Today’s question: What moment from the 2026 NTT INDYCAR SERIES season will matter the most in the 2027 season?

Will Power

Curt Cavin: I’d like to highlight a stretch of late-season races where Will Power earned three consecutive podium finishes (third each at Portland, Markham and Washington). That was part of seven races in a row in which Power (photo, above) led laps, and he ended the year with five top-three finishes, the fifth-highest individual total and only two off that of series champion Alex Palou. Why is it important to single out three races of a driver who finished 11th in the point standings? Because Power is a two-time series champion who figures to be massively confident heading into his second season with Andretti Global. Even if Power doesn’t win a third title, he can be the help teammate Kyle Kirkwood needs to overthrow Palou. It’s worth noting that Andretti Global’s combination of Kirkwood, Power and Marcus Ericsson combined for 13 podium finishes, tied with Team Penske for the most among teams in 2026. Don’t be surprised if they gang up on Palou next season.

David Malukas

Eric Smith: I think the way David Malukas lost the Indy 500 in May could help him win the “500” next year. That’s my moment because the final lap of this past year’s Indy 500 is arguably the moment of the entire 2026 season. Alex Palou admitted that his 2021 Indy 500 defeat to Helio Castroneves taught him what he needed to know to win the 2025 race. Malukas (photo, above) came close -- finishing as the closest second-place finisher in Indy 500 history. It was also his second consecutive runner-up finish in the race. Thirty-six drivers have finished second in the Indy 500 and gone on to win it, with nine of those drivers earning their runner-up finish the year before their first “500” victory. Now, with Malukas driving a Team Penske car, he should be in contention. More importantly, he has the experience and knowledge from his recent defeats to close the deal and capture the 2027 Indy 500 victory.

Scott Dixon

Arni Sribhen: For me, it’s the driver movement at Arrow McLaren and Chip Ganassi Racing — a sequence of moves that could turn three separate moments into one massive storyline, with the biggest piece still waiting to fall into place. At the center of it: Scott Dixon and Christian Lundgaard. Call it a “trade” if you want, because that’s exactly how this is going to be viewed. Sure, both teams still have nine other organizations to race next season. But make no mistake, every Lundgaard result at his new home will be measured against what Dixon (photo, above) does at his. And if Lundgaard follows up with another title-contending season? The comparisons will get loud. Then there’s the history. These two organizations aren’t exactly exchanging Christmas cards. The Alex Palou saga made that clear, and there’s been no shortage of bad blood – particularly between the people running the show. So, keep an eye on this one. Because by the end of 2027, when we look back at the Dixon-Lundgaard “trade,” one of these organizations could be doing a whole lot more laughing than the other.

Paul Kelly: The success of the new street races in Arlington and Washington rank very high for me, both short term and long term. In the short view, the Java House Grand Prix of Arlington (photo, top) will continue to prosper and grow into one of the NTT INDYCAR SERIES’ tentpole events next season. Don’t be surprised if it ranks with the Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach as one of the series’ unofficial “majors” besides the Indianapolis 500 presented by Gainbridge. While it’s unlikely the series returns to Washington next year, the overwhelming success of that race provides a template for excellence for promoters of every street race in the series, and you can be sure those lessons will be applied elsewhere. Plus, INDYCAR stages street races arguably better than any series in North America, and that successful model can be borrowed from Arlington and Washington and taken to another city. The series badly needs a race in the Northeast, so the streets of Philadelphia (sorry, Bruce Springsteen!), anyone? How about a Mile High fight on the streets of Denver?