Samwise IndyCar Newsletter
Monday, June 22, 2026
Christian Lundgaard Wins Road America From 13th in Last-to-First Comeback
Arrow McLaren’s Christian Lundgaard delivered one of the great comeback drives of 2026, winning Sunday’s XPEL Grand Prix at Road America after starting 13th and sustaining a broken front wing on the opening lap. Running second with four laps remaining, Lundgaard inherited the lead when Marcus Armstrong suffered a sudden engine failure. The Dane held off Team Penske’s David Malukas in a final-lap shootout to claim his third career IndyCar victory and second of the 2026 season. Will Power of Andretti Global completed the podium in third following a dramatic final-lap incident with Graham Rahal. Championship leader Alex Palou received a drive-through penalty for pit lane speeding and finished fourth.
Sources: IndyCar
Engine Failure Denies Marcus Armstrong First IndyCar Win at Road America
Meyer Shank Racing’s Marcus Armstrong was on course for his first IndyCar Series victory at Road America when his engine “completely died” with just four laps remaining. Armstrong had assumed the lead after championship contender Alex Palou received a drive-through penalty, and was pulling away with a two-and-a-half-second gap over Christian Lundgaard. There were zero warning signs on his dashboard and no messages from his engineers before the engine suddenly failed at Turn 5, smoke pouring from the rear of the car. Armstrong dropped from first to 24th in the final classification, handing the win to Lundgaard in a race Armstrong had led.
Sources: Speedcafe
Will Power and Graham Rahal Clash on Final Lap at Road America
A last-lap battle for podium position turned controversial at Road America when Will Power and Graham Rahal made contact at Canada Corner. Power, driving for Andretti Global, attempted to pass around the outside of Rahal under braking, and the Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing driver’s car spun into the concrete wall. Rahal, who had been heading for his fourth podium finish of the 2026 season, was classified 23rd. Power was ultimately reordered to third based on the timing of the full course yellow. Rahal said he was “very disappointed” in Power, while Power insisted he “absolutely did not want to have any contact.”
Sources: Motorsport.com
Malukas Surges to Second in Championship After Masterful Road America Drive
David Malukas continued his impressive 2026 campaign with Team Penske, finishing second at Road America to move into second place in the NTT IndyCar Series championship standings. With 314 points, Malukas now sits 60 behind leader Alex Palou and just one point clear of third-placed Kyle Kirkwood, setting up a three-way battle for the runner-up spot over the remaining eight rounds. Malukas’s Road America result — crossing the line in second despite a late safety car restart — underlines the consistent finishing pace that has made him one of the revelations of the 2026 season. The series resumes at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course on July 5.
Sources: AutoHebdo
Palou Extends Championship Lead to 60 Points Despite Road America Penalty
Alex Palou leaves Road America with his championship lead grown to 60 points, despite a drive-through penalty for pit lane speeding that dropped him to fourth in Sunday’s race. The Chip Ganassi Racing driver failed to press the pit speed limiter button on his second stop — an error he called “a huge mistake” — yet still finished fourth and extended his lead. David Malukas of Team Penske moved into second in the standings with 314 points, overtaking Kyle Kirkwood who dropped to third on 313 points. Lundgaard’s win elevated him to fourth with 297 points. Eight rounds remain in the 2026 season.
Sources: AutoHebdo
Drivers' Championship
1. Alex Palou — 374 pts
2. David Malukas — 314 pts
3. Kyle Kirkwood — 313 pts
4. Christian Lundgaard — 297 pts
5. Pato O’Ward — 257 pts
6. Felix Rosenqvist — 248 pts
7. Scott McLaughlin — 248 pts
8. Josef Newgarden — 247 pts
9. Marcus Ericsson — 213 pts
10. Scott Dixon — 211 pts
11. Marcus Armstrong — 203 pts
12. Graham Rahal — 200 pts
13. Rinus VeeKay — 187 pts
14. Will Power — 180 pts
15. Alexander Rossi — 180 pts
16. Kyffin Simpson — 179 pts
17. Santino Ferrucci — 168 pts
18. Louis Foster — 147 pts
19. Dennis Hauger — 143 pts
20. Romain Grosjean — 132 pts
21. Nolan Siegel — 125 pts
22. Christian Rasmussen — 117 pts
23. Caio Collet — 113 pts
24. Mick Schumacher — 102 pts
25. Sting Ray Robb — 100 pts
26. Conor Daly — 24 pts
27. Takuma Sato — 20 pts
28. Jack Harvey — 8 pts
29. Jacob Abel — 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 — 585 pts
2. Team Penske — 562 pts
3. Arrow McLaren — 554 pts
4. Andretti Global — 526 pts
5. Meyer Shank Racing — 451 pts
6. Rahal Letterman Lanigan — 347 pts
7. Ed Carpenter Racing — 297 pts
8. Juncos Hollinger Racing — 287 pts
9. AJ Foyt Racing — 281 pts
10. Dale Coyne Racing — 275 pts
11. Dreyer & Reinbold Racing — 32 pts
12. Abel Motorsports — 6 pts
13. HMD Motorsports — 5 pts
Curated by JD · samwise.agency