Preview: XPEL Grand Prix at Road America

(WANAMAKER, IN.) – As the NTT INDYCAR SERIES rolls into Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin for the XPEL Grand Prix at Road America, is there a driver from the field that will rise to the top on Sunday or does current points leader and 4-time series champ Alex Palou regain his place on top of the sport?

Race weekend: June 19th – 21st

Track: Road America (4.014-miles / 14 turn road course)

Race distance: 55 Laps / 220.77 Miles

NTT INDYCAR SERIES Entry List

Firestone tire allotment: Firestone will provide approximately 1500 race tires to 25 NTT INDYCAR SERIES entries for practices and qualifying, including the Firestone Fast Six, and Sunday’s race. – Primary (black sidewall): 6 sets per entry (Rookies receive an extra set for Practice 1), Alternate (red sidewall): 5 sets per entry & Rain (gray sidewall): 5 sets per entry.

2025 race winner: Alex Palou (No. 10 Solo Chip Ganassi Racing)

2025 NTT P1 Award winner: Louis Foster (No. 45 Droplight Honda) 01:44.5141 / 138.263 MPH 

At-track schedule (all times ET)

Friday, June 19th
4:00 PM – Practice #1

Saturday, June 20th
11:00 AM – Practice #2

2:00 PM – Qualifying

Sunday, June 21st
11:00 AM – Warm-up

2:00 PM – Race

NTT INDYCAR SERIES Notes

Active Winners

Active Pole Winners

DRIVER QUOTES

Caio Collet, No. 4 Combitrans Amazonia AJ Foyt Racing Chevrolet:
“Road America is a really unique track because of its length, the high speeds, and the variety of corners. As a driver, you need to be committed in the fast sections while also being precise in the heavy braking zones. From a setup perspective, it’s always a compromise. You want enough downforce to be competitive through the corners, but you also need straight-line speed because there are several long straights where passing opportunities exist. Finding that balance is one of the biggest challenges for the team.”

Pato O’Ward, No. 5 Arrow McLaren Chevrolet:
“Coming off a good test at Road America last week and into the race weekend now, everyone on the team has been working hard to maximize this second half of the season. Road America is a demanding, physical test, but it’s a place where we’ve had success. It’s a great opportunity for our group.”

Nolan Siegel, No. 6 NTT DATA Arrow McLaren Chevrolet:
“I always enjoy racing at Road America. We were able to move forward and post a solid finish there last year, and I’m feeling confident after last week’s test. We’ve had good pace in recent races. Now it’s about putting everything together and delivering a strong result.”

Christian Lundgaard, No. 7 VELO Arrow McLaren Chevrolet:
“I’m looking forward to this weekend. We had a positive test at Road America last week, and overall we’ve had our best races on road courses so far this season. This is a great chance to build some momentum heading into the rest of the summer as continue to fight for the championship.”

Santino Ferrucci, No. 14 Homes For Our Troops AJ Foyt Racing Chevrolet:
“Testing went extremely well at the end of the day, always have to keep in mind that testing is testing, and you don’t win anything from it. It was nice to be the fastest car on track. We were there all day, and just finally  put it together at the end, and all you can do is hope that when you show up at the race weekend that you know the weather’s similar, the circumstances are similar, and everybody executes the same way they did a week ago.”

Graham Rahal, No. 15 MSC Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing Honda:
“I’m looking forward to going to Road America; it’s a great track and one of my favorites of the whole year. I feel confident after having some good results on some of the road and street courses that we have been to this year. Obviously, the road course performance in particular has been very strong and I expect that to continue at Road America. We had a good test there last week, although we tried some unique things that we will probably back track a little bit on but it was good to check off some theories.”
 
“Overall, I’m excited to get there and put together a good weekend for the debut of MSC Industrial Supply being the primary sponsor. It’s an iconic track and one that should be a great one for us. It is a place our family has loved going to for decades so were pumped for the weekend.”

Will Power, No. 26 TWG AI Andretti Global Honda:
“Road America is a track I’ve always enjoyed. We had a test there, so hopefully that puts us in a good spot heading into the weekend. We’ve got the speed, and if we can put everything together, I think we’ll have a good opportunity to fight near the front and go after our first win of the season with the TWG AI crew.”

Kyle Kirkwood, No. 27 Sam’s Club Andretti Global Honda:
“Road America is always a favorite stop on the schedule. We’ve only gotten better at permanent road courses, so hopefully that stays true for this weekend. It’s always a great race in the middle of the season, so I’m looking forward to the weekend.”

Marcus Ericsson, No. 28 Delaware Life Andretti Global Honda:
“Road America is one of the best and most beautiful tracks in North America. I’ve had some good success there over the years with strong finishes and podiums. It’s just a fun track to race at and a great place to be. I’m excited to get back there and continue the strong momentum we have after a great finish in St. Louis.”

Louis Foster, No. 45 Droplight Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing Honda:
“It was super cool to get pole last year. It was a very special day for me and the team and everyone involved. We’re obviously looking to replicate that. It was definitely one of the highlights last year and definitely something we’re going to try and do again.
 
“The test went well; the car was back to how it felt last year in qualifying. I was very happy with the ultimate pace of the car and we ended up making those runs short and focusing more on our long run pace since I was so confident with the qualifying car pace. I’m feeling good going into the weekend. I think we have a strong car and it’s just going to come down to executing on the day and making sure we get the car right with the conditions and it all clicks together. It’s a pretty difficult track based on its length, the load that goes on the tires and how low the downforce is. The combination of those three things means that tire wear is difficult. And now with these new tires rules, it’s going to make it more interesting with the extra set of reds we’re going to need to run so we’ve got to make sure we have good tires for the whole stint length. It’s going to be super important. I’m looking forward to it.”

Mick Schumacher, No. 47 ENG Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing Honda:
“The Road America test went well. We didn’t get quite as much driving in as we wanted unfortunately but it was good to learn the track and to know where we start before the weekend is a positive. To be able to put everything together already in the first free practice and know where we have to work towards is a benefit.
 
“Road America is a beautiful racetrack. I love the old school tracks that lay in the countryside more than anything else. Overall, it’s a beautiful race track. It’s such an old-school track that you also don’t see what is ahead like Turn 6 for example. The carousel is a very tough part of the track with this car which moves around a lot and is quite oversteer-y at times. Hopefully, it will be a good track for me. I know how to look after the tires and I think it’s going to be a tire / fuel saving race so the more your inputs are smooth, the better it is for fuel saving but also for tire saving so hopefully that’ll come my way.
 
“You need to be able to go smoothly through the corners and carry a lot of speed so I think minimum speed is key in these places. It’s weird to think that we’ve only done two road courses so far, but I think Road America has come to me pretty naturally, pretty quickly. I had never seen Barber before and I had never seen Road America before but with the test, things are different now and I think I’ll be able to start off in a really good place for the race and hopefully be on par with everybody else, and if not, be up front with everybody else. I’m looking forward to the race. It’s good to go to a road course that is that beautiful. I’m excited for it.”

Felix Rosenqvist, No. 60 SiriusXM Meyer Shank Racing Honda:
“Super excited for Road America after a much needed week off. It’s a prime event for us on the calendar and it’s a track that has treated us well in the past. Really looking forward to getting back out there.”

Marcus Armstrong, No. 66 REMAX Meyer Shank Racing Honda:
“Road America is one of my favorites. Fast and flowing. Reminds me of a past life in Europe as the tracks are similar there. Despite being a road course the race can be chaotic, so we’ll be looking to start up front and stay there.”

Rinus VeeKay, No. 76 JHR Chevrolet:
“Road America is one of the best tracks we go to all year. It’s fast, it’s flowing, and it really rewards confidence as a driver. There are a lot of high-speed corners where you have to commit, and that always makes it a fun challenge.
 
“I think we’ve shown some encouraging pace recently, and the team continues to make progress every weekend. Road America is a place where execution is important because the field is always incredibly competitive and strategy can play a big role. We’re focused on putting together a clean weekend, maximizing every session, and giving ourselves the best opportunity to fight for a strong result with the No. 76 Chevrolet.”

Sting Ray Robb, No. 77 JHR-Goodheart Chevrolet:
“Road America is a track that every driver looks forward to. It has such a great history in INDYCAR, and the combination of long straights, fast corners, and heavy braking zones makes it a really rewarding place to race. It’s a circuit that challenges both the driver and the team, and you have to execute well in every area to be competitive.
 
“I think we’ve continued to build momentum as a group throughout the season, and that gives us confidence heading into the weekend. The field is always incredibly close, so maximizing practice, qualifying well, and making the most of every opportunity during the race will be important. I’m excited to get back on track with the No. 77 Chevrolet and see what we can accomplish at my favorite road course on the schedule.”