Samwise IndyCar Newsletter
Sunday, June 7, 2026
Palou Claims Fourth Consecutive IndyCar Pole at Gateway, First Since Will Power in 2011
Alex Palou swept to pole position for Sunday’s Bommarito Automotive Group 500 at World Wide Technology Raceway in Madison, Illinois, setting a two-lap average of 174.353 mph. The Chip Ganassi Racing driver arrived last of 25 cars on track and beat Team Penske’s David Malukas by more than a full mile per hour. The achievement makes Palou the first IndyCar driver to win four consecutive pole positions since Will Power in 2011. Saturday’s result is his fifth pole from nine races in the 2026 season, maintaining the defending champion’s stranglehold on every phase of competition as the series reaches its midseason mark.
Sources: Motorsport.com
O’Ward Tops Opening Gateway Practice in Late-Lap Surge as VeeKay Crashes Out
Pato O’Ward put Arrow McLaren on top in opening practice at World Wide Technology Raceway on Saturday, turning a fastest lap of 172.696 mph to edge championship leader Alex Palou to the session’s top spot. O’Ward’s time came late in the session as teams completed race-simulation runs on the 1.25-mile oval. The practice session was interrupted when Rinus VeeKay suffered oversteer at Turn 3 and backed the No. 76 Juncos Hollinger Racing Chevrolet into the wall, breaking the rear wing from its mount. VeeKay emerged uninjured and the team repaired the car in time for qualifying.
Sources: RACER
Malukas Slots onto Front Row Alongside Palou as Team Penske Shines at Gateway
David Malukas put Team Penske firmly in the mix for Sunday night’s Bommarito Automotive Group 500 by qualifying second at World Wide Technology Raceway on Saturday, setting a two-lap average of 173.244 mph. The 22-year-old American, in his debut season with the three-car Penske operation after joining from AJ Foyt Racing, was separated from pole-sitter Alex Palou by just over a mile per hour. Kyle Kirkwood qualified third at 173.206 mph, placing the front two rows as a contest between Ganassi, Penske, and Andretti machinery on the fast 1.25-mile oval in Madison, Illinois.
Sources: Pit Debrief
Defending Winner Kirkwood Qualifies Third at Gateway, Sets Championship Pressure on Palou
Kyle Kirkwood qualified third for Sunday night’s Bommarito Automotive Group 500 at World Wide Technology Raceway, setting a two-lap average of 173.206 mph in the Andretti Global Honda. The result positions the championship’s second-placed driver — currently 62 points behind Alex Palou — as a strong contender on an oval where Kirkwood is the defending race winner. Kirkwood won this event in 2025 and is familiar with the 1.25-mile track’s specific demands. With the season reaching its halfway point at Gateway, Sunday’s race presents a pivotal opportunity for Kirkwood to close ground on Palou with nine races still remaining.
Sources: Pit Debrief
Grosjean Qualifies 23rd at Gateway Weeks After Hand Surgery, Cleared by IndyCar Medical Staff
Romain Grosjean took to the track at World Wide Technology Raceway on Saturday and qualified 23rd for Sunday night’s Bommarito Automotive Group 500 at 169.017 mph, completing a rapid return to competition following surgery on his right index finger. The Dale Coyne Racing driver sustained the injury when his car struck the wall at the Detroit Grand Prix, with the steering wheel hitting his hand during the incident. A surgical pin was inserted in the index finger in the days that followed the race. IndyCar Medical Director Dr. Julia Vaizer cleared him to compete at Gateway, and Grosjean confirmed he was ready to race.
Sources: Beyond the Flag
Rosenqvist Qualifies Fourth at Gateway, Sustaining Meyer Shank Racing Oval Momentum After Indy 500
Felix Rosenqvist qualified fourth for Sunday’s Bommarito Automotive Group 500 at World Wide Technology Raceway, setting a two-lap average of 172.953 mph in the No. 60 Meyer Shank Racing Honda. The result underlines the momentum Meyer Shank Racing has built since Rosenqvist claimed the 110th Indianapolis 500 by 0.0233 seconds over David Malukas on May 25 — the closest winning margin in the race’s history. Now sixth in the IndyCar standings with 205 points, Rosenqvist enters Sunday’s night race as an outside championship contender, with his qualifying pace suggesting the squad’s oval setup remains competitive.
Sources: Motorsport.com
VeeKay Wall Crash Ends Juncos Hollinger Practice Early at Gateway Before Qualifying Recovery
Rinus VeeKay’s practice session at World Wide Technology Raceway ended early on Saturday after the Dutch driver suffered oversteer at Turn 3 and backed the No. 76 Juncos Hollinger Racing Chevrolet into the barrier. The rear wing separated from its mount on impact, and VeeKay — who was in the middle of a quick lap when the incident occurred — emerged uninjured. The Juncos Hollinger team repaired the car in time for qualifying, allowing the campaign to continue ahead of Sunday’s 260-lap race. VeeKay had been positioned inside the top five on the timing sheets at the moment the crash intervened.
Sources: Pit Debrief
Palou Holds 62-Point Championship Lead as IndyCar Season Reaches Halfway at Gateway
Alex Palou enters Sunday night’s Bommarito Automotive Group 500 leading the NTT IndyCar Series championship by 62 points over Kyle Kirkwood, with David Malukas a further 17 points back in third. Tonight’s race marks the midpoint of the 18-race 2026 season, with nine rounds remaining. Palou has claimed four wins from eight starts in 2026. Felix Rosenqvist, the Indianapolis 500 winner, is sixth with 205 points, while Arrow McLaren teammates Christian Lundgaard and Pato O’Ward hold fourth and fifth positions respectively, separated by just six points. Chip Ganassi Racing leads the unofficial teams’ standings with 542 points over Team Penske’s 510.
Sources: Pit Debrief
Drivers’ Championship
1. Alex Palou — 327 pts
2. Kyle Kirkwood — 265 pts
3. David Malukas — 248 pts
4. Christian Lundgaard — 226 pts
5. Pato O’Ward — 220 pts
6. Felix Rosenqvist — 205 pts
7. Scott McLaughlin — 192 pts
8. Josef Newgarden — 187 pts
9. Graham Rahal — 186 pts
10. Marcus Armstrong — 174 pts
11. Scott Dixon — 173 pts
12. Marcus Ericsson — 153 pts
13. Rinus VeeKay — 143 pts
14. Alexander Rossi — 140 pts
15. Kyffin Simpson — 138 pts
16. Santino Ferrucci — 129 pts
17. Dennis Hauger (R) — 128 pts
18. Will Power — 121 pts
19. Louis Foster — 121 pts
20. Nolan Siegel — 110 pts
21. Romain Grosjean — 102 pts
22. Caio Collet (R) — 90 pts
23. Sting Ray Robb — 78 pts
24. Christian Rasmussen — 76 pts
25. Mick Schumacher (R) — 75 pts
26. Conor Daly — 24 pts
27. Takuma Sato — 20 pts
28. Jack Harvey — 8 pts
29. Jacob Abel (R) — 6 pts
30. Helio Castroneves — 5 pts
31. Ed Carpenter — 5 pts
32. Ryan Hunter-Reay — 5 pts
33. Katherine Legge — 5 pts
Teams’ Championship
1. Chip Ganassi Racing — 542 pts
2. Team Penske — 510 pts
3. Arrow McLaren — 468 pts
4. Andretti Global — 438 pts
5. Meyer Shank Racing — 379 pts
6. Rahal Letterman Lanigan — 327 pts
7. Dale Coyne Racing — 230 pts
8. Juncos Hollinger Racing — 221 pts
9. A.J. Foyt Enterprises — 219 pts
10. ECR — 216 pts
11. Dreyer & Reinbold Racing — 32 pts
12. Abel Motorsports — 6 pts
13. HMD Motorsports — 5 pts
Curated by JD · samwise.agency
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