Samwise IndyCar Newsletter
Saturday, July 11, 2026
INDYCAR’s 2027 Driver Market Heats Up With At Least 10 Seats Still Open
The NTT INDYCAR SERIES’ 2027 silly season has exploded into action following Scott Dixon’s move to Arrow McLaren and Felix Rosenqvist’s Indy 500 triumph at Meyer Shank Racing, triggering a cascade of roster announcements. At least 10 of the projected 25 full-time seats remain unsettled. Team Penske is among the few with a locked lineup — Josef Newgarden, Scott McLaughlin, and David Malukas all return. Arrow McLaren confirmed O’Ward, Dixon, Rosenqvist, and Ryan Hunter-Reay. Chip Ganassi Racing’s No. 9 car remains unannounced. Andretti Global’s Marcus Ericsson is in a contract year. AJ Foyt Racing, Juncos Hollinger, and Dale Coyne Racing each have two seats to fill.
Sources: IndyCar.com Share ↗ ✉︎ Email 💬 Text
Four-Time Champion Palou Reflects on Leading Ganassi Into Post-Dixon Era
With Scott Dixon entering the final seven races of his Chip Ganassi Racing tenure, four-time champion Alex Palou is reflecting on six seasons alongside the six-time series champion. Palou, who joined Ganassi at age 23, described a team culture built on weekly performance rather than seniority: “whoever is fastest this session or this weekend takes the lead.” The 29-year-old was candid about his teammate’s influence. “It’s sad, and it makes you realize even more, since day one, I always knew and understood that I had an incredible opportunity sharing teams with him,” Palou told RACER. “I’ve never felt like he was the leader of the team.”
Open-Wheel Racing Mourns Neil Micklewright, 1990 Indy 500-Winning Team Manager
Neil Micklewright, the British mechanic and team manager who guided Arie Luyendyk to victory at the 1990 Indianapolis 500, died at age 69. Micklewright began his career in Formula 1, spending 11 years with Lotus, Ensign, and Hesketh before crossing to North American open-wheel racing with Doug Shierson’s CART team. He subsequently spent 1994 to 2009 at Forsythe/Player’s Forsythe Racing, accumulating 33 CART and Champ Car wins including Paul Tracy’s 2003 championship. Luyendyk remembered him as “typical British racer — no nonsense, doing a good job with what he had.” Tracy said: “if you were going into war, you would want Neil on your team.”
IndyCar Racing The Game Launch Pushed Back to 2027 Indianapolis 500 Countdown
The IndyCar Series and iRacing have delayed the launch of IndyCar Racing The Game, which was previously announced for the second half of 2026. The series now says the title will “launch in the countdown to the 2027 Indianapolis 500.” The game will be available on PlayStation 5, PC via Steam, and Xbox Series X|S. IndyCar CMO Alex Damron said the game aims to “capture the energy and drama of our sport with hyper-realism, bringing our series to a new generation of gamers.” iRacing president Tony Gardner called it “a project our team has been passionate about for a long time,” promising an experience “worthy of the IndyCar name.”
RLL’s Louis Foster Takes on NASCAR Trucks at Lime Rock in IndyCar Off-Week
Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing’s Louis Foster will make his NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series debut at Lime Rock Park this weekend, slotting in between his IndyCar commitments at Mid-Ohio and Nashville. The 2024 Indy NXT champion will pilot the No. 76 Freedom Racing Enterprises Chevrolet through primary sponsor Droplight, after regular road-course driver Nathan Nicholson became unavailable. Foster chatted with James Hinchcliffe at Mid-Ohio for tips on what to expect. “It’s a pretty quick weekend,” he told RACER. “I’m very much being thrown in the deep end.” The appearance adds his name to the list of IndyCar crossover drivers including Dario Franchitti and Hinchcliffe.
Brandt Tractor Signs as Founding Partner and Track Build Sponsor for Markham IndyCar Race
The Ontario Honda Dealers Indy at Markham has signed Brandt Tractor Ltd. as a founding partner and official track build sponsor for the inaugural 2026 event, scheduled for August 14–16 in downtown Markham, Ontario. The multi-year agreement gives Brandt an on-track presence at the new street circuit and a long-term association with Green Savoree Toronto ULC, the race’s owner and operator. Brandt will supply heavy equipment and support construction of the circuit. “The Markham Indy is exactly the kind of event Brandt is proud to support,” said Matt Semple, Brandt’s Senior Vice President of Marketing.
Sources: Speedway Media 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 — 148 pts
20. Nolan Siegel — 145 pts
21. Christian Rasmussen — 143 pts
22. Romain Grosjean — 139 pts
23. Caio Collet — 132 pts
24. Sting Ray Robb — 108 pts
25. Mick Schumacher — 108 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
Engine Manufacturer
1. Honda — 892 pts
2. Chevrolet — 868 pts
Curated by JD · samwise.agency
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