First, I want to thank all who sent well wishes concerning my surgery earlier this week. I feel fine and will be heading to St. Louis later today and be at the track this weekend.

The race airs Sunday at 3:30 Eastern on NBC and Peacock. Why this race is run in the middle of the day is puzzling. It is a fantastic night race.

The 2023 Indycar season begins it three week run to the end of the year Sunday with the Bommarito Automotive Group 500 at World Wide Technology Raceway near St. Louis, Missouri. Normally, the final oval race of the year merely serves to set up the championship showdown over the next two weekends.

But for 2023, there is a lot to watch on the 1.25 mile oval. Since Indycar returned to the track formerly known as Gateway in 2017, Team Penske has dominated. Josef Newgarden has won four times and Will Power has one win.

A new twist to the race this weekend is the first use of an alternate tire which the teams must use for at least two laps during the race. Indycar is allotting just two sets of the alternate rubber to each team, and they must use a new set in the race. The other set will see action in the morning practice Saturday. Unlike road and street course procedures, teams may not qualify on the alternate tires, and all teams will start the race on a primary set. I think this will set up some intriguing strategies, depending on when yellows fall and later in the race.

Another possibility for the race is that the alternates may make this race less of a fuel saving run, which it has been the last couple of years. Some teams may need to make an extra stop depending on how the caution flags fall.

I’m hoping Indycar plans to expand this concept to other ovals, other than the Indianapolis 500 for now.

Newgarden Oval Sweep?

Josef Newgarden has a chance to sweep all of the 2023 oval races Sunday. The Indianapolis 500 winner has won at Texas and both races at Iowa. he has won this race four times. Newgarden has to be considered the favorite entering the weekend. He needs the win to keep his very slim championship hopes alive. He lost a lot of ground in the title chase at the IMS road course two weeks ago.

Can Palou Clinch?

Alex Palou can clinch his second Indycar series championship by leaving Gateway with a lead of 108 points over either Scott Dixon or Newgarden. ovals are not Palou’s strong suit, but he doesn’t necessarily have to win. He did earn a podium in the second race at Iowa. If Palou wraps up the title, it will be the earliest the championship has wrapped up since Dan Wheldon clinched in 2005.

Lundqvist Oval Debut

Linus Lundqvist will again fill in for Simon Pagenaud in the Meyer Shank Racing number 60. The race will be the Swede’s first Indycar event on an oval. Lundqvist has impressed in his first two races for Meyer Shank, and he is rumored to have a ride with Chip Ganassi Racing for 2024.

One has to wonder, though, if we have seen the last of Simon Pagenaud in Indycar. WWTR will be the eighth straight race he has missed in a contract year. I enjoy watching Pagenaud race, and I hope he has at least a 500 ride for 2024, but it is something to watch going into the offseason.

Could this also be the final Indycar race for Takuma Sato as well? Sato drove the five oval races for Chip Ganassi Racing this season, and I have not heard of any prospects for him for next year. The two-time Indianapolis 500 winner will surely be back for May. He is a former winner of this event.