Items15The creator’s order
  1. 1Álex PalouÁlex PalouBorn Apr 1, 1997For the season-long picture, start with Palou. His 2026 Portland win shows how he could combine outright speed with tire management, and his 2025 Indianapolis 500 win was his first on an oval. Watch his late run behind Marcus Ericsson at Indy to see how the draft set up the pass that put him in…0
  2. 2Josef NewgardenJosef NewgardenReplay the last lap of the 2024 Indianapolis 500. Newgarden tucked in behind Pato O’Ward down the back straight, then went outside him into Turn 3 to win his second straight Indy 500. The pass makes a good introduction to what you can do with the draft and a second lane on a big oval.0
  3. 3Pato O'WardPato O'WardBorn May 6, 1999O’Ward swept the Milwaukee doubleheader in 2026 and also won at Mid-Ohio. Watch one of the Milwaukee races and then the Mid-Ohio win. The pairing lets you compare what it takes to pass through repeated oval traffic with the kind of rhythm that pays off when the next corner turns the other way.0
  4. 4Scott DixonScott DixonBorn Jul 22, 1980Dixon’s 2024 Long Beach win is a good race to watch when you’re wondering why a leader can look so slow. He conserved fuel and tires after the last stops of the cars ahead moved him into the lead, then raised his pace to finish. When the broadcast talks about fuel numbers, watch the time gap as…0
  5. 5Kyle KirkwoodKyle KirkwoodAt Arlington in 2026, Kirkwood made a late pass on Alex Palou to win. It’s a good first look at an IndyCar street race, where you can follow a chase for many laps and see it decided by one opening between the walls. Kirkwood also won on the streets of Washington that season.0
  6. 6Christian LundgaardChristian LundgaardBorn Jul 23, 2001Start at Road America in 2026. A first-lap collision sent Lundgaard to the pits for a new front wing and tires. He came back from last to win. His earlier win that season was on the road course inside Indianapolis Motor Speedway, a separate layout from the oval used for the 500. Both are permanent…0
  7. 7Felix RosenqvistFelix RosenqvistBorn Nov 7, 1991Watch the final lap of the 2026 Indianapolis 500 twice. First follow Rosenqvist as he battles his teammate Marcus Armstrong for second. Then watch the run out of the last corner, when he goes after David Malukas and wins the closest finish in race history. An oval finish can be settled long after…0
  8. 8David MalukasDavid MalukasBorn Sep 27, 2001Use Malukas to compare the two sides of Indianapolis Motor Speedway. He was runner-up on the infield road course in 2026, then led the final lap of the 500 on the oval before losing by 0.0233 seconds to Felix Rosenqvist. Both finishes say more about his range than the second-place line on either…0
  9. 9Scott McLaughlinScott McLaughlinBorn Jun 10, 1993At Barber in 2024, McLaughlin won on a permanent road course, and that same season he took his first oval win at Iowa. Watch Barber for the pace that let him make his strategy work, then Iowa to see how the New Zealander went about learning a different kind of racing.0
  10. 10Will PowerWill PowerBorn Mar 1, 1981Put a Will Power qualifying lap alongside his 2018 Indianapolis 500 win. His career pole record is a reason to pay attention before the race even starts, and his Indy win gives you another way into a career that includes two series titles. Qualifying and race day are worth watching for different…0