By: Spencer Neff
February 27, 2025

Cars will be on track for the first practice of the season-opening Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg in just over 24 hours.

With the new season beginning, here’s a look at some predictions for the 2025 NTT INDYCAR SERIES season.

Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg: Both of Kyle Kirkwood’s INDYCAR victories have been on temporary street circuits.

Although he won pole for the season finale at Nashville Superspeedway, his first on an oval, the Jupiter, Florida native heads into the year looking for his first victory since August 2023.

This year, he notches a second Top 10 finish on the street course and begins 2025 with a long-awaited victory.

The Thermal Club INDYCAR Grand Prix: Last. year, Alex Palou scored a dominant victory during the $1 million Challenge Exhibition race. Palou continues his mastery of permanent road courses this year, winning the first points-paying race on the California track.

Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach: After winning pole in 2021 and the race in 2022, Josef Newgarden has not won on a street course since then.

In the iconic event’s 50th anniversary, he showcases his versatility with a second victory.

Children’s of Alabama Indy Grand Prix (Barber Motorsports Park): One of the biggest storylines of “Silly Season” was Christian Lundgaard moving from Rahal Letterman Lanigan to Arrow McLaren.

Despite his lone victory being on a street course, some of his best races have been on permanent road courses.

The 2022 Rookie of the Year finds Victory Lane with his new team four races into the 2025 season on the Alabama road course.

Sonsio Grand Prix (Indianapolis Motor Speedway Road Course) Palou becomes the first driver to win the May road course race three consecutive times.

109th Indianapolis 500 presented by Gainbridge (Indianapolis Motor Speedway)

Newgarden duplicates his former Penske teammate Hélio Castroneves and wins pole going for his third consecutive “500” victory.

He then makes history by winning a record-breaking third consecutive time at the “Greatest Spectacle in Racing”

Chevrolet Detroit Grand Prix– A year after earning his first podium, Marcus Armstrong brings Meyer Shank Racing back to Victory Lane with his first INDYCAR triumph.

Bommarito Automotive Group 500 (Worldwide Technology Raceway-Gateway)- Scott McLaughlin earned his first two oval victories last season (Iowa Race 1 and Milwaukee Race 2). This season, McLaughlin bests Penske teammate Newgarden at the latter’s best track.

XPEL Grand Prix at Road America: Colton Herta won pole in his first start on the Wisconsin road course. Six years later, he puts himself into the win column for 2025.

Honda Indy 200 at Mid-Ohio: Palou makes it two wins in three years with another convincing road course outing,

INDYCAR RACE WEEKEND Doubleheader (Iowa Speedway): Newgarden charged through the field but missed out on the podium in both races at the Newton, Iowa bull ring. In 2025, he remasters the partially repaved venue, opening the weekend in Victory Lane.

On Sunday, Arrow McLaren’s Pato O’Ward breaks through for his maiden victory of 2025. Three of O’Ward’s first four victories were at the second race of a doubleheader.

Ontario Honda Dealers INDY Toronto: In 2024, Herta led every session on his way to his first win of 2024. While duplicating that feat may prove even more difficult, the Andretti Global driver becomes the first driver since former Car Owner Michael Andretti to win in consecutive seasons at the Exhibition Place street course.

INDYCAR Grand Prix of Monterey (WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca) : Palou makes it three of four in another dominant road course performance.

BitNiile.com Grand Prix of Portland (Portland International Raceway): Lundgaard notches a second victory with his new team at the Oregon road course.

Snap-On Milwaukee Mile 250: After crashing out of both races in the series’ 2024 return, Newgarden adds his name to the list of winners at the historic oval.

Big Machine Music City Grand Prix (Nashville Superspeedway): After finishing second to Colton Herta in the series’ 2024 return, O’Ward finishes 2025 in Victory Lane with the No. 5.

2025 Champion: Alex Palou clinches his third consecutive INDYCAR Championship and fourth in five years-matching the 2007-2011 run of former Chip Ganassi Racing driver Dario Franchitti.

Rookie of the Year: Robert Shwartzman enters the 2025 IndyCar season the only rookie without Road to Indy experience.

The former reserve/test driver of Ferrari’s Formula 1 outfit finds pace quickly with fellow INDYCAR newcomers PREMA and wins Rookie of the Year honors.

Header Image By Joe Skibinski/INDYCAR