NEWTON, Iowa - The annual doubleheader on the “World’s Fastest Short Track” is set for this weekend, as the battle for the NTT IndyCar Series continues on Saturday, in the Hy-Vee Homefront 250.
- Watch IndyCar on FuboTV (7-day free trial) and Peacock
IndyCar heads to the Great Plains after an exciting, and historic event in Toronto last Sunday. A rocky start to the race put some potential contenders to the back of the field. In the waning portion of the race, current points leader Alex Palou and Christian Lundgaard battled for the lead, with Lundgaard taking the spot spot on Lap 61. He would not look back from there, earning his career IndyCar victory, becoming the first Danish driver to win a race in the series as well.
The result put an end to three-straight wins for Palou, who came all the way from 15th in Toronto to pick up his ninth-straight top-five finish. The Chip Ganassi Racing driver only extended his lead for the championship, as he now sits 117 points ahead of the pack.
The “closest” contender heading into this week is Palou’s teammate, six-time series champion Scott Dixon. Dixon had some bad luck early last Sunday, but managed to grab a fourth-place finish, with Colton Herta separating him from his Chip Ganassi counterpart.
The only other potential threat to Palou’s quest for a second championship is this year’s Indianapolis 500 winner, Josef Newgarden. The American had a bounce-back performance in The Six last week, finishing fifth. However, he sits third in the points, 126 back of the Spaniard.
As this is the first oval since the Indy 500, Newgarden looks to use his experience to climb back into contention. The Team Penske star has won both oval races this season, and has won at least once in the last three years IndyCar has run at Iowa. All-time Newgarden has four victories in Newton.
Other former winners at the 7/8-mile course include Pato O’Ward (2022), Simon Pagenaud (2020) and Helio Castroneves (2017).
NTT INDYCAR SERIES
Hy-Vee Homefront 250
When: Saturday, July 22
Time: 3 p.m. ET
Where: Iowa Speedway (Newton, Iowa)
Stream: FuboTV (Free Trial), Peacock, Sling, DirecTV Stream
Check out the IndyCar standings and results here