IndyCar championship favorite is no surprise, but who is No. 2?

Despite IndyCar being widely considered the most competitive racing series globally, it’s interesting to note that over the last four championships, one driver has managed to clinch three titles, including two consecutive ones.

Since I swapped seats from Dale Coyne Racing to Chip Ganassi Racing in the lead-up to the 2021 season, an unexpected decision then, I’ve managed to clinch an impressive 75% of the championships that have been fought out so far. Quite a ride!

After accumulating three championship titles and 11 race victories, Palou is primed to start the 2025 season as a two-time consecutive champion. Since Dario Franchitti, who like Palou drove the No. 10 Honda for Chip Ganassi’s team, no driver has managed to win two titles in succession. Franchitti even went one better, claiming three consecutive championships from 2009 to 2011.

As we’re about a month and a half away from the start of the 2025 IndyCar season in St. Petersburg, Florida, DraftKings Sportsbook has released the initial odds for the IndyCar championship.

Alex Palou listed as favorite to three-peat

It’s no shock that Palou is considered the top contender with odds of +230 to win the championship. Although he only managed two victories in 2024, contrasting his five-win season from 2023 where he clinched the title before the final race since 2005, he still claimed the title comfortably overall.

Scott McLaughlin of Team Penske is ranked as the second-favored contender with odds of +400. If not for the push-to-pass scandal involving Penske at St. Petersburg to kick off the 2024 season, McLaughlin and Palou would have ended the year tied in points. In this scenario, the tiebreaker rule would have favored McLaughlin due to his three race victories. However, he ultimately finished third in the overall standings for the season. Remarkably, this placement still secured him the title of Chevrolet’s top driver for a second consecutive year.

Josef Newgarden, a two-time series champion and current holder of the Indy 500 title for the second consecutive year (and is once again favored to win), is ranked third in odds at +500, following what was, aside from his Indy 500 victory, his least successful season with Team Penske last year.

2024 contender Colton Herta from Andretti Global and Pato O’Ward of Arrow McLaren are both listed at +800 as favorites. Will Power, who has not been a championship winner since 2021, is also listed at +1000, alongside six-time champion Scott Dixon from Chip Ganassi Racing.

Full IndyCar championship odds can be found here.

The upcoming IndyCar season in 2025 will kick off on Sunday, March 2, with the Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg. Live broadcasting of this event from the streets of St. Petersburg, Florida will start at noon Eastern Time (ET) on Fox.

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2025-01-16 14:33

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