Samwise IndyCar Newsletter
Sunday, April 26, 2026
Palou Wins Long Beach for Third Time in Five Rounds, Seizes Championship Lead
Alex Palou claimed his 22nd IndyCar career victory and his first at Long Beach on April 19, overtaking polesitter Felix Rosenqvist during the final round of pit stops and pulling away to win the Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach by 3.97 seconds. Scott Dixon held off Kyle Kirkwood to complete the podium. The result moved Palou 17 points clear of Kirkwood in the Drivers’ Championship, making it three wins from five rounds for the defending champion. Among the rookies, Dennis Hauger was the best of the newcomers in 11th, while Mick Schumacher posted a career-best 17th-place finish.
Sources: Motorsport.com
IndyCar Closes Regular-Season Fields to Charter Teams Only Starting in 2027
Beginning with the 2027 season, IndyCar will limit all race entries outside the Indianapolis 500 to chartered teams only. The series announced Saturday that it will no longer permit open entries at regular-season rounds, a policy that directly affects any privateer teams looking to run select events. IndyCar currently holds 25 active charters, all of which will be required for participation in the 2027 campaign before the field grows to 27 in 2028 when Honda and Chevrolet receive manufacturer-backed entries as part of their multi-year engine supply renewals. The Indianapolis 500 remains exempt, preserving the tradition of a 33-car starting grid.
Sources: TrackSideOnline
Full 33-Car Indy 500 Field Set for Open Test at IMS on April 28–29
Every driver expected to compete in the 110th Indianapolis 500 will be on track at Indianapolis Motor Speedway for the annual spring open test on Tuesday, April 28 and Wednesday, April 29. The two-day test, which will stream live on YouTube, includes a rookie orientation and oval refresher programme on Tuesday before a full-field running from 2 to 6 p.m. Wednesday’s sessions run from 10 a.m. to noon and 1 to 5 p.m. Free public admission is available from the Southeast Vista grandstands and the Turn 2 viewing mounds, with gates opening at 9 a.m. on both days.
Sources: RACER
Abel Motorsports Returns to Indy 500 with Jacob Abel, Field Nears 33 Cars
Abel Motorsports will return to the Indianapolis 500 for the 110th Running, with Jacob Abel confirmed as the driver of the team’s Chevrolet-powered entry following PREMA Racing’s withdrawal. Abel last competed in IndyCar in 2025 with Dale Coyne Racing. The entry brought the confirmed field to 32, and with Katherine Legge expected to fill AJ Foyt Racing’s third car with General Motors support, the 33-car field appears all but set ahead of the April 28–29 open test at IMS. PREMA’s two released Chevrolet engines were redistributed to Abel Motorsports and Foyt Racing following the Italian team’s entry withdrawal earlier this month.
Sources: RACER
Graham Rahal Ends 41-Race Podium Drought and Eyes Strong Month of May
Graham Rahal ended a 41-race podium drought with a third-place finish at Barber Motorsports Park, giving Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing a much-needed confidence boost heading into the Month of May. After finishing 18th in the opening two street races at St. Petersburg and Arlington, Rahal climbed to eighth at Long Beach to sit 10th in the championship. The driver credits offseason changes at RLL including the arrival of pit stop manager Kyle Sagan, senior vice president of operations Brian Barnhart, and advisory hire Gavin Ward for stabilising the programme. Rahal carries 15 top-10 finishes from 17 starts on the IMS road course.
Sources: IndyCar.com
IndyCar Officiating Board Reviews Long Beach Push-to-Pass Failure, Takes No Action
IndyCar’s newly independent officiating board received its first major test following Sunday’s Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach after a push-to-pass software failure was detected during a Lap 61 restart. The malfunction prompted a post-race review by INDYCAR Officiating, which ultimately determined that no corrective action would be taken regarding race positions or penalties. The push-to-pass system, which grants drivers a temporary power boost for overtaking, was rendered inoperable at the moment of the restart. The case marked the officiating structure’s first significant technical investigation since the independent board was introduced ahead of the 2026 season.
Sources: TrackSideOnline
Long Beach Viewership Jumps 130% Year-on-Year as IndyCar Delivers Record 2026 Audiences
IndyCar’s 2026 season is delivering television audiences not seen in the post-unification era dating back to 2008, with the opening four races on FOX averaging 48 percent more viewers than the same period in 2025. The Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach drew a particularly notable audience, with viewership leaping 130 percent year-on-year aided by a NASCAR Kansas lead-in on the same network. FOX’s commitment to scheduling IndyCar on its broadcast network alongside major sports properties continues to lift the series’ mainstream visibility, with all four early-season events surpassing 1 million viewers on the main channel.
Sources: IndyCar.com
Acura Expands IndyCar Presence Across Multiple Rounds Including Indianapolis 500
Acura is increasing its involvement in the NTT INDYCAR SERIES in 2026, adding brand presence to Meyer Shank Racing entries at multiple rounds including the Indianapolis 500. The Acura nameplate, a Honda luxury division, appeared on Felix Rosenqvist’s No. 60 MSR car at Long Beach where Rosenqvist started from pole position. Marcus Armstrong’s No. 66 entry will also carry Acura branding at Indianapolis. The expansion builds on Acura’s existing profile in IMSA sports car racing and represents a push by Honda’s premium arm to associate itself with IndyCar’s most prominent events ahead of the Month of May.
Sources: TrackSideOnline
Drivers’ Championship
1. Alex Palou — 205 pts
2. Kyle Kirkwood — 188 pts
3. David Malukas — 142 pts
4. Pato O’Ward — 136 pts
5. Christian Lundgaard — 131 pts
6. Josef Newgarden — 130 pts
7. Scott McLaughlin — 127 pts
8. Scott Dixon — 120 pts
9. Felix Rosenqvist — 109 pts
10. Graham Rahal — 106 pts
11. Alexander Rossi — 105 pts
12. Marcus Armstrong — 104 pts
13. Marcus Ericsson — 104 pts
14. Will Power — 89 pts
15. Rinus VeeKay — 79 pts
16. Dennis Hauger — 76 pts
17. Kyffin Simpson — 75 pts
18. Santino Ferrucci — 74 pts
19–25: See indycar.com/Standings
Teams’ Championship
1. Chip Ganassi Racing — 325 pts
2. Andretti Global — 292 pts
3. Team Penske — 272 pts
4. Arrow McLaren — 267 pts
5. Meyer Shank Racing — 213 pts
6. Rahal Letterman Lanigan — 106+ pts
7. Ed Carpenter Racing — 105 pts
8. Juncos Hollinger Racing — 79+ pts
9. Dale Coyne Racing — 76+ pts
10. AJ Foyt Racing — 74+ pts
Teams’ pts = top 2 cars per team (unofficial calc). Full standings: indycar.com
Curated by JD · samwise.agency
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