By: Spencer Neff
September 3, 2026
The first weekend in September will see the 2026 NTT INDYCAR SERIES campaign draw to a close. For the first time since 2023, WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca will lost the INDYCAR finale.
Sunday’s Mission Foods Grand Prix of Monterey will be the 29th race on the 2.238-mile, 11-turn permanent road course in Salinas, California and the 13th season finale.
Before the curtain nis pulled on the season, here’s a look at the weekend’s stories to watch.
Headlines
Alex Palou clinched his fifth INDYCAR Championship and fourth in a row after finishing tenth at the reschedule first race of last weekend’s doubleheader at the Milwaukee Mile. Palou now returns to a track where he’s dominated in recent years, winning each of the last two races from the pole and three of the last four.
Chip Ganassi Racing has won six times there, including 2023 with Scott Dixon, who makes his last appearance with CGR this weekend before moving to Arrow McLaren in 2027 following 25 seasons with the organization.
In addition to their record-breaking 18th championship, CGR will also celebrate the dedication of the Zanardi Corkscrew, The 1997 and 1998 CART Series Champion made “The Pass” on Bryan Herta in the famed corner on the final lap to win the 1996 race at Laguna Seca.
Although the championship is decided, four drivers enter the weekend aiming for second-place in the season championship.
Arrow McLaren’s Christian Lundgaard, who departs Arrow McLaren after the weekend, currently leads Andretti Global’s Kyle Kirkwood by two points, with Lundgaard’s teammate Pato O’Ward four back of second after sweeping the Milwaukee Mile doubleheader.
Team Penske’s David Malukas is 23 back of Lundgaard in fifth. For O’Ward, a runner-up finish would equal his career-best from a year ago. Lundgaard, Kirkwood and Malukas would all earn a career-best finish in points if they finished runner-up.
All three rookie of the Year candidates also enter the season finale with a mathematical shot at clinching 2026 honors. Dale Coyne Racing’s Dennis Hauger leads Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing’s Mick Schumacher by 18 and Caio Collet of A.J. Foyt Racing by 30. None of the trio of first-year drivers have confirmed plans for next year. It is widely reported that Schumacher will join Marcus Armstrong at Meyer Shank Racing.
Mission Foods Grand Prix of Monterey Fast Facts
Race weekend: Friday, Sept. 4-Sunday, Sept. 6
Track: WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca, an 11-turn, 2.238-mile permanent road course in
Monterey, California
Race distance: NTT INDYCAR SERIES: Mission Foods Grand Prix of Monterey: 95 laps /
212.61 miles
Push to Pass parameters: NTT INDYCAR SERIES: 150 seconds of total time, with a maximum
time of 15 seconds per activation.
Hybrid energy deployment parameters: NTT INDYCAR SERIES: Unlimited activation, with a
maximum deployment of 350 kilojoules (kJ) per lap.
Firestone tire allotment: NTT INDYCAR SERIES: Five sets primary, five sets alternate to be used during the event weekend. Teams must use one set of primary and one new set of alternate tires unless wet conditions are declared. One additional set is available for the weekend’s first session to teams fielding a rookie driver.
X: @WeatherTechRcwy, @INDYCAR, @INDYNXT, #INDYCAR
Instagram: @weathertechraceway, @INDYCAR, @INDYNXT, #INDYCAR
Threads: @INDYCAR, @INDYNXT
Facebook: @WeatherTechRaceway, @INDYCAR, @INDYNXT, #INDYCAR
TikTok: @INDYCAR, #INDYCAR
YouTube: @INDYCAR
Event website: http://www.weathertechraceway.com
INDYCAR website: http://www.indycar.com
2025 race winners:
NTT INDYCAR SERIES
Alex Palou (No. 10 DHL Chip Ganassi Racing Honda)
2025 NTT P1 Award winner (NTT INDYCAR SERIES): Alex Palou (No. 10 DHL Chip Ganassi
Racing Honda), 1:08.3413, 117.891 mph
Qualifying records:
Christian Lundgaard, 1:06.4610, 121.226 mph, Sept. 9, 2023
FOX Sports telecasts: NTT INDYCAR SERIES: Practice 1, 5 p.m. ET Friday, FS2 (live);Practice 2, 1 p.m. ET Saturday, FS2 (live); Qualifying, 4:30 p.m. ET Saturday, FS2 (live); Final Practice, 8 p.m. ET Saturday, FS2 (live); Pre-Race Show, 2:30 p.m. Sunday, FOX (live); Mission Foods Grand Prix of Monterey, 3 p.m. ET Sunday, FOX (live). Will Buxton is the play-by-play announcer for FOX’s coverage of the NTT INDYCAR SERIES, alongside analysts Townsend Bell and James Hinchcliffe. Georgia Henneberry, Kevin Lee and Jack Harvey are the pit reporters. A Spanish-language telecast will be available on FOX Deportes.
INDYCAR Radio powered by OnlyBulls broadcasts: Mark Jaynes is the anchor alongside
driver analyst Davey Hamilton. Nick Yeoman is the turn announcer. Michael Young, Alex Wollf and DJ Clark are the pit reporters.
The Mission Foods Grand Prix of Monterey race (2:30 p.m. ET Sunday) can be heard live on network affiliates nationwide. The NTT INDYCAR SERIES race, NTT P1 Award Qualifying (4:30 p.m. ET Saturday) and all NTT INDYCAR SERIES practices also air live on SiriusXM INDYCAR Nation 190, indycar.com/leaderboard and the INDYCAR App powered by NTT DATA.
At-track schedule (all times local):
Friday, Sept. 4
2-3:20 p.m. – NTT INDYCAR SERIES practice 1 (40 minutes for all cars, followed by two groups
for 12 minutes each), FS2 (Live)
Saturday, Sept. 5
10:05-11:25 a.m. – NTT INDYCAR SERIES practice 2 (40 minutes for all cars, followed by two
groups for 12 minutes each), FS2 (Live)
1:35 p.m. – Mission Foods Grand Prix of Monterey NTT P1 Award qualifying (three rounds of knockout qualifying), FS2 (Live)
5:10-5:40 p.m. – NTT INDYCAR SERIES final practice, FS2 (Live)
Sunday, Sept. 6
11:30 a.m. – FOX on air
11:58 a.m. – Mission Foods Grand Prix of Monterey “Drivers, Start Your Engines”
12:05 p.m. – Mission Foods Grand Prix of Monterey (95 laps/212.61 miles), FOX (Live)
IndyCar1909.com 