WASHINGTON, D.C. — Alex Palou leads the NTT IndyCar Series championship with four races to go for the fifth time in his career.
Palou also led the championship with four races to go races to go in his championship-winning seasons in 2021, 2023, 2024 and 2025. Palou has led the point standings after 10 of the 14 races this season.
• There are nine drivers still mathematically eligible for the championship: Alex Palou, Kyle Kirkwood, David Malukas, Christian Lundgaard, Pato O’Ward, Josef Newgarden, Scott McLaughlin, Felix Rosenqvist and Marcus Ericsson.
Any driver who trails the points leader by 162 points or more following the race will be eliminated from contention.
• Since 2008, the eventual series champion has won the 15th race of the season three times. The most recent occurrence was 2005 when Dan Wheldon won at Chicagoland Speedway.
Other drivers to win the 15th race of their championship season were Sam Hornish Jr. (2002) and Juan Pablo Montoya (1999).
• Since 2008, the largest deficit overcome by the eventual champion was 59 points by Dario Franchitti in 2010. Scott Dixon overcame Juan Pablo Montoya’s 54-point lead in 2015. The top two drivers in the 2026 NTT INDYCAR SERIES championship standings – Alex Palou and Kyle Kirkwood — are separated by 133 points.
• The 133 points that separate Alex Palou and Kyle Kirkwood is the largest point margin since 2008. Before this season, the average lead with four races to go since 2008 was 35.7 points.
• The Freedom 250 Grand Prix of Washington, D.C. will be the first NTT IndyCar Series event on the streets of Washington, D.C., although the series did race in nearby Baltimore from 2011-2013. The 250-mile race distance makes it the second-longest street or temporary circuit race in series history.
• The Streets of Washington, D.C. is the sixth road or street circuit to debut on the IndyCar Series calendar since 2021. Chip Ganassi Racing drivers won three debut races. Marcus Ericsson won the inaugural Big Machine Music City Grand Prix on the streets of Nashville in 2021.
Alex Palou won the Chevrolet Detroit Grand Prix presented by Lear when it debuted its new course in downtown Detroit in 2023 and at the Thermal Club in 2025. Andretti Global drivers have won the last two debut events. Kyle Kirkwood won on the streets of Arlington in March, and Marcus Ericsson won on the streets of Markham last weekend.
• The Freedom 250 Grand Prix of Washington, D.C. is the last of six temporary street races on the schedule this season. Alex Palou won at St. Petersburg on March 1, Long Beach on April 19 and Detroit on May 31. Kyle Kirkwood won on the streets of Arlington on March 15, and Marcus Ericsson won on the streets of Markham on Aug. 16.
• Scott Dixon will attempt to make his 372nd consecutive start, extending his record streak…Graham Rahal will attempt to make his 271st consecutive start, the third-longest streak in history…Josef Newgarden will attempt to make his 248th consecutive start, tying Marco Andretti for the fourth-longest streak in history.
