Samwise IndyCar Newsletter
Thursday, April 23, 2026
Palou Wins Long Beach, Claims Championship Lead with Third Victory in Five Races
Alex Palou claimed his third victory in five races at the 2026 Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach on April 19, passing Felix Rosenqvist during the final round of pit stops to win by 3.97 seconds. Rosenqvist, who started from pole and led 60 of 85 laps, lost the lead when Palou’s Chip Ganassi Racing crew executed a faster stop. Scott Dixon finished third for a CGR podium lockout, with Kyle Kirkwood fourth. Palou’s 22nd career IndyCar win moved him from second to first in the championship by 17 points, extending his remarkable form of 11 wins from his last 22 starts.
Sources: INDYCAR.com
Championship Standings: Palou Leads Kirkwood by 17 Points After Long Beach
Following Long Beach, Alex Palou leads the 2026 NTT INDYCAR SERIES with 205 points, 17 ahead of Kyle Kirkwood (188). David Malukas sits third for Team Penske with 142 points in his first season with the team. Pato O’Ward (136) and Christian Lundgaard (131) complete the top five for Arrow McLaren. Josef Newgarden is sixth (130), Scott McLaughlin seventh (127), Scott Dixon eighth (120), Felix Rosenqvist ninth (109), and Graham Rahal tenth (106). Palou has won three of the first five races; no other driver has won more than once.
Sources: Motorsport.com
Long Beach Push-to-Pass Software Glitch: IndyCar Officiating Confirms Results Stand
IndyCar’s independent Officiating Board released a statement on April 20 confirming the official Long Beach race results will stand following a push-to-pass software failure during the Lap 61 restart. The glitch left the system available to all cars when it should have been disabled before the alternate start-finish line on Lap 62. Twelve cars activated the button improperly, but post-race analysis found no position change resulted from the error — except the No. 66 of Marcus Armstrong passing the No. 14 of Santino Ferrucci, a move deemed acceptable because both drivers had activated the system in nearly equal measure. IndyCar and the board pledged additional protective measures at future events.
Sources: INDYCAR.com
Scot Elkins Named Managing Director of IndyCar’s Independent Officiating Board
IndyCar’s independent Officiating Board named Scot Elkins as its first Managing Director of Officiating on April 21, with Elkins set to begin on May 11 — two weeks before the Indianapolis 500. The 56-year-old brings over 25 years of experience across FIA Formula One, Formula E, NASCAR and IMSA, and previously served as technical director for operations for Champ Car from 2005 to 2008. The appointment is significant: the Independent Officiating Board was only established in December 2025 and operates entirely outside INDYCAR and Penske Entertainment. Elkins will oversee race control and technical inspection, reporting directly to the three-person board of Raj Nair, Ray Evernham and Ronan Morgan.
Sources: INDYCAR.com
Long Beach FOX Ratings Surge 130 Percent to 18-Year High of 1.27 Million Viewers
The 2026 Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach drew 1,269,000 viewers on FOX, a 130-percent increase over the 552,000 who watched the 2025 race — the most-watched Long Beach IndyCar race since 2008, the year open-wheel racing reunified in North America. Viewership peaked at 1,527,000 as Alex Palou drove to victory. For the season, an average of 1,239,000 viewers have watched the first five NTT INDYCAR SERIES rounds on FOX, up 44 percent from 863,000 in 2025. IndyCar credited FOX Sports for cross-promotional support from NASCAR coverage, including a lead-in from the Kansas Speedway Cup Series race broadcast on April 19.
Sources: INDYCAR.com
Acura Expands IndyCar Presence and Pauses IMSA GTP Programme After 2026 Season
Acura confirmed on April 22 that it will pause its GTP program in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship after the 2026 season and redirect resources to a broader presence in the NTT INDYCAR SERIES. The Honda luxury brand will expand from its Long Beach title sponsorship to multi-race car branding with Meyer Shank Racing. Marcus Armstrong’s No. 66 MSR Honda will carry Acura livery at the 110th Indianapolis 500 on May 24 — marking Acura’s first branding appearance at the legendary oval. Felix Rosenqvist’s No. 60 already ran Acura branding at Long Beach. The expanded IndyCar partnership is expected to be formalized as a full programme for 2027.
Sources: INDYCAR.com
Abel Motorsports Confirms Jacob Abel for Indianapolis 500 Return, Field Reaches 32
Abel Motorsports confirmed on April 20 that Jacob Abel will drive a Chevrolet-powered entry in the 110th Indianapolis 500, bringing the provisional field to 32 cars with one spot remaining. The family team, which last competed in IndyCar in 2023, secured an engine previously allocated to PREMA Racing after PREMA withdrew its Indy 500 plans on April 10. AJ Foyt Racing holds the 33rd and final expected entry, with Katherine Legge tipped to fill the seat for her fifth Indianapolis 500. The full-field open test at IMS on April 28–29 will include rookie orientation for first-time oval competitors including Mick Schumacher.
Sources: RACER
Indy 500 Open Test Set for April 28–29: Rookies, Safety Flap Debut, Engine Battle
All 32 confirmed Indianapolis 500 entries will run at Indianapolis Motor Speedway for the two-day open test on April 28–29, the first time 2026 Indy 500 rookies including Mick Schumacher will take to the 2.5-mile oval in race configuration. The sessions mark the mandatory debut of IndyCar’s new carbon fiber tire ramp flaps, designed to reduce the risk of cars becoming airborne during high-speed spins. IndyCar’s Inside Line panel flagged the engine battle as a key watchpoint: whether Honda or Chevrolet shows a clear speed advantage heading into the Month of May. Veteran drivers run first from 10 a.m. to noon, before all cars join through 6 p.m.
Sources: INDYCAR.com
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 Ericsson — 104 pts
13. Marcus Armstrong — 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. Louis Foster — 60 pts
20. Romain Grosjean — 60 pts
21. Christian Rasmussen — 59 pts
22. Caio Collet — 59 pts
23. Nolan Siegel — 56 pts
24. Mick Schumacher — 44 pts
25. Sting Ray Robb — 42 pts
Teams' Championship
1. Chip Ganassi Racing — 400 pts
2. Team Penske — 399 pts
3. Andretti Global — 381 pts
4. Arrow McLaren — 323 pts
5. Meyer Shank Racing — 213 pts
6. Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing — 210 pts
7. ECR — 164 pts
8. Dale Coyne Racing — 136 pts
9. AJ Foyt Enterprises — 133 pts
10. Juncos Hollinger Racing — 121 pts
11. Dreyer & Reinbold Racing — 0 pts
Curated by JD · samwise.agency
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