Inside Line: How Will 2026 Season Be Most Remembered?

Today’s question: For what will the 2026 NTT INDYCAR SERIES season be most remembered?

Curt Cavin: This was a memorable year on many levels, and I’m sure the fellas participating in this roundtable will highlight some of them. But the last lap of a spectacular Indianapolis 500 (photo, top) likely will stand as an all-time Indy moment, and it should. Felix Rosenqvist took the green flag in third place behind Marcus Armstrong and David Malukas, then spent nearly a full lap dangerously side by side with Armstrong, his teammate at Meyer Shank Racing w/ Curb Agajanian. The more I watch Rosenqvist’s in-car camera, the more breathtaking the action becomes. Rosenqvist cleared Armstrong in Turn 4 and set his sights on Malukas, drawing closer in the draft before sweeping to the outside for the pass to register the closest finish in event history (.0233 of a second). Rosenqvist called the lap “gnarly,” and he described his driving as an out-of-body experience. I believe it. It was incredible action, and you’ll see the replays long after those of other big moments from the 2026 season.

Eric Smith: My moment was Scott Dixon leaving Chip Ganassi Racing after 25 years. He earned 58 of his 59 victories and all six of his championships with the team, so seeing Dixon (photo, above) announced in early July as leaving CGR was a huge moment with seismic implications. A week later, he was announced as joining Arrow McLaren. That announcement also included reigning Indianapolis 500 winner Felix Rosenqvist joining Dixon at Arrow McLaren. Rosenqvist had a highlight-reel season and really found his footing with Meyer Shank Racing, only to announce less than two months later that he was leaving and returning to McLaren. That move left Christian Lundgaard, a top-three driver throughout the season who won twice, without a seat. Silly Season was very silly this year, with marquee names moving all over the grid.

Arni Sribhen: I agree with Curt. The 2026 Indianapolis 500 will be the thing that the 2026 season will be best remembered for, but I’ll also remember it for the three new events that hit the calendar this season. Arlington set the standard for what an INDYCAR street race should be. It was a return to a big market, and it delivered a Texas-sized event. Markham showed potential to be a solid replacement for downtown Toronto’s Exhibition Place, and the Freedom 250 Grand Prix in Washington, D.C. (photo, above), was an event that few who attended will ever forget. Year two for Arlington and Markham should be even better. Hopefully, the schedule will allow for a return to D.C., as well.

Paul Kelly: Curt, Eric and Arni all made strong points for indelible moments this season. But I’ll remember 2026 as the year Alex Palou moved into the foothills of the Mount Rushmore of the sport with his fourth consecutive series championship and fifth in six years. He already is the youngest five-time champion in the century-plus history of INDYCAR SERIES racing. It’s no longer a question whether Palou (photo, above) is a legend of the sport. The question now is when he will enter the GOAT (Greatest of All Time) discussion if he continues to win races and titles at this pace. And don’t count on anyone topping Palou before the new IR-28 car is introduced for the 2028 season, either. His No. 10 Chip Ganassi Racing team has figured out the technical and strategic puzzle of the current equipment package better than any other, and that, combined with Palou’s sublime driving skill, will deliver a record-setting fifth straight title and sixth overall in 2027.