INDYCAR: Who to watch after St. Pete
The 2025 season gets underway with some surprises - and some less shocking.
The NTT IndyCar Series on Fox got underway last week on the streets of St. Petersburg, and tensions were tight going into Round 1! Here’s our opinions on who’s hot and who’s not after the opening round of the 17 race championship.
Christian Lundgaard (#45), Alex Palou (#10), Josef Newgarden (#2) - Detroit Grand Prix, 2024
Starting from pole position, Team Penske’s own Scott McLaughlin looked to be a strong contender throughout the weekend. The #3 Chevrolet has always had good pace, taking the NTT P1 award in Indianapolis last year, starting the front row alongside his teammates in Josef Newgarden (#2) and Will Power (#12). Unfortunately for Scotty Mac, the New Zealander couldn’t convert his eighth win quite yet, finishing 4th in Florida. Keep an eye out on the Dex Imaging Chevrolet for the rest of the season.
The Chip Ganassi drivers took the top steps of the podium; Alex Palou (#10) and Scott Dixon (#9) finishing first and second, respectively. Dixon, without a radio for the ENTIRETY of the 100 laps around West Florida, worked his way up from the back of the grid to P2. This shouldn’t be any surprise - the IndyCar veteran is a master of saving fuel, running strategy, and maximizing his off days. The Spaniard Palou as well, no surprise victory from the three time NTT IndyCar Series Champion.
Fan favorite Pato O’ Ward in the #5 McLaren Chevrolet worked his way back up from a frustrating qualifying; starting 23rd, the fast hands from Monterrey, Mexico finished 11th, working his way into the points. A driver searching for the illustrious victory of the Indianapolis 500 after a crushing second place finish in 2024, expect O’Ward to drive his way back to the front.
Pato O’Ward (#5) - Detroit Grand Prix 2024
An unfortunate early retirement found Will Power (#12) and Nolan Siegel (#6), as they collided on turn one, lap one.
Who are the underrated drivers for 2025? Keep an eye out on Christian Lundgaard (#7), who took his maiden win in Toronto last year. Now driving for McLaren, he’s keeping it steady, and led a considerable number of laps in St. Pete. The Meyer Shank Racing cars, Felix Rosenqvist (#60) and Marcus Armstrong (#66) found themselves running in the top ranks too - running off strategy, but making up time on the pit stops to undercut other teams.
Lastly, the A.J. Foyt drivers in Santino Ferrucci (#14) and David Malukas (#4) - paired with their new partnership with Team Penske - are hungry for a win. They’ll be driving aggressively all season, so keep an eye out for the American underdogs.
It’s too early to determine who has “fallen off” this season - let’s wait until May to give you the best odds on your Grid Rival parlay.
The NTT IndyCar Series returns on March 23rd at the Thermal Club! We’ll be taking deeper dives into the engineering, strategy, and drives throughout the season, so please consider joining the Lightshoot LLC mailing list so you stay up-to-date with the Team 27 weekly discussions.