The Indy 500 might’ve ended in climactic fashion, but IndyCar fans will know the season is far from its real climax. This week, the IndyCar caravan heads to Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin, where Road America hosted the XPEL Grand Prix from 18 to 21 June.
Defending champion Alex Palou currently leads the championship standings, but Felix Rosenqvist will be hoping to build on his Indy 500 victory, along with the chasing pack. Rosenqvist might not be among the favorites for the race among popular sportsbooks, but he’ll be riding high and on form in Wisconsin.
Indycar Championship race hots up
Defending champion Alex Palou leads the field into Road America and arrives having won this race last year in convincing fashion. The Chip Ganassi Racing driver is closing in on a landmark, too: his next victory will be his 60th in IndyCar, making him only the second driver in series history to reach that milestone behind the legendary A.J. Foyt.
Pato O’Ward, Will Power, and Scott Dixon complete a field that is as competitive as any in the series’ recent history. Power is a two-time winner at Road America and said during Tuesday’s test that he is looking to start the second half of his season strongly.
Josef Newgarden will also be looking to take victory here, having won the Bommarito Automotive Group 500 last week. Then there’s Felix Rosenqvist, currently 8th in the standings, the highest of the three Meyer Shank Racing drivers.
Rosenqvist looks to build on Indy 500 triumph
Rosenqvist looked like a driver with something of a hangover at the Bommarito Automotive Group 500 last week. After starting the race in 4th place, he had a tough race and ended the night in 14th place. It’s unlikely that performance will live long in his memory, though, as his triumph in Indianapolis will probably be a little more memorable.
Rosenqvist has had quite the last few weeks: the Swede welcomed his first child with his wife in May, before going on to become the third Swede to win the Indy 500, beating David Malukas by 0.0233 seconds with a last-lap pass of a dramatic race.
He’s also had success at Road America in the past, finishing on the podium in 2nd place at last year’s event. The Indy 500 victory was only his second victory in IndyCar after 8 years in the series, but his first came six years earlier at Road America in 2020.
He’ll be anxious to add another win to his tally, especially at a track where he’s been so successful in the past.
