The IndyCar collection each arrived and left Barber Motorsports Park with quite a lot of the identical storylines we have been following via the 2025 season: Alex Palou wins, the racing is considerably lackluster, and fan favourite Colton Herta appears to have the worst luck (extra on this under). However there is a glimmer of hope for a couple of fortunate folks within the paddock. Who and what else to observe is all on this week’s “Winners and Losers of IndyCar.”
Winner: ‘Final decide’ Rinus Veekay sees his greatest begin, end of the season
Rinus Veekay, Dale Coyne Racing
Picture by: Penske Leisure
He might have been the ultimate driver to safe a experience for 2025, however he’s proving he’s not a last-pick driver. Rinus VeeKay introduced his #18 Dale Coyne Racing machine into the Quick Six qualifying Saturday, touchdown P6 for the race begin. A mix of an excellent grid place for the beginning and tire technique, put him with 4th on the checkered flag. It’s not solely Veekay’s greatest end of the season, however the staff’s greatest end of the season — and greatest end in two seasons actually. It’s paying homage to Santino Ferrucci’s expertise of turning round some outcomes for AJ Foyt Racing. If the consistency can proceed, this might make for an amazing season for each Veekay and Coyne.
Loser: Even an amazing tire technique couldn’t cease Alex Palou
Tim Cindric, Crew Penske president, in Josef Newgarden’s pit field throughout the Youngsters’s of Alabama Indy Grand Prix on Sunday
Picture by: Penske Leisure
Without end grateful that IndyCar and Firestone have saved tire selections to 2 totally different tires: the gentle alternate (pink), and onerous main. Upcoming modifications to tire technique beginning on the Indianapolis street course subsequent week could also be telling on whether or not forcing extra tire utilization throughout the race (at the very least minimums for every) will assist “boost” the racing too.
This weekend, with the requirement to run one set of sticker alternates and one set of primaries, the methods trended as to if you used the first set firstly of the race — or the top. We realized getting the first set out of the best way was probably the most helpful as the highest seven drivers utilized that method. Alexander Rossi was the one automotive within the prime 10 that managed to put it to use on the finish of the race. Had he pitted earlier, possibly he might have made up slightly extra on the monitor place. But not one technique was in a position to get anybody even near difficult Palou on Sunday.
Winner: Alex Palou can’t cease, received’t cease — nobody will cease him
Alex Palou, Chip Ganassi Racing, celebrates his victory on the Youngsters’s of Alabama Indy Grand Prix at Barber Motorsports Park
Picture by: Penske Leisure
This goes with out saying, even with 13 races left on the IndyCar 2025 season calendar, Palou is organising a robust run to his fourth IndyCar championship in a row. It’s not as far-fetched of an thought should you break down his stats. The Spainard solely received two of the 17 races within the 2024 season, 5 of 17 in 2023, and one in 2022 — but received the championship in all three years. He additionally averaged a number of podium finishes these seasons as effectively. So long as he retains constant, very like a Scott Dixon on fuel-saving mode, the 2025 championship might already be Palou’s. The subsequent questions are: who will are available in second for the season, and can we see Palou’s grinning face on the Borg-Warner Trophy?
Loser: The IndyCar “present” within the hybrid period
Race begin for Sunday’s Youngsters’s of Alabama Indy Grand Prix at Barber Motorsports Park
Picture by: Penske Leisure
It’s commendable that the collection has gone over 300 laps and three straight races and not using a single warning. The few mishaps on monitor this weekend by no means required an precise warning as a result of the automotive was in a position to rejoin below its personal energy. It’s protected and that’s welcomed. However is that this high-speed processional what the followers, drivers, and the collection need?
Perhaps enjoying with tire allocation necessities for the weekend might be useful, really change up pit methods and make the racing fascinating at Indy’s street course. Perhaps one thing must be performed with the tires to assist them fall away quicker, or last more. Maybe one thing within the hybrid energy might be restricted or performed with to additional complicate methods. With a brand new hybrid system coming from/shared with IMSA (in 2027), there’s room for some play in there too. However one thing has to alter. Perhaps a couple of issues.
Winner: Crew Penske might have discovered its footing
Scott McLaughlin, Crew Penske, on the rostrum for his third-place end with Firestone Firehawk on Sunday
Picture by: Penske Leisure
All three Crew Penske drivers completed the race at Barber within the prime 10 — a primary this whole season. To date, every of Penske’s drivers, Josef Newgarden, Will Energy, and Scott McLaughlin, have discovered themselves behind the sphere for a race end. This weekend may need seen a change of their luck, although. McLaughlin earned the staff’s second podium end of 2025 (third place), Energy saved a constant end of fifth (having completed fifth, sixth, and twenty sixth within the races prior), and Newgarden simply made it by in ninth. Whereas it is perhaps unusual to see Crew Penske — sometimes kings of the paddock — working slightly more durable to get these wins, it’s good to see them, effectively, work slightly more durable for these wins.
Learn Additionally:
On this article
Lalita Chemello
IndyCar
Alex Palou
Rinus VeeKay
Crew Penske
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