Samwise IndyCar Newsletter
Tuesday, July 14, 2026
Palou, Rosenqvist & Malukas Visit White House to Promote Freedom 250 Grand Prix
IndyCar champions Alex Palou and Felix Rosenqvist joined Team Penske’s David Malukas at the White House on Sunday, meeting with President Trump to promote the upcoming Freedom 250 Grand Prix. The inaugural event is scheduled for August 22–23 on the National Mall in Washington, D.C. — marking the first open-wheel race in the heart of the U.S. capital. The high-profile visit underscores IndyCar’s push to expand into major American urban markets. With racing through iconic D.C. landmarks on the docket, the Freedom 250 could become one of the most distinctive events on the calendar. Tickets go on sale soon.
Sources: IndyCar.com Share ↗ ✉︎ Email 💬 Text
Nashville Follows the World Cup Final on FOX — IndyCar’s Biggest Stage of the Year
IndyCar descends on Nashville Superspeedway this Sunday, July 19 for the Borchetta Bourbon Music City Grand Prix — and the timing couldn’t be bigger. The race airs at 5:30 PM ET on FOX, immediately following the FIFA World Cup Final broadcast, putting the series in front of a massive potential audience. The 300-lap, 400-mile oval battle carries enormous championship weight: Alex Palou leads with 404 points, but Kyle Kirkwood, Christian Lundgaard, and David Malukas are all within 66 points of the top spot. With seven races left, Nashville could reshape the title fight entirely.
Sources: IndyCar.com Share ↗ ✉︎ Email 💬 Text
O’Ward Eyes ‘Unfinished Business’ at Nashville After Mid-Ohio Redemption
Pato O’Ward’s Mid-Ohio victory last week was more than a win — it was validation after a season full of frustrating near-misses. The Arrow McLaren driver sits fifth in the championship, 94 points behind leader Alex Palou with seven races remaining, but he’s openly channeling past setbacks into renewed motivation. O’Ward has specifically called out Nashville as a place where he has “unfinished business,” referencing a costly tire failure at Music City last year that erased a likely win. With Arrow McLaren’s performance trend pointing sharply upward, another strong result this Sunday could reignite his title hopes.
Louis Foster Makes Wild NASCAR Truck Debut at Lime Rock, Calls It ‘So Much Fun’
Rahal Letterman Lanigan IndyCar driver Louis Foster swapped his single-seater for a stock truck last Friday, making his NASCAR Truck Series debut at Lime Rock Park in the No. 76 Chevrolet for Freedom Racing. The British driver quickly found his footing on the short oval, running as high as sixth before a pit-lane speeding penalty sent him tumbling down the running order. A late-race spin further complicated his afternoon, and Foster ultimately finished 21st. Despite the difficult result, Foster called the experience “so much fun,” leaving little doubt he’d welcome another crossover opportunity in the future.
Sources: Motorsport.com Share ↗ ✉︎ Email 💬 Text
Drivers’ Championship
After Mid-Ohio (Race 11 of 18) — 7 races remaining
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
Teams’ Championship
Ranked by combined driver points (indycar.com); INDYCAR does not publish an official teams table.
1. Team Penske — 870 pts
2. Chip Ganassi Racing — 822 pts
3. Arrow McLaren — 799 pts
4. Andretti Global — 779 pts
5. Meyer Shank Racing — 489 pts
6. Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing — 485 pts
7. Ed Carpenter Racing — 338 pts
8. Juncos Hollinger Racing — 327 pts
9. A.J. Foyt Enterprises — 311 pts
10. Dale Coyne Racing — 287 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