After a few weeks off, IndyCar is back this weekend at the IMS road course for the Sonsio Grand Prix. The circuit has traditionally been raced ahead of the Indy 500 as everyone prepares for the big day.
The Sonsio Grand Prix will run on a shortened schedule. Practice and qualifying are taking place on Friday, and the race is on Saturday. Additionally, a shortened race weekend allows for teams to prepare for the next few weeks of Indy 500 practice and qualifying for the 500.
The Track
The Indianapolis Motor Speedway has been a part of the Indycar calendar since 2014. The 2.439-mile circuit is a combination of turns 1 and 2 of the IMS oval and the infield section to allow for racing on high-speed straights, tight corners and heavy braking zones.
The most notable part of the track is turn 1. This spot on track allows for high-speed racing before leading drivers into the infield.
What To Expect
Racing at the IMS road course always promises action as drivers all vie for one more win before the Indy 500. Additionally, the atmosphere surrounding the month of May brings tons of excitement to the track.
The big question on everyone’s mind going into this weekend will be ‘Can anyone beat Álex Palou?‘ The four-time champion for Chip Ganassi Racing has won three out of the past five races of the season.
Last year, Palou won the Sonsio Grand Prix and the Indy 500. It will be interesting to see if he can maintain the momentum he’s set during the early stages of the season.
Championship Implications
As previously mentioned, the driver who wins this year’s Sonsio Grand Prix will potentially shake things up in the championship standings. We could see a new driver move to the top, or maybe Palou will extend his championship lead.
Right now, Palou is first in the standings with a 17-point lead. The greatest threat to his lead is Kyle Kirkwood. He’s won one race so far and hasn’t finished outside of the top 5 this season. Kirkwood’s strengths are demonstrated the most on street and road circuits, which make him a strong opponent to challenge Palou.
Third in the standings currently is David Malukas. He joined Team Penske at the start of this season, replacing Will Power, who moved to Andretti Global. Since the start of the season, Malukas has only finished outside of the top ten once. However, he qualified on pole for the first time earlier this year and has been hunting down his first IndyCar win ever since.
The championship battle is shaping up to be a strong one with contenders from all of the major teams fighting for that top spot.