From Newgarden's Weird Season To Palou Clinching: What To Know About Laguna Seca

Bob Pockrass

FOX Motorsports Insider

MONTEREY, Calif. — When there’s a part of a monitor referred to as the “corkscrew,” it in all probability means the situation is round wine nation and it in all probability takes some muscle to make it by.

That might be true of the monitor located about 90 minutes south of San Jose.

Followers take within the automobiles at The Corkscrew within the NTT IndyCar Collection Grand Prix of Monterey on June 23, 2024 at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca in Salinas, CA

This weekend’s inexperienced flag is at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca, the place INDYCAR drivers will compete for 95 laps on Sunday (3 p.m. ET, FOX).

The 11-turn, 2.238-mile course was a staple on the circuit within the Nineteen Eighties and Nineties, with INDYCAR making its return in 2019 after a 15-year absence.

Within the 5 races because the return, Alex Palou and Colton Herta have received twice at Laguna Seca; Scott Dixon received as soon as. It was repaved in 2023.

Right here are some things you must know going into the weekend:

Alex Palou Can’t Clinch, However …

Alex Palou can’t clinch the title this weekend, as he sits 99 factors forward of Pato O’Ward after dropping 30 factors to Pato final week at Toronto. To clinch the title, he would wish to complete 162 factors forward of O’Ward (three races stay after this weekend) and the utmost factors for a weekend is 54.

However there’s a catch.

Alex Palou celebrates after profitable Race 2 of the Iowa doubleheader

A driver will get 5 factors to begin a race. So in actuality, if Palou is 147 factors forward of O’Ward, all Palou would wish to do is begin the ultimate three races. To try this, Palou would wish to get most factors (win the pole and win the race), whereas O’Ward must end at the back of the sphere.

“You by no means know what can occur,” Palou stated Friday morning. “We’ve seen that with a foul weekend and weekend along with your closest competitor, you lose these 30 to 35 factors. So we can’t actually enable ourselves to have weekends like that.

“Though it may well occur, and truthfully, we have been actually fortunate with methods and our races this 12 months. We have to try to get again on type and try to be good through the race.”

Pato O’Ward celebrates after profitable his second race in three weeks

O’Ward simply needs to maintain it shut.

“I feel I can,” O’Ward stated. “Is it going to be simple? No, by no means. However we’re simply attempting to make it attention-grabbing for everybody, retaining ourselves within the sport.”

Newgarden On “Weird” Season

Josef Newgarden stated he was initially afraid the crash at Toronto had damaged his fingers, as his wheel spun when being collected by Jacob Abel.

Abel’s automobile finally ended up on prime of the rear of Newgarden’s automobile.

“I do not know what you do,” Newgarden stated. “You’re on a road course, and somebody’s headed in direction of the wall wrecking, and I solely have a lot time to react or transfer. Simply generally you simply cannot do something.

“Possibly what you might say is I shouldn’t be again there. However how are you aware? You’re going to get again there sooner or later.”

Josef Newgarden previous to the INDYCAR Collection Ontario Honda Sellers Indy Toronto

Newgarden has had a automobile on prime of him and has been upside-down this season. He sits sixteenth within the standings.

“It is so weird,” Newgarden stated about his season. “I do not even know the right way to communicate to it.”

He couldn’t even characterize the season.

“It’s what it’s,” Newgarden stated. “I can solely management what I can management. Identical with the workforce. I am unable to think about it stays like this perpetually. How might it? Possibly it does. I do not know.

“If it does, although? It’s been a reasonably good journey.”

Rinus VeeKay Rides Momentum

VeeKay earned his first podium end of the season by ending second at Toronto final week. That was his finest end since 2021 and the primary podium for the Dale Coyne Racing workforce since 2023.

He’ll now attempt to construct on that momentum.

“That was a very good podium. It has been coming, however we have been qualifying like crap,” VeeKay stated. “We’ve form of been within the again, 18th and again, and it is exhausting to essentially transfer in direction of a podium place from there.

Rinus VeeKay previous to the INDYCAR Collection Sukup Race Weekend Race 1 at Iowa

“We wanted to qualify properly at Toronto. We did qualify ninth. That is form of on the border of going for that alternate technique and making it to the entrance. That was good and the plan is to do this once more. We’re within the level of the season the place we all know what we’re displaying up with. We have gone previous the trial and error.”

Hey, Look At Kyffin!

Palou’s teammate Kyffin Simpson, like VeeKay, is coming off a Toronto race on a excessive after a career-best third.

Simpson was twenty first within the standings as a rookie final 12 months. He’s 14th this 12 months, which is a large bounce.

Kyffin Simpson through the INDYCAR Collection Ontario Honda Sellers Indy Toronto

On the Indianapolis Grand Prix in Might, Simpson stated he felt he had turned a nook.

“Simply every little thing’s form of coming collectively for us,” Simpson stated. “We’re in a great spot. We received some work to do on the ovals. So far as street and road programs go, I feel we’re wanting fairly good.”

Santino Ferrucci OK To Race

Ferrucci missed the Toronto race, as his workforce opted to not scramble to get a backup automobile prepared, and he was nursing a bruised hand. However Ferrucci drove his fifth-wheel cell dwelling 1,700 miles from Texas to California and was within the paddock on Thursday and indicated that he is able to race.

The workforce has made a bit to go over his hand to guard it.

Santino Ferrucci will race this weekend at Laguna Seca

“[It’s so] I do not hit my hand and re-injure it,” Ferrucci stated. “I’ve 90 to 95 % of my power again in it. I undoubtedly can really feel it. It is not prefer it doesn’t damage or something, however I will be tremendous to go.

“I am prepared. I am simply excited to be again at a race monitor, excited to be right here in Laguna.”

Frerrucci sits twelfth within the standings for A.J. Foyt Racing.

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