Samwise IndyCar Newsletter
Thursday, June 25, 2026
Lundgaard Charges From Last to First at Road America After First-Lap Chaos
Christian Lundgaard survived first-lap chaos to charge from last to first at the XPEL Grand Prix of Road America on June 21. Starting 12th, the Arrow McLaren driver suffered front-wing damage and a tire puncture at the start, pitting for emergency repairs that dropped him to the rear. The switch from damaged hard primaries to fresh alternate tires proved decisive over a race that featured five cautions. Lundgaard moved into the lead when Marcus Armstrong’s Honda expired with three laps remaining. The race ended under caution after a collision involving Graham Rahal and Will Power, securing his second 2026 victory. Felipe Nasr substituted for injured Josef Newgarden at Team Penske.
Sources: motorsport.com, crash.net Share ↗ ✉︎ Email 💬 Text
Honda Apologizes After Engine Failure Costs Armstrong Shot at First IndyCar Win
Honda Racing Corporation US president David Salters issued a public apology after Marcus Armstrong’s mechanical failure at Road America denied the New Zealander a potential first IndyCar win. Armstrong qualified third and led the race in the #66 Meyer Shank Racing Honda before his engine expired three laps from the finish, triggering a late caution and dropping him from the lead to 24th. Salters said: ‘I am extremely sorry to Marcus and the valiant MSR team.’ Armstrong had delivered a near-flawless weekend — leading Friday’s opening practice session and qualifying third — before the mechanical ended his day. He remains winless in 2026.
Simpson Holds Ground Against Palou in Ganassi Intra-Squad Road America Battle
Kyffin Simpson delivered a breakthrough result at Road America, finishing fourth and leading Chip Ganassi Racing’s trio home — ahead of championship leader Alex Palou. The 21-year-old from the Cayman Islands, in his third season, faced a key test of intra-squad etiquette when Palou — penalized earlier for speeding in pit lane — attempted to pass Simpson’s #8 Honda. Simpson held firm. ‘At this team, Chip always says rule number one is to not hit your teammates, and as long as we don’t do that, we’re free to race,’ Simpson said. Palou accepted the battle, saying: ‘He’s doing his own race, and he has to go for it.’
Rosenqvist Confirmed Leaving Meyer Shank Racing After 2026 Season
Meyer Shank Racing officially confirmed that Felix Rosenqvist will leave the team after the 2026 NTT INDYCAR SERIES season. The announcement came just weeks after Rosenqvist and MSR claimed the 2026 Indianapolis 500 together. Team co-owner Mike Shank confirmed the parting. Rosenqvist sits sixth in the championship with 248 points — making his available seat one of the most attractive in the paddock. Rosenqvist’s 2027 destination has not been publicly named, nor has his replacement at Meyer Shank. The news caps a busy stretch for IndyCar’s silly season, following a series of driver movement stories in recent weeks.
Clutch Control Unit Failure Ends Rasmussen’s Road America After 28 Laps
A clutch control unit failure stranded Christian Rasmussen’s ECR Honda on the Road America frontstretch, triggering one of the race’s five cautions and ending his afternoon after just 28 laps. Rasmussen was unable to change gears as the malfunctioning CCU left the car locked in a fixed gear. The failure also damaged the car’s hybrid system as a secondary consequence, making recovery impossible. Rasmussen’s retirement was particularly costly in a race that offered significant points opportunities through the chaotic multi-caution format. The explanation clarifies an incident that briefly blocked the frontstretch and forced a caution period mid-race.
Kirkwood Leads 14-Car Mid-Ohio Test in Preparation for July 5 Race
Kyle Kirkwood led 14 drivers through a productive team test at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course on Tuesday, June 23, in preparation for the Honda Indy 200 on July 5. Kirkwood’s No. 27 Andretti Global Honda paced the field with a best lap of 1:05.354 seconds, edging Juncos Hollinger Racing’s Rinus VeeKay (1:05.413) and Dale Coyne Racing rookie Dennis Hauger (1:05.670). The six participating teams — Andretti Global, Dale Coyne Racing, ECR, Juncos Hollinger Racing, Meyer Shank Racing and Team Penske — ran through a combined 14 entries. Felipe Nasr again filled in for injured Josef Newgarden in the No. 2 Team Penske Chevrolet.
Sources: racer.com, indycar.com Share ↗ ✉︎ Email 💬 Text
Road America Broadcast Draws Largest Non-Indy 500 IndyCar Audience Since 2011
The XPEL Grand Prix of Road America drew the largest non-Indianapolis 500 television audience for an INDYCAR SERIES race since 2011. FOX data released Wednesday shows the event averaged 1,803,000 viewers — a 131-percent jump over last year’s Road America broadcast, which drew 781,000 viewers. Viewership peaked at 2,943,000 viewers. The milestone reflects a broader trend for INDYCAR on FOX: through 10 races in 2026, the series is averaging 2,033,000 viewers per event, up 14 percent from 2025’s first-year-on-FOX average of 1,783,000. The next race, the Honda Indy 200 at Mid-Ohio, airs July 5 on FOX.
Sources: indycar.com Share ↗ ✉︎ Email 💬 Text
Malukas Rated Top Palou Challenger With Eight Races Remaining
With eight races remaining, three IndyCar journalists at indycar.com gave their verdict on who can challenge championship leader Alex Palou: three of four panelists named David Malukas as the strongest threat. Malukas, still seeking his first IndyCar victory after 71 career starts, sits 60 points back with three oval races, three road courses and two street circuits on the remaining schedule. Kyle Kirkwood (61 back) and Christian Lundgaard (77 back) are the other contenders. The panel noted Malukas has outscored Palou over the last five races, Kirkwood has led just five laps in seven starts, and Palou’s oval average finish is 16th.
Sources: indycar.com Share ↗ ✉︎ Email 💬 Text
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. Andretti Global — 706 pts
4. Arrow McLaren — 684 pts
5. Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing — 469 pts
6. Meyer Shank Racing — 456 pts
7. ECR — 302 pts
8. Juncos Hollinger Racing — 287 pts
9. A.J. Foyt Enterprises — 281 pts
10. Dale Coyne Racing — 275 pts
11. Dreyer & Reinbold Racing — 32 pts
12. Abel Motorsports — 6 pts
13. HMD Motorsports w/ AJ Foyt Racing — 5 pts
Curated by JD · samwise.agency
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