Samwise IndyCar Newsletter
Friday, June 19, 2026
Nasr on Standby for Penske as Newgarden Continues Foot Injury Recovery
Team Penske has placed Porsche Penske Motorsports IMSA GTP champion Felipe Nasr on standby for the XPEL Grand Prix at Road America as Josef Newgarden continues to recover from the foot injury he sustained in a crash at the Indianapolis 500. Nasr, a former Formula 1 driver who has completed multiple IndyCar tests since 2019, was previously activated for the Detroit Grand Prix before a determined Newgarden drove from last to 10th. Nasr was in the Team Penske simulator two days before the Road America weekend. “Being called up as the first option again, it’s a really big honor for me,” Nasr told RACER.
Sources: RACER
IndyCar Caps Hybrid Power Output for Remainder of 2026 Season
IndyCar has directed its teams to reduce hybrid power output by 10 to 25 percent on a track-by-track basis for the remainder of the 2026 season. The reduction begins this weekend at Road America and follows ongoing reliability problems with spec energy storage systems and motor generator units that created supply concerns for the series. On ovals the hybrid is the only power adder available; on road and street courses it supplements the push-to-pass system, which together can generate upwards of 100 horsepower for brief periods. “I think we’re talking a few tenths, not seconds of difference in lap time,” Andretti Global team principal Ron Ruzewski told RACER.
Sources: RACER
Palou Eyes Record-Setting Fourth Victory at Road America
Alex Palou arrives at this weekend’s XPEL Grand Prix at Road America with a chance at history. The Chip Ganassi Racing driver has won two of the past three Road America races and three of the past five on the 14-turn, 4.014-mile Wisconsin road course. A fourth victory would move him past Mario Andretti, Emerson Fittipaldi and Michael Andretti — who each won three times — making him the most successful driver in the track’s IndyCar history. It has been 40 years since Road America last saw a three-time winner, Michael Andretti in 1986. Palou also leads the championship by 49 points over Andretti Global’s Kyle Kirkwood.
Sources: IndyCar.com
Kirkwood Seeks First Road Course Win as Title Bid Enters Critical Phase
Kyle Kirkwood enters Road America facing the most significant challenge of his IndyCar career. Five of his six career victories have come on street circuits, but seven of the final nine races on the 2026 calendar are on permanent road courses and ovals. The Andretti Global driver must secure a road course victory to credibly contest the title against Alex Palou, who leads by 49 points. A Kirkwood championship would be the first for Andretti Global since Ryan Hunter-Reay’s title in 2012. Kirkwood sits second with 293 points heading into Sunday’s 55-lap race at Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin.
Sources: IndyCar.com
O’Ward Winless Despite Six Top-Five Finishes as Second Half Begins
Pato O’Ward has six top-five finishes in the first nine races of 2026 — tied with Alex Palou and Kyle Kirkwood for the most in the series — yet the Arrow McLaren driver has not stood on the podium once. The nine-time race winner is seeking his first victory of 2026 as the second half opens at Road America. O’Ward was the championship runner-up last year, his fifth top-five points finish in six IndyCar seasons. He enters Road America fifth with 239 points, seven behind teammate Christian Lundgaard, who leads the McLaren squad in the standings.
Sources: IndyCar.com
Lundgaard Emerges as Arrow McLaren’s Dark Horse Title Contender
Christian Lundgaard won the Sonsio Grand Prix at Indianapolis Motor Speedway on May 9 and has added two further podium finishes this season, along with one more top-five result. The Arrow McLaren driver sits fourth in the championship with 246 points heading into Road America, seven points clear of teammate Pato O’Ward. Lundgaard is targeting a milestone that has eluded the team: he could become the highest-scoring Arrow McLaren driver not named Pato O’Ward since O’Ward arrived in 2020. Lundgaard finished fifth in the standings during his first full season with the team in 2025.
Sources: IndyCar.com
Malukas Chases Breakthrough Win in Debut Season at Team Penske
David Malukas heads into Road America third in the championship with 274 points, but has yet to win his first IndyCar race. In his debut season driving the No. 12 Team Penske Chevrolet, Malukas has accumulated four runner-up finishes across 70 career starts — two of them in 2026 — but has not reached Victory Lane. The second half of the season provides nine more opportunities as Malukas continues to build experience at one of the sport’s most storied teams. A first career victory is the key prerequisite before he can mount a serious title challenge.
Sources: IndyCar.com
Rahal’s Three Podiums Highlight Strongest Season Since 2020
Graham Rahal is enjoying his best IndyCar campaign in recent memory. The Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing driver has recorded three third-place finishes in 2026 — the most podium appearances in a single season since 2020. He started and finished third at Barber Motorsports Park, advanced from seventh to third on the IMS road course, and charged from 12th to third in Detroit. Those results have him bidding for his first IndyCar victory since 2017, a gap of 152 races, and a return to the top 10 in championship points for the first time since 2022.
Sources: IndyCar.com
Drivers’ Championship
After Race 9 — WWT Raceway, June 8
1. Alex Palou — 342 pts
2. Kyle Kirkwood — 293 pts
3. David Malukas — 274 pts
4. Christian Lundgaard — 246 pts
5. Pato O’Ward — 239 pts
6. Josef Newgarden — 238 pts
7. Scott McLaughlin — 222 pts
8. Felix Rosenqvist — 221 pts
9. Marcus Ericsson — 196 pts
10. Marcus Armstrong — 196 pts
11. Graham Rahal — 193 pts
12. Scott Dixon — 192 pts
13. Rinus VeeKay — 175 pts
14. Alexander Rossi — 152 pts
15. Kyffin Simpson — 147 pts
16. Santino Ferrucci — 146 pts
17. Will Power — 145 pts
18. Dennis Hauger (R) — 133 pts
19. Louis Foster — 131 pts
20. Romain Grosjean — 117 pts
21. Nolan Siegel — 116 pts
22. Christian Rasmussen — 112 pts
23. Caio Collet (R) — 99 pts
24. Sting Ray Robb — 89 pts
25. Mick Schumacher (R) — 89 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
After Race 9 — WWT Raceway, June 8
1. Team Penske — 591 pts
2. Chip Ganassi Racing — 576 pts
3. Andretti Global — 509 pts
4. Arrow McLaren — 507 pts
5. Meyer Shank Racing — 417 pts
6. Rahal Letterman Lanigan — 351 pts
7. ECR — 264 pts
=8. Juncos Hollinger Racing — 264 pts
9. Dale Coyne Racing — 250 pts
10. A.J. Foyt Enterprises — 245 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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