starts, most among the entered drivers. Nine entered drivers have led laps at the track: Alex Palou 250, Kyle Kirkwood 24, Will Power 23, Dixon 22, Pato O’Ward 15, Felix Rosenqvist 11, Nolan Siegel 11, Alexander Rossi 10 and Josef Newgarden 10.
Rookies Caio Collet, Dennis Hauger and Mick Schumacher will race an NTT INDYCAR SERIES car at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca for the first time this weekend. Collet swept the INDY NXT by Firestone doubleheader last season at Laguna Seca.
Milestones: Scott Dixon will attempt to make his 375th consecutive start, extending his record streak…Graham Rahal will attempt to make his 275th consecutive start, the third-longest streak in INDYCAR SERIES history…Josef Newgarden will attempt to make his 236th consecutive start and the 250th start of his career…Dixon can also extend his series record to 437 career starts with a start on Sunday

INDY NXT by Firestone notes:

The INDY NXT by Firestone title fight heads west for a doubleheader championship finale as the INDY NXT by Firestone Grand Prix of Monterey hits the track on Saturday and Sunday. There are six drivers mathematically eligible for the 2026 INDY NXT by Firestone championship: Nikita Johnson, Enzo Fittipaldi, Tymek Kucharczyk, Max Taylor, Lochie Hughes and Alessandro de Tullio. Johnson, a rookie from St. Petersburg, Florida, leads Fittipaldi, a rookie from Brazil and grandson of former INDYCAR SERIES and Indianapolis 500 champion Emerson Fittipaldi, by three points entering the weekend. Poland’s Kucharczyk is 29 points behind the lead with Taylor 77 points back. The ultra-competitive 2026 season has seen nine winners in 15 races and 12 different drivers finish on the podium.
The INDY NXT by Firestone Grand Prix of Monterey doubleheader will be the series’ 33rd and 34th races at WeatherTech Raceway at Laguna Seca. Previous INDY NXT by Firestone winners at Laguna Seca include Bryan Herta, Andre Ribeiro, Greg Moore, Tony Kanaan, Cristiano da Matta, Scott Dixon, Townsend Bell, Spencer Pigot, Rinus VeeKay, Kyle Kirkwood, Christian Rasmussen and Louis Foster. Current NTT INDYCAR SERIES rookie Caio Collet swept the Grand Prix of Monterey doubleheader in 2025.

NXT SERIES

www.indynxt.com

photos courtesy INDYCAR SERIES

Indy NXT (pronounced "Indy Next"), previously Indy Lights, is an American developmental automobile racing series sanctioned by IndyCar, currently known as INDY NXT by Firestone for sponsorship reasons. Indy NXT is the highest step on the Road to Indy, a program of racing series leading up to the IndyCar Series.

MONTEREY, Calif. (Sunday, Sept. 6, 2026) – Tymek Kucharczyk got his revenge, and Nikita Johnson got the crown Sunday in the INDY NXT by Firestone season finale.

Kucharczyk ran away to victory in the second race of the Grand Prix of Monterey doubleheader in the No. 71 HMD Motorsports car one day after his title hopes in the INDYCAR development series were ended when he was hit and spun by a rival on the first lap.

SEE: Race Results

“Really proud of the work,” Kucharczyk said. “Everyone on the team did amazing. Big congrats to Nikita. What can I say? ‘What if’ if yesterday didn’t happen? But nevertheless, really proud of today. We maximized what we had.”

Johnson dodged a first-lap incident in today’s 30-lap race and cruised to a distant second place in the No. 21 Cape Motorsports Powered by ECR machine to clinch the season championship and an INDYCAR SERIES career enhancement package. Johnson, from St. Petersburg, Florida, became the youngest champion in series history at 18 years, 3 months and 12 days old.

He finished 29 points ahead of season runner-up Enzo Fittipaldi in the No. 67 HMD Motorsports entry to clinch the first INDY NXT championship for longtime junior open-wheel team Cape Motorsports, owned by brothers Dominic and Nicholas Cape.

“It’s amazing,” Johnson said. “It’s good to finally show my emotions. I think a lot of people thought I was passionless, but I’m just emotionless when I drive, right? I just go out there and do the work. I’m happy that the work is done now, and I can finally go celebrate.”

Lochie Hughes rounded out the podium finishers on a sun-splashed California morning in the No. 26 Andretti Global entry.

Jacob Abel finished fourth in the No. 48 Abel Motorsports car, while Fittipaldi rounded out the top five.

For the second straight day, a first-lap incident was the major flashpoint of the race.

On Saturday, contact from Myles Rowe in the No. 99 Abel Motorsports with Force Indy machine sent Kucharczyk into a spin and to the bottom of the field on the first lap. He recovered to finish 10th, but his title hopes were over after entering the weekend third, 29 points behind leader Johnson.

In this race, Saturday winner Josh Pierson said he had an apparent mechanical malfunction while starting second that caused his No. 29 Starchive Andretti car to sputter on an upshift just past the flag stand. That hesitation led to contact from behind from the No. 12 Abel Motorsports machine of Milwaukee winner Max Garcia. Pierson’s car spun and collected the No. 10 Chip Ganassi Racing entry of Niels Koolen, and both cars careened into the gravel and were out of the race.

Johnson, who started fifth, avoided the melee that triggered the only caution period of the race and powered to second place for the only restart. Pole sitter Kucharczyk left no doubt about his intent on the restart on Lap 5, pulling away immediately.

The Polish rookie then inexorably drove away from the field, building a lead of nearly four seconds by Lap 11, five seconds by Lap 15 and 7.3 seconds by Lap 24.

Kucharczyk then cruised to his second victory of his first season of racing in North America, as he also won in May on the Indianapolis Motor Speedway road course. He ended up third in points, 34 behind champion Johnson, after leading all 30 laps today.

“I was pushing every lap,” Kucharczyk said. “I left nothing on the table. I’m really proud. It was an amazing year.”

After the restart, Johnson faced some pressure from Hughes. But Johnson managed the gap and showed the composed driving style that helped him earn nine podium finishes and top-10 results in all 17 races this season. He also was the only driver to complete all 656 laps this season.

“I’m happy that we got it done, and I can’t thank the Cape boys enough,” Johnson said. “They’ve always been in my corner the whole time. My whole family, everybody that supports us back home.”

MONTEREY, Calif. (Saturday, Sept. 5, 2026) – This time, Josh Pierson left absolutely no doubt.

Pierson earned his first career INDY NXT by Firestone victory in his fourth season in the INDYCAR development series, taking the checkered flag in the Saturday's opening race of the Grand Prix of Monterey doubleheader at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca. The breakthrough and dominant victory – Pierson led all 35 laps from pole - came in his 53rd career start in the series and less than one week after the anguish of crashing out of the lead after starting on the pole at the Milwaukee Mile.

SEE: Race Results

“Big relief,” Pierson said. “I think the pole position did a lot for me at Milwaukee. It was really great for my confidence level. I feel like this series has really mentally destroyed me over the years, especially coming from the World Endurance Championship and everything I was able to do there. It’s tough here. Coming back into a formula car wasn’t easy.

“I put so much hard work into this, and I can’t thank everyone at Andretti Global enough. These guys, they kept believing in me. Nobody ever doubted me even when I doubted myself. Super grateful. It’s such a relief to finally be here.”

Andretti Global driver Pierson endured three restarts and drove his No. 29 Starchive Andretti car to victory by 2.6294 seconds over championship leader Nikita Johnson in the No. 21 Cape Motorsports Powered by ECR entry. Max Garcia completed the podium in the No. 12 Abel Motorsports car six days after earning his first career victory at Milwaukee.

JM Correa finished fourth in the No. 68 Cusick Morgan Motorsports machine, while Niels Koolen rounded out the top five in the No. 10 Chip Ganassi Racing entry.

Rookie Johnson’s smooth, composed drive from the fifth starting position put in good position to earn the INDY NXT championship and the accompanying INDYCAR SERIES career enhancement package in the season finale at 12:30 p.m. ET Sunday (FS1, FOX One, INDYCAR Radio powered by OnlyBulls).

Johnson expanded his lead from three to 19 points over fellow rookie Enzo Fittipaldi in the standings, as Fittipaldi finished eighth in the No. 67 HMD Motorsports car. Johnson needs to finish third or better Sunday to clinch the title regardless of Fittipaldi’s result. Johnson starts sixth, Fittipaldi 12th.

“Yeah, it’s pretty good job done,” Johnson said. “We still have work to do tomorrow. We still have another day of this. We just have to go continue the pressure tomorrow.”

Rookie Tymek Kucharczyk entered this race in the title fight, 29 points back. But his title chances ended with his 10th-place finish in the No. 71 HMD Motorsports car after contact from Myles Rowe in the No. 99 Abel Motorsports with Force Indy machine sent Kucharczyk into a spin and to the bottom of the field on the first lap.

Kucharczyk remains third in the standings but dropped 48 points behind Johnson and will be eliminated from title contention when the season finale starts Sunday.

Pierson showed complete control during the race. His lead grew to 4.5 seconds when the first caution flag flew on Lap 13.

But Pierson pulled away from Johnson on the restart on Lap 15 and did the same on subsequent restarts on Laps 20 and 27.

Pierson became the 10th different winner in the series this season, tying a record set in 2008. He also is the seventh first-time winner this season in the series, tying a record set in 1998, 2008 and 2011.

“I knew we had a fast car,” Pierson said. “I knew if we timed the restarts right, I knew we would be in good shape. I’m looking forward to tomorrow.”

Pierson starts second Sunday, with Kucharczyk on the pole.

MONTEREY, Calif. (Friday, Sept. 4, 2026) – Josh Pierson was quickest overall in two combined practice sessions Friday for this weekend’s Grand Prix of Monterey doubleheader, as all three INDY NXT by Firestone title contenders were nowhere near the top of the speed charts.

Pierson led with a top lap of 1 minute, 14.2218 seconds in the No. 29 Starchive Andretti car of Andretti Global after two 25-minute practice sessions on the 11-turn, 2.238-mile road course. Pierson is seeking his first career victory in the INDYCAR development series.

SEE: Combined Practice Results

All but one of the 24 drivers on track turned their quickest laps during the second practice, including Pierson.

“Massive fluctuation (between the two sessions),” Pierson said. “First session was super-green track. We did a good job not throwing ourselves out the window and not changing too much, but we made a few changes to get the balance right for this session.

“All in all, I feel like we’re pretty strong. I feel like there’s some stuff I can still clean up driving-wise, and I think there’s a little bit we can find.”

Fellow series veteran Jacob Abel was second by a slim margin at 1:14.2264 in the No. 48 Abel Motorsports machine. Max Taylor was third at 1:14.3416 in the No. 28 Susan G. Komen entry of Andretti Global.

Rookie Max Garcia, who earned his first career series victory last Sunday in Milwaukee, ended up fourth at 1:14.3979 in the No. 12 Abel Motorsports car. JM Correa rounded out the top five at 1:14.4806 in the No. 68 Cusick Morgan Motorsports machine.

Just 29 points separate series leader Nikita Johnson, second-place Enzo Fittipaldi and third-place Tymek Kucharczyk in a fierce race among three rookies for the championship and INDYCAR SERIES career enhancement package at this season-ending doubleheader. All three remained bunched today but not in a comfortable spot.

Kucharczyk was the quickest of the title trio, eighth at 1:14.7576 in the No. 71 HMD Motorsports car. His teammate Fittipaldi was ninth at 1:14.7689 in the No. 67 HMD Motorsports entry. Johnson, who leads Fittipaldi by just three points, was 11th at 1:15.0527 in the No. 21 Cape Motorsports Powered by ECR machine.

Up next is qualifying for both races at 3 p.m. ET Saturday, followed by the 35-lap first race at 6:30 p.m. ET. FS2, FOX One and INDYCAR Radio powered by OnlyBulls will broadcast qualifying and the race live.

WEST ALLIS, Wis. (Sunday, Aug. 30, 2026) – Don’t tell the principal, but Max Garcia may have earned the right to skip school Monday after his stirring first career INDY NXT by Firestone victory Sunday at the Milwaukee Mile.

Series rookie Garcia earned his first win in his 15th career start in the INDYCAR development series, driving his No. 12 Abel Motorsports machine under the checkered flag .9430 of a second ahead of the No. 68 Cusick Morgan Motorsports car of JM Correa, who also earned a career-best finish.

SEE: Race Results

It’s still uncertain whether Garcia, 17, will be in homeroom Monday morning at Christopher Columbus High School in Miami, where he just started his senior year.

“Unbelievable,” Garcia said. “It’s been such a tough year for all of us at Abel. We knew we had a good oval package. We knew we set the car up more for the race, and we knew in practice we could move through cars. It was all about timing it right and then getting through everyone.

“I’m trying to convince my mom not to let me go to school. Surely, this is something to celebrate. A day off would be nice, right?”

Rookie Jack Beeton continued his strong second half of the season by finishing third in the No. 45 HMD Motorsports machine, earning his third podium result in the last five races.

Andretti Global’s Max Taylor finished fourth in the No. 28 Susan G. Komen entry, while Nikita Johnson rounded out the top five in the No. 21 Cape Motorsports Powered by ECR car and took the lead in a sizzling championship fight with two races remaining.

Johnson drove from 15th at the start to earn his eighth top-five finish of the season. He leads Enzo Fittipaldi by three points and third-place Tymek Kucharczyk by 29 entering the season-ending Grand Prix of Monterey doubleheader Sept. 5-6 at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca. It’s tied for the fifth-closest race margin between the top two drivers with two races to go in series history.

“I just kept my head down, pushed really hard and found lines that other people didn’t find until about halfway through,” Johnson said. “I think that really helps, just playing around and trying different lines out when everybody was just stuck in one line. It was a really good points day for us.”

Fittipaldi finished seventh in the No. 67 HMD Motorsports car, while Kucharczyk placed 12th in the No. 71 HMD Motorsports machine.

Garcia started ninth but steadily worked his way through the field on the 1.015-mile oval. He passed Beeton for second on Lap 35 and pulled to within one second of leader and pole sitter Josh Pierson of Andretti Global, who had led by more than two seconds in the early going of the 90-lap race.

Under pressure from Garcia, Pierson’s quest for his first career victory unraveled on Lap 54 when he spun in the No. 29 Starchive Andretti car in Turn 2 while leading and hit the tire barrier inside that corner to end his race. Pierson led every lap to that point.

Garcia inherited the lead and never surrendered it despite four restarts in the last 37 laps after the race went caution-free for the first 53 laps.

Abel Motorsports driver Garcia was threatened only once on one of those restarts. Beeton looked under Garcia in Turn 1 on Lap 83 but couldn’t complete the pass. On the next and final restart on Lap 86, Garcia left no doubt by getting a good jump and pulling away easily.

Beeton and Correa raced side by side for second on that restart, allowing Garcia even more time and space out front. Correa eventually prevailed in that duel, one of 208 on-track passes, a track record for INDY NXT at Milwaukee.

WEST ALLIS, Wis. (Saturday, Aug. 29, 2026) – On a day of agony for two of the three INDY NXT by Firestone title contenders, Josh Pierson found ecstasy by earning his first career pole in the INDYCAR development series Saturday at the Milwaukee Mile.

Pierson, in his third full INDY NXT season and fourth overall, produced the fastest two-lap average qualifying speed on the historic 1.015-mile oval at 153.434 mph in the No. 29 Starchive Andretti car of Andretti Global. That’s a series track record for a two-lap average qualifying speed, breaking the mark of 152.639 set last year by Dennis Hauger.

SEE: Qualifying Results

The breakthrough pole came for Pierson in his 52nd career start in the series after he was a disappointing 11th in practice this morning. His previous best qualifying spot was third, recorded five times, including in May for the second race of the doubleheader at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway road course.

“Finally,” Pierson said. “It’s such a relief. For me, I feel like it’s just always been a little bit, I’m always just lacking something. And to finally break through means the world to me. I owe it all to this crew, everyone on this 29 car.

“In practice, we kind of struggled. We really had to shake things up and try something with the car, and I’m really happy where things turned out.”

The 90-lap race starts at 11 a.m. ET Sunday (FS1, FOX One, INDYCAR Radio powered by OnlyBulls).

Rookie Tymek Kucharczyk was the only one of the three main title contenders to find speed in qualifying, ending up second at 153.382 in the No. 71 HMD Motorsports car. Kucharczyk is third in the standings, 18 points behind leader Enzo Fittipaldi and 17 behind second-place Nikita Johnson with three races remaining this season.

Fittipaldi qualified seventh at 152.336 in the No. 67 HMD Motorsports machine. Johnson struggled even more, qualifying a season-worst 15th at 151.350 in the No. 21 Cape Motorsports Powered by ECR car.

Rookie Jack Beeton backed up the speed that helped him lead practice this morning by qualifying third at 153.280 in the No. 45 HMD Motorsports car, tying his career-best starting spot. Niels Koolen continued his second-half upswing by qualifying a career-best fourth at 153.094 in the No. 10 Chip Ganassi Racing car.

JM Correa qualified fifth at 152.852 in the No. 68 Cusick Morgan Motorsports entry, while Max Taylor took the sixth spot at 152.747 in the No. 28 Susan G. Komen car of Andretti Global.

Two drivers made wall contact during qualifying.

James Roe did a half-spin exiting Turn 2 and hit the SAFER Barrier with the left side of the No. 8 Chip Ganassi Racing car. Alessandro de Tullio slapped the right side of his No. 14 AJ Foyt Racing entry in Turn 2 on his second lap, ending his run. Neither driver was hurt, and both cars suffered moderate damage.

It was a case of “what if?” for de Tullio, seeking to tie the series record with his ninth pole this season. His first lap of 154.231 was quicker than Mark Hotchkis’ 30-year-old track record for one lap in INDY NXT and appeared to set the table for a record-tying pole before his car slammed the wall on his second lap.

INDIANAPOLIS (Sunday, Sept. 6, 2026) – INDYCAR Officiating has announced a six-position starting grid penalty in INDY NXT by Firestone for the No. 99 Abel Motorsports with Force Indy entry for avoidable contact involving driver Myles Rowe during yesterday’s race at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca. The penalty comes after a post-race review of the Lap 17, Turn 5 incident with the No. 8 entry of Chip Ganassi Racing.

Rowe was in violation of:

Rule 9.3.3. Avoidable Contact – The primary responsibility for avoiding contact with a Competitor resides with the overtaking Competitor and the secondary responsibility resides with the Competitor(s) being overtaken. A Competitor who fails to demonstrate their responsibility and initiates a maneuver that results in contact with another Competitor may be penalized.

According to the rulebook, a penalty may be applied at the next INDY NXT race if the penalty cannot be served in the race where the infraction took place.

INDYCAR Officiating applies carryover sporting penalties consistent with an Unapproved Engine Change-Out penalty, which consists of six grid positions on a road and street course and nine grid positions at oval events and will be served at the series’ next race, which is the INDY NXT by Firestone Grand Prix Grand Prix of Monterey Race 2, today, at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca.

INDYCAR SERIESNXT SERIES

2026 NTT INDYCAR SERIES SCHEDULE

Date	Venue
Sunday, March 1	Streets of St. Petersburg
Saturday, March 7	Phoenix Raceway
Sunday, March 15	Streets of Arlington
Sunday, March 29	Barber Motorsports Park
Sunday, April 19	Streets of Long Beach
Saturday, May 9	Indianapolis Motor Speedway Road Course
Sunday, May 24	The 110th Indianapolis 500
Sunday, May 31	Streets of Detroit
Sunday, June 7	World Wide Technology Raceway
Sunday, June 21	Road America
Sunday, July 5	Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course
Sunday, July 19	Nashville Superspeedway
Sunday, Aug. 9	Portland International Raceway
Sunday, Aug. 16	Streets of Markham
Saturday, Aug. 29	Milwaukee Mile Race 1
Sunday, Aug. 30	Milwaukee Mile Race 2
Sunday, Sept. 6	WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca

2026 INDY NXT BY FIRESTONE SCHEDULE

Date	Venue
Sunday, March 1	Streets of St. Petersburg
Sunday, March 15	Streets of Arlington
Saturday, March 28	Barber Motorsports Park Race 1
Sunday, March 29	Barber Motorsports Park Race 2
Friday, May 8	Indianapolis Motor Speedway Road Course Race 1
Saturday, May 9	Indianapolis Motor Speedway Road Course Race 2
Sunday, May 31	Streets of Detroit
Sunday, June 7	World Wide Technology Raceway
Saturday, June 20	Road America Race 1
Sunday, June 21	Road America Race 2
Saturday, July 4	Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course Race 1
Sunday, July 5	Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course Race 2
Sunday, July 19	Nashville Superspeedway
Sunday, Aug. 9	Portland International Raceway
Sunday, Aug. 30	Milwaukee Mile
Saturday, Sept. 5	WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca Race 1
Sunday, Sept. 6	WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca Race 2