6 key INDYCAR questions for Indy and past: Can anybody catch Alex Palou?

It appears as if it has been one other lengthy break within the INDYCAR Sequence schedule. 

That’s as a result of it’s one other lengthy break within the schedule.

With two weekends off between every of the primary 4 races, the INDYCAR season can really feel a little bit disjointed.

However don’t fear, that is the final of these for some time. Looking forward to the remainder of the season so far as the schedule, there are not any extra prolonged breaks:

— 5 consecutive weekends on observe: Barber (Could 4), Indianapolis highway course (Could 10), Indy 500 qualifying (Could 17-18), Indianapolis 500 (Could 25) and Detroit (June 1).

— One week off after which back-to-back weekends at St. Louis (June 15) and Highway America (June 22)

— One week off after which 4 consecutive weekends at Mid-Ohio (July 6), Iowa doubleheader (July 12-13), Toronto (July 20) and Laguna Seca (July 27).

— After which a weekend off earlier than the season ends with three races in 4 weeks: Portland (Aug. 10), weekend off, Milwaukee (Aug. 24) and Nashville (Aug. 31).

So prepare in your fill of INDYCAR racing. And there might be automobiles on the observe Wednesday and Thursday this week at Indianapolis Motor Speedway for Indianapolis 500 testing.

With the upcoming racing and the Indy 500 testing in thoughts, listed here are six questions for the approaching weeks:

1. Will anybody catch Alex Palou?

Kyle Kirkwood received Lengthy Seashore and went from being 48 factors behind Alex Palou within the standings to 34 factors — due to the very fact Palou completed second. The important thing for Palou might be how a lot of a lead he can construct within the subsequent two weeks after which how he manages the ovals (two of the next three races) as he nonetheless seeks his first win on an oval. Solely Kirkwood and Christian Lundgaard are inside one race of factors (max is 54 in a race) of Palou.

2. Will Group Penske mount a comeback?

It hasn’t been a robust begin for Group Penske however there have been promising glimpses. Josef Newgarden completed second at St. Pete, Scott McLaughlin bought the pole at St. Pete and Will Energy improved 23 spots within the final two races from his qualifying positions. However there have been irritating moments, resembling Newgarden’s belts coming free at Lengthy Seashore, McLaughlin’s wreck and hybrid points at Thermal and Energy’s opening-lap wreck at St. Petersburg. The workforce must qualify higher, because the drivers have a median beginning place of 13.4. Good factor Indianapolis, the place the workforce is historically sturdy, is correct across the nook.

3. Who might be nervous after the check?

There are 34 automobiles entered for the Indy 500 and which means one driver will miss the sector. There are seven drivers who’re doing one-offs: Marco Andretti (Andretti), Ed Carpenter (Ed Carpenter Racing), Helio Castroneves (Meyer Shank), Jack Harvey (Dreyer Reinbold), Ryan Hunter-Reay (Dreyer Reinbold), Kyle Larson (Arrow McLaren), and Takuma Sato (Rahal Letterman Lanigan). All of them needs to be in strong automobiles. And if they’re all quick, who among the many full-time drivers may battle? The Dale Coyne automobiles each did not make the race in 2023 (with Nolan Siegel and Katherine Legge) and Siegel once more missed in 2024. However Rinus VeeKay has had a decent begin for the workforce this 12 months, and they’ll hope that Jacob Abel will get on top of things shortly. 

4. How will Larson’s second try on the double be totally different?

Kyle Larson is in his second 12 months making an attempt the double, and so long as there is no such thing as a rain on race day, this one ought to end up higher. He needs to be comparatively snug within the automobile from the beginning. However he nonetheless has manner fewer reps than his competitors. No less than INDYCAR has now set the parameters for what Tony Kanaan has to do to be allowed to exchange Larson. Final 12 months, there gave the impression to be confusion about what was required for a substitute driver to get within the automobile.

5. Must you care concerning the hybrid at Indy?

This would be the first time the hybrid engine might be used at Indianapolis. It shouldn’t be an enormous difficulty, however you by no means know. The perfect factor might be if it isn’t talked about and drivers can go one hundred pc, particularly late within the race, with the flexibility to make the passes which have created the best spectacle in racing.

6. When will the 2026 schedule be introduced?

Final 12 months, the schedule was introduced in mid-June, together with the beginning of the take care of FOX Sports activities. One of many principal focuses must be the subject that began this piece — the lengthy breaks amid the races within the first two months of the season. That needs to be mounted with St. Pete and the brand new race in Texas (Arlington) taking place on back-to-back weekends or having only one week in between. If Mexico Metropolis will get added, that may be a potential April race (though it might probably change Thermal). 

Bob Pockrass covers NASCAR and INDYCAR for FOX Sports activities. He has spent a long time masking motorsports, together with over 30 Daytona 500s, with stints at ESPN, Sporting Information, NASCAR Scene journal and The (Daytona Seashore) Information-Journal. Observe him on Twitter @bobpockrass.

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