Two words sum up the 2026 IndyCar season- Alex Palou. Palou cruised to his fourth straight series title and his fifth title in six years. Fans may get tired of his winning all the time, but they need to appreciate incredible talent we are witnessing. Sebastien Bourdais won four titles in a row from2004-2008. It may be another 20, years before we see such a feat again.
In 2025 Palou won four of the first five races; in 2026 the Spaniard too three of the first five events. Palou took the lead in the standings for good after winning at Long Beach. Josef Newgarden and Kyle Kirkwood each led the standings for brief periods.
Palou won the title by 86 points over Kirkwood. In 2025 he beat Pato O’Ward by 196 points. I don’t think he is getting nervous about how close the competition is getting.
While Palou piled up points, Kirkwood was in a three-way battle most of the season with David Malukas and Christiam Lundgaard for second place. The three swapped second place after every race, it seemed. None of the three could string together a series of good results, allowing the defending champion to pull further ahead each week.
The Racing Slips a Bit
Overall, the races in 2026 were not as good as they were in 2025. There were a few exceptions. like the Indianapolis 500, but the road and street courses seemed mainly uncompetitive.
I’m not sure if there were changes to downforce settings or if the hybrid unit is affecting the races, but I hope a solution can be found for 2027 so that we can enjoy the final year of the DW12 era.
Ovals and Rain
With the exception of Phoenix, rain impacted every oval race. The 500 went t5o caution then red for rain, Gateway was halted just past halfway, Nashville was postponed until the following day and the race distance change to an unsatisfying length, and the first Milwaukee race turned out to be the second Milwaukee race. The Saturday event stopped after 90 laps and finished Sunday late afternoon.
I have never seen a season with as many rain issues as we saw in 2026. I expect a completely dry oval season in 2027.
Steeping Up Their Game
The team and driver I was most impressed with in 2026 was Juncos Hollinger Racing and Rinus VeeKay. JHR had a lower tier team. In 2025 Conor Daly finished 18th in the standings in the number 76.
VeeKay, a driver who many thought had potential but had not displayed it consistently, had lingered in the middle of the pack with ECR and in 2025 with Dale Coyne.
VeeKay rose to 10th in the standings. He achieved the team’s second podium in history, with four results in the top five and four more in the top 10. VeeKay made three appearances in the Fast Six qualifying in the second half of the season.
Why a larger team didn’t sign him for 2027 defies logic. If VeeKay and the team have more consistency next season, I can see the driver from the Netherlands moving to one of the Big Four teams.
Things that Ended and Things that Somehow Didn’t Start
2026 saw two long term streaks end which involved two future Hall of Fame drivers. Scott Dixon did not win a race this year. he had won at least one race every season for 21 straight years. Will, Power also failed to add to his winning streak run of 12 consecutive seasons. I think Power will get to victory circle in 2027, but I am not so sure that Dixon will with his new team at McLaren.
Dixon also ended a 25-year run with Chip Ganassi racing. The New Zealander still sits second in career wins with 59. I would love to see him get number 60 before he retires.
Scott McLaughlin also ended a streak of 35 races without a win on Sunday at laguna Seca.
One thing that almost everyone was sure would happen in 2026 was David Malukas getting his first IndyCar victory. He moved from A. J. Foyt Racing to Team Penske. Malukas came close, losing the Indianapolis 500 in the closest finish in history. Malukas had three other second place results. He faded to fifth in the fin al standings.
Notes and Top Races
Palou won six times in 2026. He has won 14 of the 35 races over the last two years.
Eight different drivers won this season, which is about average for an IndyCar year. Seven drivers won races in 2025.
Best races: Indianapolis 500, Road America, Markham. This is the first time in the history of the coveted Pit Window Best Races Awards that a street course has made the list.
Thanks to you all for following along this season. Your support has been overwhelming. I am on track to have record readership for this humble little spot in Cyberspace.
There is more to come, soplease check back often during the offseason.
