The 2026 NTT IndyCar Series is 9 rounds into a season that has seen Alex Palou dominate with four wins and four pole positions from nine starts — a remarkable display of consistency by the Chip Ganassi Racing driver. Newgarden’s victory at Gateway was only his second of the season but his sixth career win at World Wide Technology Raceway, tying Al Unser Jr. for ninth on the all-time IndyCar wins list at 34. The series now heads to one of its most beloved road course venues: Road America in Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin.

Bommarito 500 Top Finishers

Race Recap — What Happened at the Bommarito 500

The Bommarito Automotive Group 500 was far from a straightforward race. Alex Palou claimed his fourth consecutive pole position with a blistering 174.353 mph lap at WWT Raceway. He led initially, but lap traffic proved costly — Palou lost momentum behind lapped cars, allowing Marcus Ericsson to dive inside and take the lead on lap 47. The opening phase of the race was further disrupted by a caution when Palou made contact with Nolan Siegel, sending Siegel into the wall.

Two significant rain red flags interrupted the race under the lights, forcing teams to adapt strategy on the fly. When racing resumed, Josef Newgarden — who had qualified eighth and worked his way forward methodically — executed a decisive move in the closing stages to overhaul Ericsson and take the victory. Team Penske as a whole had its strongest race of the season with Newgarden, McLaughlin, and Malukas all finishing in the top seven. Christian Rasmussen of Ed Carpenter Racing delivered a career-best result in third — a significant development for the young driver on short ovals.

The race was also notable for its patriotic atmosphere: IndyCar celebrated the World Cup by having drivers race in national team-inspired race suits, with the event coinciding with the buildup to the 2026 FIFA World Cup being co-hosted in the United States. For more, see our IndyCar live race tracker.

Race Start Times — International Time Conversion

All times subject to change. Check the official IndyCar app or FOX Sports for confirmed start times. Rain delays are possible at outdoor venues — download the IndyCar app for push notifications on schedule changes.

Road America is one of the most beloved circuits on the IndyCar calendar — a 4.048-mile natural terrain road course carved through the forests of Elkhart Lake. The long straight sections allow for genuine slipstreaming battles while the technical corners reward precision. Alex Palou won here in 2025, and his dominance so far in 2026 makes him a heavy favorite to repeat. For historical context on this circuit, our IndyCar racing guide covers the season’s key venues.

Upcoming Race Weekend Schedule — Road America

The 2026 NTT IndyCar Series features an expansive calendar mixing ovals, permanent road courses, and street circuits. FOX Sports holds the broadcast rights for all 2026 events — a landmark deal that consolidates the entire season on one network family for the first time. Road courses and street circuits air primarily on FOX broadcast; oval events including the Indy 500 and Gateway are also on FOX. Below is the complete IndyCar 2026 schedule with results through Round 9.

The 2026 IndyCar championship standings entering Round 10 at Road America show Alex Palou with a commanding 62-point lead over second-place Kyle Kirkwood. Palou has been the dominant force of the season with four wins and four pole positions — an unprecedented level of consistency at this stage. However, Newgarden’s win at Gateway combined with Palou’s difficult race there means the deficit between the top eight has closed slightly. The championship battle enters a critical summer stretch.

Standings as of June 8, 2026 after 9 of 18 rounds. Full standings available at indycar.com. Points listed for full-season entrants only.

Notable storyline: Rookie Mick Schumacher — in his first IndyCar campaign with Rahal Letterman Lanigan — has shown impressive pace on road courses but is still developing his comfort level on ovals. His 25th-place standings position reflects a learning curve on the short ovals that his road course times suggest will close as the season progresses. For IndyCar history and all-time Indy 500 records, see our guide on most Indianapolis 500 wins all time.

For 2026, FOX Sports is the exclusive broadcast home for the entire NTT IndyCar Series — all races on FOX, FS1, or FS2 depending on the event. This is a landmark deal that puts every lap of every race on one network family for the first time. Major points races, including the Indianapolis 500 and Road America, air on the main FOX broadcast channel, making them free with a digital antenna in most US markets.

For international viewers: IndyCar Live provides streaming for fans outside the US and selected markets, covering practice, qualifying, and race sessions. The IndyCar Radio Network (SiriusXM Channel 218) provides audio coverage for every session. The IndyCar App powered by NTT DATA is the essential companion tool for live lap timing, driver radio, real-time telemetry, and live leaderboard — use it alongside any broadcast for maximum race intelligence. For more on watching IndyCar from outside the US, see our complete IndyCar racing guide.

If you’re new to the NTT IndyCar Series, three core principles distinguish it from Formula 1 and NASCAR — and understanding them makes every race richer to watch.

1 — Spec Chassis: The Great Equalizer

Unlike Formula 1, where every team builds its own car from scratch with budgets up to $500 million, every IndyCar team races the same Dallara DW12 chassis. Engine choice is limited to Honda or Chevrolet. This specification approach compresses performance gaps dramatically — a smaller team with exceptional engineering can genuinely challenge the factory-backed giants on any given weekend. The competitive advantage comes from driver skill, shock-absorber calibration, aero kit fine-tuning, and pit stop strategy rather than a budget advantage in aerodynamic development.

2 — Push-to-Pass: Tactical Overtaking Power

On road and street circuits, IndyCar drivers have a limited-use “Push-to-Pass” button that releases an additional 60 horsepower for a timed burst. Managing these boosts strategically — saving them for key overtaking opportunities or defending against charging rivals — adds a layer of chess-match decision-making invisible to casual viewers but fundamental to race outcomes. Note: Push-to-Pass is not available on ovals like the Indianapolis Motor Speedway for safety reasons.

3 — Refueling During the Race

Unlike Formula 1 (which banned mid-race refueling in 2010), IndyCars must take on fuel during the race. This creates the “fuel window” — a lap range within which a car will run dry. If a safety car deploys near that window, teams face an agonizing choice: pit early and lose track position, or stay out and risk running out. The Bommarito 500 last night exemplified this: rain red flags completely scrambled the normal fuel windows, forcing live adjustments to every team’s strategy mid-race. Our explainer on how racing championships are scored covers IndyCar’s points system too.

IndyCar vs Formula 1 vs NASCAR

For a full breakdown of the technical differences, see our IndyCar vs F1 comparison and the complete list of Indianapolis 500 winners.

• → Official 2026 NTT IndyCar Series Schedule — IndyCar.com
• → Racing News Co.: St. Louis Race Results — June 7, 2026 IndyCar Series
• → FOX Sports: IndyCar Highlights — Bommarito Automotive Group 500
• → Sports Illustrated: IndyCar Results and Highlights from an Unusual Bommarito 500
• → Official Bommarito 500 Race Results — IndyCar.com