Palou finished fourth at Markham and extended his championship advantage to 133 points over Kyle Kirkwood. David Malukas is third, Christian Lundgaard fourth and Pato O’Ward fifth with four rounds remaining.

For a dedicated event-by-event hub, use the IndyCar next-round preview and the full 2026 IndyCar schedule.

Ontario Honda Dealers Indy at Markham — Top Five

How Ericsson Won the Race

Louis Foster started from pole and led the opening 32 laps, but the timing of a caution reshuffled the front of the field. Ericsson remained in contention and committed to a longer final stint before his late stop.

After rejoining seventh, Ericsson used his pace to work forward. His charge included contact with Andretti teammate Will Power while fighting for third before he hunted down Grosjean for the lead.

Palou finished fourth after starting 11th. With Kyle Kirkwood finishing 21st and David Malukas 17th, Palou’s championship advantage grew to 133 points with four races left.

Washington, D.C. Weekend Schedule

The Washington event is the first NTT IndyCar Series race on the National Mall and the historic streets of the U.S. capital. The temporary circuit is designed around a 1.7-mile, seven-turn layout, making track evolution, braking confidence and caution timing major unknowns for the field.

The official 2026 schedule contains 18 championship races. Markham completed Round 14, leaving four races across Washington, D.C., the Milwaukee doubleheader and Laguna Seca.

The IndyCar schedule hub tracks changes, while the Road America recap, Indianapolis 500 winner guide and San Diego street-race results provide deeper event context.

Alex Palou leads with 542 points. Kyle Kirkwood is second on 409, David Malukas third on 405 and Christian Lundgaard fourth on 403.

Palou has more than two full race wins of points in hand over Kirkwood. Four rounds remain: Washington, D.C., two Milwaukee races and the September 6 finale at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca.

Every 2026 NTT IndyCar Series championship race airs on the FOX broadcast network. For Washington, D.C., FOX pre-race coverage begins Sunday, August 23 at 11:30 AM ET, with the race scheduled for 1:00 PM ET. FOX One is the streaming option listed on the official INDYCAR schedule, while participating live-TV services may provide local FOX access.

Practice and qualifying do not always use the same channel as the race. The safest approach is to check the official event page after the weekend schedule is finalized. The qualifying guide, pole-position explainer and race-timing guide explain what the session data means.

IndyCar uses one core chassis formula across three very different track types. Drivers must adapt from technical road courses and temporary street circuits to high-speed ovals without changing championships or vehicles.

Road Courses

Tracks such as Mid-Ohio, Road America, Portland and Laguna Seca reward braking stability, tire management and aerodynamic balance through fast direction changes. Clean air is valuable, and passing often depends on generating a better exit before a long straight.

Street Circuits

St. Petersburg, Arlington, Long Beach, Detroit, Markham and Washington use temporary public-road layouts. Walls are close, grip changes quickly, and caution periods can heavily influence pit strategy.

Ovals

Phoenix, Indianapolis, World Wide Technology Raceway and Milwaukee demand precise traffic management at sustained high speed. Slipstream effects, tire degradation and caution timing create different strategic risks from road racing.

Hybrid Power and Push-to-Pass

The current IndyCar package combines a turbocharged V6 with a hybrid energy-recovery system. On road and street courses, drivers can also use push-to-pass for temporary additional power. Oval rules and energy-management procedures differ by event.

Race outcomes often turn on fuel windows, tire life and caution timing. The pit-stop guide, safety-car explainer, lap-counting guide and racing-flags guide cover those fundamentals.

• → Official 2026 NTT IndyCar Series Schedule and Results — IndyCar.com
• → Official Markham Race Report — IndyCar.com
• → Official Washington, D.C. Weekend Schedule — IndyCar.com
• → Official 2026 Championship Standings — IndyCar.com
• → Official Portland Race Report — IndyCar.com