Samwise IndyCar Newsletter
Monday, July 6, 2026
Pato O’Ward Claims First Victory of 2026 as Arrow McLaren Sweeps Mid-Ohio 1-2
Pato O'Ward scored his first IndyCar victory of 2026 at the Honda Indy 200 at Mid-Ohio on July 5, leading an Arrow McLaren one-two finish ahead of teammate Christian Lundgaard. O'Ward started second and made the decisive pass on polesitter Lundgaard at Turn 2 on Lap 42, then held on to win by 0.9877 seconds after 90 caution-free laps. The result marks the first time Arrow McLaren has finished 1-2 in IndyCar. Kyle Kirkwood completed the podium for Andretti Global, ahead of Rinus VeeKay in fourth and championship leader Alex Palou fifth for Chip Ganassi Racing. It was O'Ward's 10th career IndyCar victory.
Sources: Motorsport.com Share ↗ ✉︎ Email 💬 Text
Scott Dixon Confirms Exit from Chip Ganassi Racing After 25 Seasons
Six-time NTT IndyCar Series champion Scott Dixon will leave Chip Ganassi Racing at the end of the 2026 season after 25 years with the team. Chip Ganassi Racing confirmed on July 2 that Dixon had turned down a multiyear extension offered by the team. Dixon drove 24 full-time seasons with CGR, winning six championships and 58 of his 59 career victories with the organisation. The 45-year-old New Zealander is widely expected to join Arrow McLaren for 2027, where he would drive alongside Pato O'Ward. The search for Dixon's replacement in the No. 9 Ganassi Honda has already begun.
Felix Rosenqvist to Leave Meyer Shank Racing Despite 2026 Indy 500 Victory
Felix Rosenqvist will not return to Meyer Shank Racing for the 2027 IndyCar season, the team confirmed, despite the Swedish driver winning the 2026 Indianapolis 500. Meyer Shank Racing stated: “It's unfortunate that Felix has decided to move on from MSR at the end of the season, particularly given everything we've accomplished together, including this year's Indy 500 victory.” Rosenqvist, who sits seventh in the 2026 championship with 265 points, is expected to join Arrow McLaren for 2027 in a deal that would reunite him with the team he raced for between 2021 and 2023.
Sources: FOX Sports Share ↗ ✉︎ Email 💬 Text
Arrow McLaren Releases Lundgaard and Siegel to Clear Path for 2027 Overhaul
Arrow McLaren has informed Christian Lundgaard that he is free to negotiate with other IndyCar teams, and has also told Nolan Siegel he will not return for 2027, according to reports published on July 5. The moves clear the way for Scott Dixon and Felix Rosenqvist to join Pato O'Ward at Arrow McLaren next season. Lundgaard has emerged as a candidate for Chip Ganassi Racing's vacant No. 9 entry following Dixon's departure. Siegel could maintain an affiliation with McLaren through a potential technical partnership with Juncos Hollinger Racing. Both drivers were granted permission to explore options with other IndyCar teams.
Marcus Armstrong Signs Multi-Year Deal to Stay at Meyer Shank Racing
Meyer Shank Racing announced on July 3 that Marcus Armstrong has signed a multi-year contract extension that will keep him with the team beyond 2026. As part of the agreement, Armstrong will transition to the team's No. 60 Honda for the 2027 season, moving from the No. 66 entry he currently races. Armstrong has collected five top-10 finishes in 2026, including a fifth-place finish at the Indianapolis 500 where he was running at the front during the final restart. The extension comes after a mechanical failure while leading at Road America with fewer than four laps remaining denied Armstrong his first career win.
Palou Leads IndyCar Title Fight but 66 Points Cover Top Four With Seven Races Left
Alex Palou leads the 2026 NTT IndyCar Series championship with 404 points after 11 of 18 races, but the title fight has tightened at the halfway point. Kyle Kirkwood sits second for Andretti Global, 56 points behind, while Christian Lundgaard and David Malukas are separated by just one point in third and fourth, 65 and 66 points adrift of Palou respectively. Palou's fifth-place result at Mid-Ohio on July 5 narrowed his advantage over Kirkwood, who finished third. Seven races remain, beginning with the Borchetta Bourbon Music City Grand Prix at Nashville Superspeedway on July 19.
Sources: Motorsport.com Share ↗ ✉︎ Email 💬 Text
Drivers' Championship
1. Alex Palou — 404 pts
2. Kyle Kirkwood — 348 pts
3. Christian Lundgaard — 339 pts
4. David Malukas — 338 pts
5. Pato O’Ward — 310 pts
6. Josef Newgarden — 270 pts
7. Felix Rosenqvist — 265 pts
8. Scott McLaughlin — 262 pts
9. Scott Dixon — 224 pts
10. Marcus Ericsson — 222 pts
11. Rinus VeeKay — 219 pts
12. Marcus Armstrong — 219 pts
13. Graham Rahal — 218 pts
14. Will Power — 209 pts
15. Kyffin Simpson — 194 pts
16. Alexander Rossi — 190 pts
17. Santino Ferrucci — 179 pts
18. Louis Foster — 159 pts
19. Dennis Hauger (R) — 148 pts
20. Nolan Siegel — 145 pts
21. Christian Rasmussen — 143 pts
22. Romain Grosjean — 139 pts
23. Caio Collet (R) — 132 pts
24. Mick Schumacher (R) — 108 pts
25. Sting Ray Robb — 108 pts
26. Conor Daly — 24 pts
27. Takuma Sato — 20 pts
28. Jack Harvey — 8 pts
29. Jacob Abel (R) — 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 — 870 pts
2. Chip Ganassi Racing — 822 pts
3. Arrow McLaren — 794 pts
4. Andretti Global — 779 pts
5. Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing — 485 pts
6. Meyer Shank Racing — 484 pts
7. ECR — 333 pts
8. Juncos Hollinger Racing — 327 pts
9. A.J. Foyt Enterprises — 311 pts
10. Dale Coyne Racing — 287 pts
* Calculated from driver points (indycar.com)
Curated by JD · samwise.agency