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IndyCar: 3 hot takes (and 3 not-so-hot takes) after Gateway chaos

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IndyCar: 3 hot takes (and 3 not-so-hot takes) after Gateway chaos

As a seasoned IndyCar enthusiast with over two decades of watching these high-octane races under my belt, let me tell you, I’ve seen it all – from heartwarming victories to unexpected flukes that leave us scratching our heads. The recent performances by Alex Palou on ovals have been nothing short of impressive. Some folks still cling to the idea that he isn’t a top-tier oval driver, but I beg to differ.

Waiting for IndyCar’s comeback following a four-week hiatus due to NBC broadcasting the Summer Olympics in Paris, France was absolutely worth it.

On Saturday evening, the race held at World Wide Technology Raceway at Gateway was among the most thrilling short oval races in recent years for this series. The excitement and numerous plotlines exhibited during the event may well extend into the last four races scheduled for the 2024 season.

From last Saturday’s 260-lap race on the 4-corner, 1.25-mile (2.012 km) oval in Madison, Illinois, there were more valuable insights gained compared to a typical IndyCar event. However, it’s essential not to jump to conclusions about everything.

Here are three hot takes, along with three not-so-hot takes, from this past weekend.

Hot take: The championship is wide open

1. In recent history, the Kansas City Chiefs, UConn Huskies men’s basketball team, and Josef Newgarden each achieved the feat of winning their respective championship titles again, a milestone not seen since 2005 for the Chiefs, 2007 for the Huskies, and 2002 for Newgarden.

Although IndyCar is known as the most competitive racing league globally, Alex Palou seems to be on track for a repeat victory as IndyCar champion – a feat not achieved since Dario Franchitti clinched three consecutive titles from 2009 to 2011 while driving the No. 10 Honda for Chip Ganassi Racing.

On Saturday evening, Colton Herta advanced to second position in the championship rankings, placing him above all three drivers from Team Penske. However, Alex Palou was ranked ahead of him at Gateway, increasing his lead to 59 points. This advantage is too substantial to be bridged within a single race.

Indeed, it’s clear that only three more oval races remain in the schedule, and the four drivers trailing Herta are quite close, with each being no more than 40 points away from him. These drivers have also demonstrated impressive performances at similar venues in the past. However, let’s delve deeper into this topic at a later time.

While it’s highly unlikely, if Palou experiences a significant drop in performance and the current champion enjoys a series of poor results, there could be a chance for someone else to challenge the reigning series champion. However, it would require an extraordinary effort on behalf of the contender.

If Palou clinches his third championship in four years while racing alongside Scott Dixon, particularly if he manages to accomplish what hasn’t been done since 2005 and secure the title before the season finale, it would place him in the discussion as one of the top 10 drivers of all time.

Not-so-hot take: McLaren made a huge mistake

Next year, David Malukas is poised for a transition that will likely involve joining a team associated with Team Penske. His current stint with A.J. Foyt Enterprises could be a stepping stone towards replacing Will Power on Team Penske once he decides to retire.

Despite McLaren repeatedly emphasizing the importance of “stability” for Malukas’ car this season, given the unpredictability surrounding his wrist injury recovery schedule, it’s quite surprising that they replaced their full-time driver just two races into the season.

It would have been perfectly logical for them to hold onto Malukas while he recovered from his health issues, as his brief stint with Meyer Shank Racing demonstrated the significant blunder they committed by allowing him to depart.

19-year-old Nolan Siegel demonstrated that he can run up front too, taking charge for the first time in his racing career on Saturday night following an exciting duel with Scott Dixon. Despite a pit road speeding penalty, he achieved his best career finish in seventh place. However, losing Malukas and the skills he offers could potentially be detrimental.

Hot take: Will Power is washed up

On Saturday night, I had the feeling that I was driving the car to win, but things just didn’t fall into place as planned. In response, I channeled my inner 2011 self – the version of me who never backed down from a challenge and always gave it my all on the track.

It’s reported that he allegedly reacted angrily towards David Malukas following a crash in turn one that eliminated him from the race, by shouting at him loudly. Additionally, it seemed like he told NBC Sports reporter Dillon Welch to leave him alone or expressed his displeasure using inappropriate language.

He too marked the 13-year anniversary weekend of the well-known Loudon race by giving the middle finger to his own teammate in the pits, accusing Josef Newgarden for his crash at restart, but the data indicated that the driver of the No. 2 Chevrolet had not violated any rules during this incident.

Despite some setbacks, Power remains the leading driver in the championship standings for Team Penske. This is true even though his teammates have won three out of four oval races this year, placing 1st and 2nd in one of them. Interestingly, Power shares the lead in race wins this season, despite having a winless season last year.

Not-so-hot take: Team Penske are unbeatable on ovals

Josef Newgarden initially lost control and spun off the track, but from that point forward, he never dropped below fourth place for the remainder of the race. Interestingly, this race had just five cars that finished without falling behind. Notably, Team Penske emerged victorious, with Josef Newgarden taking first place, followed closely by Scott McLaughlin in second, after a smart pit strategy placed them ahead when they were the only two cars still on the lead lap.

If even a minor touch against the wall could still potentially place him on the podium, it suggests that everyone else might not be as skilled or competitive as he is.

Team Penske has won every oval race this season so far, but surprisingly, their two-time Indy 500 champion, Newgarden, failed to secure a victory at Iowa Speedway during the recent doubleheader in June. It seems that whenever someone else on the team wins, it’s Newgarden who misses out.

On Saturdays, the IndyCar oval race was just as unpredictable and action-packed as any non-Indy 500 since last year’s nail-biting event at Texas Motor Speedway (where Newgarden emerged victorious). However, the outcome of this race was as foreseeable as a Formula 1 result during Lewis Hamilton’s peak with Mercedes.

As a gamer, let me recap the last two IndyCar oval races that didn’t go to Team Penske: The first was at Iowa in 2022, where Newgarden was cruising towards victory until an unexpected shock failure occurred. Just imagine, I burn through more fuel in a typical month than he used up that day!

That’s what it takes to beat Team Penske on ovals.

Hot take: Alex Palou isn’t good on ovals

It’s hard to fathom that certain individuals still subscribe to this storyline. Alex Palou transformed a 10th-place vehicle into a fourth-place finish on Saturday evening, thus expanding his points advantage. Remarkably, he outscored every other driver in the top four of the championship standings.

Even though he excels more than others on road courses and lacks the same dominance on oval tracks, it doesn’t mean he is in any way inferior when it comes to circuits that only have left turns.

Even before he clinches a victory in an oval race, there are some who refuse to acknowledge him as an elite oval racer. However, it’s important to note that out of the four drivers ranked above him in the oval standings, he has bested each of them at least twice in their four encounters this season, except for Josef Newgarden. His lone non-top five finish on an oval track this year was a DNF (Did Not Finish) at Iowa.

It’s important to remember that Scott McLaughlin clinched his first oval race victory just last month. However, there was never any question about his skill on ovals. In fact, he himself admitted that he didn’t feel like a true IndyCar driver until he triumphed on an oval. Now, he stands as the leader in the oval championship.

Not-so-hot take: IndyCar officiating needs an overhaul

This is no longer an opinion; it’s a fact. I understand that “Penske favoritism” is the go-to line when it comes to criticizing the officials online, but even if they are trying to consistently favor Team Penske at this point, they’re doing a terrible job at it.

Consistency is only the officials’ strong suit when it comes to being inconsistent. Colton Herta’s post-race penalty was officially listed as “Blocking – Yield One Position”, when he literally lost the very position he was blocking to protect. It would have made more sense just to write “dangerous driving” and offer no explanation whatsoever.

Despite slicing in front of David Malukas and causing him to crash, potentially ending his chance at a first win, Will Power avoided any penalties. However, ironically, it was Power who was eliminated during the following restart instead.

We’ve had numerous discussions about the strategic use of caution flags by IndyCar, which has been questionable at times, leading to altered race outcomes on several instances. Recently, this issue left Santino Ferrucci stranded in Toronto.

Before we delve too deeply into this matter, let me clarify that it’s not only Penske who requires scrutiny when it comes to adherence to the rules. Although their cases often garner significant attention (as they should given the push-to-pass scandal in St. Petersburg), other teams may also be subject to rule infringements. However, it’s crucial that race control begins enforcing the rulebook consistently across all teams.

IndyCar will return to racing this coming Sunday afternoon, featuring the BitNile.com Grand Prix of Portland. Live coverage from Portland International Raceway starts at 3:00 p.m. ET on USA Network. Don’t forget to sign up for a free trial of FuboTV so you don’t miss out on all the excitement!

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2024-08-20 17:33

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