Samwise IndyCar Newsletter
Wednesday, June 24, 2026
Malukas and Kirkwood Separated by Just One Point in IndyCar Championship Battle for Second
David Malukas and Kyle Kirkwood are separated by just one point in the battle for second place in the 2026 IndyCar championship, setting up one of the season's tightest sub-fights entering the second half. Malukas (Team Penske, 314 points) moved to second after finishing runner-up at Road America, while Kirkwood (Meyer Shank Racing, 313 points) recovered to 10th at the same event. Championship leader Alex Palou holds a 60-point advantage over both with 374 points. A single-position swing could flip the second-place order when the series returns to Mid-Ohio on July 5.
Sources: Crash.net
Six IndyCar Teams Convene at Mid-Ohio Today for Group Test Ahead of July 5 Race
Fourteen drivers from six IndyCar teams are at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course today for a group test, the final preparation session before the Honda Indy 200 on July 5. Participating organizations include Andretti Global, Dale Coyne Racing, ECR, Juncos Hollinger Racing, Meyer Shank Racing w/Curb-Agajanian, and Team Penske, with each expected to field all full-time entries. The session follows a Road America weekend reshaped by incidents, penalties, and a caution-flag finish. Mid-Ohio's technical layout — elevation changes, mixed corner types, and demanding braking zones — presents a distinctly different challenge from Road America's high-speed flowing circuit.
Sources: Read Motorsport
Dixon's Road America Undone by First-Lap Contact and Drive-Through Penalty
Scott Dixon endured one of the more difficult Road America weekends of his IndyCar career, suffering a first-lap contact and a drive-through penalty that undermined his race. The Chip Ganassi Racing veteran made contact with Christian Lundgaard on the opening lap, damaging Lundgaard's front wing and inadvertently triggering the Arrow McLaren driver's remarkable recovery to victory. Dixon subsequently received a drive-through penalty for pitting after repositioning during a caution period, compounding his troubles. He salvaged 11th place from a race that could have yielded much more. Dixon sits 10th in the championship with 211 points, 163 adrift of teammate and title leader Alex Palou.
Sources: Motorsport.com
Newgarden's 22nd-Place Road America Finish Drops Him to Eighth in Championship
Josef Newgarden finished 22nd at Road America — one lap down — in a result that illustrates how his 2026 season has been shaped by the foot injury suffered during the Indianapolis 500. The Team Penske driver won June 7 at World Wide Technology Raceway to demonstrate his determination, but Road America's heavy braking zones and lateral loads proved particularly demanding. Newgarden sits eighth in the championship with 247 points, 127 behind teammate and second-placed David Malukas. With teammates McLaughlin (seventh, 248 points) and Malukas (second, 314 points) both in contention, Penske's strongest title hopes now rest elsewhere within the three-car lineup.
Sources: Crash.net
Kyffin Simpson's Fourth Place at Road America Reflects Growing Confidence in 2026
Kyffin Simpson delivered a composed fourth-place finish at Road America, crossing the line just 2.3 seconds behind winner Christian Lundgaard in one of the season's most chaotic races. The result is Simpson's best of the 2026 campaign and continues a trend of growing consistency in his second full IndyCar season. His 16th-place championship standing (179 points) does not yet reflect the improving pace, but Road America narrowed the gap to teammates Palou (first, 374 points) and Dixon (10th, 211 points). The trio gives Chip Ganassi Racing three drivers in the top 16, with the team sharing second in the teams' standings.
Sources: Crash.net
Rosenqvist Rises to Sixth in Championship After Road America Eighth-Place Finish
Felix Rosenqvist has quietly assembled one of the 2026 IndyCar season's most impressive campaigns, sitting sixth in the championship with 248 points after finishing eighth at Road America. The Meyer Shank Racing driver won the Indianapolis 500 in record-breaking fashion in May and has consistently banked points through subsequent road and oval rounds. At Road America, Rosenqvist ran in the leading group before finishing between championship rivals Ferrucci (ninth) and Kirkwood (10th). With nine races remaining, Rosenqvist trails championship leader Alex Palou by 126 points, keeping him within realistic mathematical contention for a title that would crown a breakthrough IndyCar season.
Sources: Crash.net
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. Team Penske — 809 pts
2. Chip Ganassi Racing — 764 pts
3. Meyer Shank Racing — 764 pts
4. Arrow McLaren — 679 pts
5. Rahal Letterman Lanigan — 449 pts
6. Andretti Global — 393 pts
7. ECR — 297 pts
8. Juncos Hollinger Racing — 287 pts
9. A.J. Foyt Enterprises — 281 pts
10. Dale Coyne Racing — 275 pts
Curated by JD · samwise.agency