After a one-week hiatus, the NTT IndyCar Series is back on the road with a trip to Road America in Elkhart Lake, Wis.
Putting the Badger State’s finest cheese delicacies aside, the lengthy 4.014-mile road course presents a unique, high-speed and high-commitment aspect to the Sonsio Grand Prix at Road America.
With the recently completed repave in November, track records are expected to be broken with the fresh asphalt yet to be broken in.
Through seven races, the series has seen five different winners with points leader Alex Palou winning two of the last three events, including the most recent Detroit Grand Prix.
Palau holds a 51-point advantage over Chip Ganassi Racing teammate Marcus Ericsson, with Indianapolis 500 winner Josef Newgarden trailing by 70 markers.
Here are some of the storylines to watch this weekend.
Quick Facts:
Distance: 55 laps / 220.77 miles
Most Wins: 3 (Mario Andretti, Emerson Fittipaldi, Michael Andretti)
Qualifying Lap Record: Dario Franchitti, 1:39.866, 145.924 mph, Aug. 19, 2000
Scott Dixon will attempt to make his 313th consecutive start, the second-longest streak in IndyCar Series history.
Palou’s Masterful Consistency
After a dominant victory in the Detroit Grand Prix two weeks ago, Palou tightened his grip on the championship lead with 10 races left in the season.
With two victories, a pole and three top-five finishes in the last three races, nobody’s been hotter.
To make matters worse for other title contenders, Palou’s been nearly flawless all season. Outside of an eighth place finish in the season-opening Grand Prix of St. Petersburg (Fla.), Palou hasn’t finished worse than fifth.
His average finish this season is 3.9.
The consistency of the driver of the No. 10 Honda has been nothing short of remarkable.
Heading into the weekend, Palou boasts a stout track record at Road America. In his first start at the 14-turn road course, the Spaniard turned heads as he raced to his first career IndyCar podium with Dale Coyne Racing in 2020.
A victory one year later aboard his familiar CGR No. 10 helped Palou surge to the NTT IndyCar Series title that season.
Captain America’s Return
At the beginning of the season, Ryan Hunter-Reay’s racing plans were slim outside the Indianapolis 500 and competing full time in the Superstar Racing Experience.
That changed when Ed Carpenter Racing and Conor Daly parted ways after Detroit.
Hunter-Reay was announced as Daly’s replacement aboard the No. 20 Chevrolet one day later.
The former IndyCar champion and Indianapolis 500 winner has tempered expectations for the weekend, with his lack of recent open-wheel road course experience since his last full-time season in 2021.
“Even the small things I knew about Road America since I was 17 years old in a two-liter car, the little nuances are all gone,” Hunter-Reay admitted. “I’ve got a new track surface, new team, new car, new group of people to work with. So there’s just a lot going.”
It’ll be an uphill battle for Hunter-Reay to get up to speed, but the seasoned veteran is taking it one step at a time.
“I’m taking it lap by lap, outing by outing and at the moment we’re going day by day just trying to prepare for this thing,” Hunter-Reay said. “There are a lot to digest and a lot to consider.”
In seven starts at Road America, Hunter-Reay has a best finish of second in 2018.
O’Ward & Grosjean Rebound?
Championship expectations were high for both Pato O’Ward and Romain Grosjean early in the season.
Though the two drivers face similar scenarios at Road America.
After two consecutive crashes in the Indianapolis 500 and Detroit, O’Ward fell from second to fifth in points.
Grosjean faced a similar fate with two consecutive wrecks of his own. The Andretti Autosport driver slipped to 11th in the standings.
While Grosjean’s title bid looks bleak, O’Ward’s 82-point deficit to Palou is still surmountable. Aboard the No. 5 Arrow McLaren Chevrolet, O’Ward’s been a threat since the green flag in St. Petersburg.
The 24-year-old’s season has been feast or famine. In the four races O’Ward hasn’t been involved in on-track incidents, his average finish is 2.5.
Outside of those races, O’Ward has finished one event — the Long Beach Grand Prix (17th, one lap down).
Fortunately for both drivers, Road America may be the breath of fresh air they need. In two starts there, Grosjean’s finished in the top-five twice.
O’Ward ran runner-up in 2020 after starting on the pole. The driver of the No. 5 also has two additional top-10 finishes at Road America.