Samwise IndyCar Newsletter
Thursday, April 9, 2026
Herta’s Indy 500 Hopes Blocked by F2 Calendar Clash
Colton Herta’s bid to return to the Indianapolis 500 this May has been blocked by an FIA Formula 2 schedule change. Two F2 rounds were added alongside F1’s Miami and Canadian Grands Prix, replacing canceled Bahrain and Saudi Arabia events lost due to the war in Iran. The Montreal F2 race clashes directly with the May 24 Indy 500, ending Herta’s availability. The 25-year-old had been in contention for a fourth car entry from Andretti Global, which shares an ownership group with the Cadillac F1 team. Andretti confirmed Thursday it will focus on its existing three-car lineup and will not pursue an additional Indy 500 entry.
Long Beach Title Showdown: Kirkwood and Palou Split by Two Points
Kyle Kirkwood and Alex Palou arrive at the Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach on April 19 separated by just two championship points, setting up the season’s most compelling head-to-head showdown. Kirkwood, the defending Long Beach winner, has taken five of his six career victories on street and temporary circuits. Palou enters as IndyCar’s form driver with three top-two finishes in four races and six road course wins from his last eight attempts. The new 2026 alternate-tire mandate — requiring two full stints on the softer compound at street races — is expected to amplify strategy variation and create more lead changes through the race’s middle phase.
PREMA Racing Searches for Indy 500 Lifeline
PREMA Racing’s IndyCar program remains in financial limbo as the team searches for new ownership or investment to fund a potential Indianapolis 500 entry. The Italian outfit missed the entire opening portion of the 2026 season after parent company DC Racing Solutions ran into funding difficulties, with key co-founder Rene Rosin departing in early 2026. More than 30 full-time employees remain at the team’s Fishers, Indiana facility with race-ready cars already built. The late-entry window closes May 15, and PREMA has publicly stated it is not done with IndyCar while evaluating multiple potential investors. No deal has yet been confirmed.
Parity Rules: Seven Drivers Within 46 Points After Four Rounds
The 2026 NTT IndyCar Series has produced its most open championship in years, with four different race winners across the season’s first four events: Alex Palou at St. Petersburg and Barber, Josef Newgarden at Phoenix, and Kyle Kirkwood at Arlington. Seven drivers currently sit within 46 points of the championship lead, with David Malukas fourth, Newgarden fifth, and Graham Rahal in sixth following his Barber podium. Team Penske has rebounded sharply after a difficult 2025 campaign, collecting three podiums across the opening four rounds. IndyCar’s revised tire-use rules and reformed group-format practice sessions have been widely credited with broadening the competitive window.
Boles Opens Door to Expanded IndyCar Schedule
IndyCar president Doug Boles signaled openness to expanding the series calendar beyond its current 18 races, following the successful debut of the Freedom 250 in Washington D.C. this season. Speaking Tuesday, Boles said the series carries no fixed ceiling on its schedule size, noting it could grow to 18 or 19 events if the right venues present themselves. He emphasized protecting IndyCar’s signature balance of roughly one-third ovals, one-third road courses, and one-third street circuits, calling that diversity a core competitive differentiator. The 2026 season launched with a record four-race March sprint, generating the series’ strongest early-season television ratings in years.
Arrow McLaren Chasing First Win of 2026 Under Kanaan’s Watch
In his second year leading Arrow McLaren as team principal, Tony Kanaan believes the Chevrolet-powered squad is now built to contend consistently at the front. Despite Pato O’Ward and Christian Lundgaard combining for multiple top-five results through the first four races of 2026, the team has yet to reach victory lane this season. Kanaan guided Arrow McLaren to its best-ever 2025 campaign — two wins and 12 podiums — and the team recently completed an 86,000 square foot headquarters in Zionsville, Indiana, nearly three times the size of its former facility. The new infrastructure marks a deliberate step toward closing the performance gap with Chip Ganassi Racing and Team Penske.
Indy 500 Safety Upgrade: Tire Ramp Flaps Now Mandatory at IMS
INDYCAR has mandated the use of tire ramp flaps on all cars competing at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, covering the April 28–29 Indy 500 Open Test and the 110th running of the race on May 24. The aerodynamic devices are fitted at the car’s corners to prevent airborne launches when a machine spins at superspeedway speeds — an area of ongoing safety concern following several high-profile incidents in recent years. The requirement was part of a broader 2026 rulebook update that also introduced revised street course tire-use mandates and a reformed group-format practice structure. Teams have been notified the flaps are non-negotiable for all on-track sessions at IMS.
Championship Standings
Drivers: 1. Kyle Kirkwood (156) | 2. Alex Palou (154) | 3. Christian Lundgaard (121)
Teams: 1. Andretti Global | 2. Chip Ganassi Racing | 3. Team Penske
The Samwise IndyCar Newsletter is published daily during the NTT INDYCAR SERIES season.
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