In Driver’s Eye with James Hinchcliffe, the six-time INDYCAR winner will bring you inside the mind of a racer while breaking down the nuts and bolts of the sport for fans.
There is no denying that Alex Palou is having (another) dominating year in INDYCAR. Five wins on the season and a healthy points gap are the reward for his and his Chip Ganassi Racing teams efforts. With six races remaining and a penchant for being Mr. Consistent, theres no doubt he is the odds-on favorite to win a fourth consecutive INDYCAR title.
That said, there are a few drivers who are more than just long shots heading into the marathon run of six races in five weeks to close out 2026.Â
This final stretch of races has a perfect mix of two road courses, two ovals and two street circuits, with each type of track playing to different strengths of different drivers fighting for the title.
So lets break down who has a real shot at dethroning the champ.
PATO O’WARD, NO. 5 ARROW MCLAREN CHEVROLET
Pato OWard may have been Palous closest rival at the close of 2025, but with six races to go this season, significantly moving up in the standings and making a title run is likely out of reach.
O’Ward sits in fifth in the INDYCAR standings, 121 points out of the championship lead. With 324 total points yet to be claimed â and with Pato having a consistent, if not spectacular run of form so far this year â realistically, race wins are now the focus for the No. 5 Arrow McLaren squad.
So lets keep moving up through the top five.Â
CHRISTIAN LUNDGAARD, NO. 7 ARROW MCLAREN CHEVROLET
Christian Lundgaard sits fourth and 104 points from the top spot. Having finished first or second on every road course so far this year, and with two still to come â including Portland, where he was on pole last year â he has a good chance to earn some strong points there.Â
He has been strong on street courses this year, too. And though his oval results are still lacking compared to the other title challengers â his best oval finish so far was 10th at World Wide Technology Raceway at Gateway â if McLaren show up to the Milwaukee Mile for the doubleheader with a strong package, and Palou has a few rough rounds, its not impossible. Improbable, but not impossible.
KYLE KIRKWOOD, NO. 27 ANDRETTI GLOBAL HONDA
Kirkwood is third and 87 markers back. Even though hes a few behind David Malukas in second, I think he represents Palous biggest threat.Â
There are two street courses in these last six races. Both of them are brand-new tracks to the calendar. Arlington, back toward the start of the season, was the last time we went to an all-new street track, and Kirkwood annihilated the competition.Â
If he can capitalize on the strength of the Andretti Global package there, and keep up his killer consistency of top-3 and top-5 finishes, on the remaining ovals, he could be a real thorn in Palous side.
The Andretti pit stops have been markedly improved from the start of the year, he has one of the best strategists in the series in Bryan Herta calling his races, and he is having a career year with the second-best average finish of anyone after Palou.
DAVID MALUKAS, NO. 12 TEAM PENSKE CHEVROLET
P2 overall right now is Malukas, with an 83-point gap to Palou. The young driver in his first year with the Penske squad has been mighty impressive. Poles and podiums have come his way, though he is yet to bag that elusive first win.Â
But Malukas has shown such strength across all types of tracks that he can certainly not be counted out.Â
Ovals especially seem to be where he excels at the moment. His last
