A Real Championship Fight? - IndyCar 2026 Round 15 Recap

The decision to hold a race in Washington, D.C. was somewhat controversial among a certain subset of IndyCar fans, and, without going too much into it, I can't say I disagree with the objections. Regardless, it was a race on the schedule with substantial championship implications, so let's go over some of the notable stories coming out of this weekend.

A Dominant Day for Kirkwood

The only thing Kyle Kirkwood was missing from this weekend was a pole. He took the lead early in the race and never really looked back. I was waiting for the Andretti curse to take its toll, but the pit stops were very clean for the team all day. Kirkwood did have to survive a couple of late-race restarts, but he absorbed the pressure well, ultimately running away to an 8-second win over the course of around 15 laps. Great performance; no notes.

Andretti Global

The 2027 driver lineup for Andretti is set, but there's another rumor floating around the paddock: they might be eyeing a switch to Chevy for the 2027 season. It would align them with the rest of the TWG Motorsports companies, which are all GM powered. It would also rob Honda of one of their biggest teams and put more stress on Chevy as an engine supplier. The only entity that wins in this scenario is Ganassi; all of a sudden, they get even more resources from Honda. As if Palou needs more help.

A Flex from Lundgaard

Starting 9th, Christian Lundgaard looked impressive all day, with a shot at the win, ultimately finishing 2nd. Lundgaard said he planned to have a car for the end of the long race, but he was fast in the beginning stages as well. No one really had anything for Kirkwood, but Lundgaard was certainly the closest of everyone.

Nolan Siegel continues his bizarre run of form, finishing 6th on the day. I again have to wonder where this performance has been the last 2 seasons and why he's waiting so long to finally show us what he's actually capable of.

As for Pato O'Ward, he was mid-pack most of the day before suffering a lock-up immediately after a pit stop that ultimately forced him to pit a second time. He finished 16th, 1 lap down.

Pato O'Ward - Eliminated: So, you're telling me McLaren built an entire team around Pato O'Ward, and he can't even maintain lead driver status? Lundgaard's been whooping his butt at almost every opportunity. Oh, you got a win at Mid-Ohio. Big deal. Driving Lundgaard off to Ganassi is going to haunt O'Ward in the long run. Mark my words.

An Un-Palou-Like Day

In his first pit stop of the day, Alex Palou bumped a tire sitting in Mick Schumacher's pit box, earning him a drive-through penalty. He didn't really make up any positions, and had a loose wheel that extended a later pit stop. To finish things off, he spun on his own toward the end of the race, relegating him to 20th, 3 laps down. The championship gap is still nearly two races large, but if you're going to choke a championship, this is certainly a way to start.

Karma for Roger Penske

As penance for sucking up to America's glorious Supreme Leader, D.C. required from Roger Penske a pound of flesh. David Malukas was running well, but went off-strategy before crashing out early. Fortunately, he took Sting Ray Robb with him, but it was not the kind of showing we expect from a Penske driver, and especially from Malukas himself.

Scott McLaughlin was easily in line for a podium finish and had a shot at the win, but he overcooked turn 1 on a restart and found himself in the wall instead. Definitely a move that McLaughlin wishes he could have had back.

Josef Newgarden, at least, ran in and around the back of the top 10, finishing 8th. Coming from a 14th-place starting position, it wasn't flashy, but it at least got the job done.

Josef Newgarden - Eliminated: What a disappointing multi-win season. You can't even really blame bad luck; a lot of his issues can be traced back to things of his own making. The lock-up at Long Beach, the crash at Indy - this guy is just his own worst enemy most of the time. Maybe recalibrate over the off-season, yeah?

AJ Foyt Racing

There were rumors this week that Indy NXT driver Josh Pierson was likely to end up in the 2027 IndyCar field, and it seems that Foyt is the most likely landing spot. He's currently 11th in the Indy NXT standings, but he does bring $25 million to the table, and money talks in motorsports. All I ask is that he show a little more competence than Sting Ray Robb. Santino Ferrucci, despite an underwhelming season, is expected to stay in the 14, meaning Pierson would be replacing Caio Collet. So, where does that leave Collet?

Juncos Hollinger Racing

The divorce between the titular Juncos and Hollinger is not going particularly smoothly, but if it does complete, Brad Hollinger is looking to reinstate a technical alliance between himself and McLaren. McLaren apparently has its eye on Caio Collet. If McLaren pays for Collet's seat, that's great for JHR, but if they don't, Collet brings sponsors of his own that could help fund his ride. Of course, this all hinges on the technical alliance and the Juncos/Hollinger split. We'll see what comes of that.

Meyer Shank Racing

There were some rumblings that Yuki Tsunoda's agent has been making inquiries with MSR about a move to IndyCar for him in 2027. There have also been rumors all year that Super Formula star Kakunoshin Ohta was wanted by Honda to run in IndyCar. Both of these drivers could run the factory team charter that both Honda and Chevy will receive in 2028, which is expected to go to MSR in Honda's case, and the theory is that Honda would want them familiar with the tracks before that charter is granted to the team.

However, the biggest rumor at the moment is still Schumacher to MSR. A run from 24th to 11th is certainly an improvement over what we've seen from Schumacher all year. We'll see if he really has what it takes to run for the team.

The Championship Standings

Alex Palou retains the championship lead, but the gap to Kyle Kirkwood is down to 91 points. Christian Lundgaard takes over 3rd, while David Malukas drops to 4th. A rough day for Pato O'Ward leaves him still sitting 5th, and Josef Newgarden retains 6th. Marcus Ericsson jumps all the way to 7th, while fellow Swede Felix Rosenqvist still sits in 8th. Scott McLaughlin drops down to 9th, and Will Power has finally broken into the top 10.

At the bottom of the standings still sit Sting Ray Robb and Mick Schumacher, but Caio Collet and Christian Rasmussen are tied for the final Leader's Circle spot, with Rasmussen holding the tiebreaker. Dennis Hauger is 24 points to the good, and Louis Foster is 32 points above the bubble.

As for the Rookie of the Year standings, Hauger continues to hold on to the lead, although the gap to Collet is now 24 points, with Schumacher sitting 34 back.

The clinching scenarios have gotten a bit more complicated for Palou after this weekend, but a win would fix everything. Winning either race next week at Milwaukee would hand him the championship, assuming he starts all three remaining races.

The championship is still Palou's to lose, but ovals aren't necessarily his specialty. This season could go all the way to Laguna Seca. To Kirkwood, Lundgaard, and Malukas, my only advice is to remember the golden rule: Don't get eliminated.