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Thrilling Season Climaxes with Checkered Flag at Laguna Seca
Highlights
- Alex Palou clinched fourth straight INDYCAR title this season.
- 2026 introduced new street races in Arlington, Markham, and Washington.
- Second place battle led by Christian Lundgaard, Kyle Kirkwood, Pato O’Ward.
- Scott Dixon’s final race with Ganassi after 25 years.
- Rookie of the Year contest led by Dennis Hauger.
- Season finale at Laguna Seca starts Friday with live FS2 coverage.
The 2026 NTT INDYCAR SERIES concludes at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca this weekend. Alex Palou is already champion, shifting focus to the runner-up fight, Scott Dixon’s farewell, and rookie battle.
The campaign opens in March with four straight weekends, including Phoenix’s return. Street events in Arlington, Markham, and Washington yield Andretti Global wins: Kyle Kirkwood twice and Marcus Ericsson once.
A compressed run-in features five races in four weekends and a same-day doubleheader at Milwaukee. There, Palou reaches six wins and eight poles, sealing a fourth straight crown.
Only Sebastien Bourdais strings four consecutive titles. Across six years, Palou’s control is unique. Arrow McLaren counters with five wins, three by Pato O’Ward and two by Christian Lundgaard.
Andretti Global sweeps the new street tracks, while Team Penske’s Josef Newgarden banks two oval victories. Felix Rosenqvist scores his first Indianapolis 500 win, underscoring the season’s competitive breadth.
Palou manages Milwaukee conservatively to secure early, yet maintains one-lap form. He claims five straight NTT P1 Awards and ties Gordon Johncock on 25 wins, 17th in series history.
Alex Palou seals a fourth consecutive championship with six wins and eight poles in 2026.
Laguna Seca remains his strongest venue, yielding three wins from the last four starts. A four-race podium drought, his longest since 2024, adds intrigue but not enough to dislodge favoritism.
For Scott Dixon, Sunday marks a final outing with Chip Ganassi Racing after 25 seasons. Their alliance produces 58 victories and six titles, including a record 21 straight winning seasons.
This year proves attritional for Dixon. He sits 12th, his lowest since 2005.
Scott Dixon makes his final start with Ganassi after 25 years, a partnership yielding six titles.
Ten of the last 11 races fall outside the top 10. Even so, he owns a 2023 win here and a fifth last year, keeping his record-breaking streak in play.
Second place overall is a four-way contest. Lundgaard leads Kirkwood by two and O’Ward by four. Leaving Arrow McLaren, Lundgaard seeks parting statement. David Malukas sits 23 adrift, in contention.
O’Ward, runner-up last season, retains momentum to threaten the vice-championship. The rookie fight stays open as Dennis Hauger leads Mick Schumacher by 18 points and Caio Collet by 30.
Hauger and Collet finish first and second in last year’s INDY NXT by Firestone, underlining their readiness at this level.
Dennis Hauger leads Rookie of the Year by 18 points over Mick Schumacher.
Malukas remains the headline maiden winner-in-waiting after multiple seconds, including Milwaukee. Scott McLaughlin and Newgarden also chase first victories of 2026 to reinforce top-seven championship positions.
Rinus VeeKay pushes to secure a career-best 10th, holding Will Power by 13 points and targeting Felix Rosenqvist by 16. Kyffin Simpson could even finish ahead of teammate Dixon.
Practice begins Friday at 5 p.m. ET, with two practices and qualifying on Saturday, live on FS2. The Mission Foods Grand Prix of Monterey closes the season at Laguna Seca.
Visual Summary
🏆 Palou
6️⃣ Wins – Four-Peat Champion!
Finale: Laguna Seca Showdown
Who will conquer The Corkscrew to end 2026 on a high?
2nd Place Battle
Lundgaard (Arrow McLaren)
(+2pts)
Kirkwood
(+4pts)
O’Ward
(Arrow McLaren)
3-way fight, 4 pts apart!
Rookie of the Year
Leads by 18pts*
Legend’s Last Lap:
Scott Dixon 🏁
Final Chip Ganassi race after 25 years
58 wins / 6 titles
58 wins / 6 titles
2026 Top Race Winners
Palou
6
O’Ward
3
Kirkwood
2
Rosenqvist (Indy 500!)
The final push for GLORY at The Corkscrew!
Sunday: 95 Laps at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca ⛰️
Who takes the final flag?
James William covers the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship, from the Rolex 24 at Daytona to sprint-race formats. His reports include prototype performance reviews, GT class battles, and pit-stop strategy insights for endurance-racing fans.
