Bobby Travis · NASCAR/IndyCar Correspondent
The NTT INDYCAR SERIES 2026 title is already decided, but at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca, the season finale will still settle a tight three-way battle for the positions behind Álex Palou.
From September 4-6, the INDYCAR Grand Prix of Monterey takes place at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca in Monterey, California, serving as the season finale for both the NTT INDYCAR SERIES and INDY NXT. The weekend includes two free practice sessions, qualifying, a warm-up, and the race itself on Sunday, all contested on the 2.238-mile road course featuring eleven turns and roughly 55 feet of elevation change, with the famous Corkscrew turn representing the most spectacular section. The championship itself is already settled: Álex Palou clinched his fifth title last weekend in Milwaukee, mathematically unreachable ahead of the rest of the field. What remains at stake in Monterey is the order behind him.
A road course to close out the season
Laguna Seca is no oval, and that shapes the entire weekend differently than a finale on a high-speed track would. Here, braking points, clean line selection, and the courage needed through the Corkscrew decide tenths of seconds, not drafting or restart chaos. Two free practice sessions will give teams the chance to adapt to the elevation changes and the varying grip of the asphalt before qualifying sets the grid for the decisive race.
For drivers, this layout presents a different challenge than any oval on the schedule. To run up front here requires consistency through eleven technical turns, not pure speed in the pack.
The title is decided, but a three-way battle rages for second place
The big story of the season is already written. Palou needed only tenth place in race one of the Milwaukee doubleheader to clinch his fifth career championship mathematically, his fourth consecutive. With 607 points, he heads to Monterey as the crowned champion, and the race itself cannot change that.
What remains compelling is what unfolds behind him. Christian Lundgaard leads the chasers with 507 points, but Kyle Kirkwood sits just two points back with 505, and Pato O'Ward lurks within striking distance at 503 points. Four points separate second place from fourth, a gap that can evaporate quickly over a single weekend on a technical course like Laguna Seca. For Arrow McLaren and Andretti Global, Monterey is no longer about the title, but about final championship position and the prestige with which the season ends.
A special weekend for Ganassi
For Chip Ganassi Racing, the finale takes on added significance. Palou will race in Monterey in a retro livery honoring the late legend Alex Zanardi, who passed away in May, a story we already covered in detail. Simultaneously, Laguna Seca marks the final race for Scott Dixon in the Ganassi cockpit: the New Zealander is parting ways after 25 years together with the organization, moving to Arrow McLaren in 2027. The season finale thus becomes a dual stage for Ganassi, a tribute to the past and a farewell in the present, before the team's focus turns toward 2027.
What actually counts on Sunday will still be decided on track. What is certain already: Monterey, with its blend of technical layout and historic significance, closes out a season that Palou has dominated from start to finish, while Lundgaard, Kirkwood, and O'Ward wage a genuine final battle for the positions behind him.
