The NTT INDYCAR SERIES will showcase the “Year of the 3” in 2025, and it could lead to unprecedented results.
Josef Newgarden could become the first driver to win three consecutive Indianapolis 500s presented by Gainbridge while Alex Palou will have good odds to achieve a rare three-peat as a season champion in this series. Only three drivers have accomplished the latter – Ted Horn, Sebastien Bourdais and Dario Franchitti – and no one has done it in more than a decade.
The last time both the Borg-Warner Trophy and the Astor Cup were in line for a three-peat was 2003, but Helio Castroneves failed to win the “500” and Sam Hornish Jr. fell short of another series championship.
Supporting Newgarden and his Indy bid will be Team Penske, which will hope to score its record-extending 21st victory in “The Greatest Spectacle in Racing.” Meanwhile, Chip Ganassi Racing will also be aiming for a third consecutive series title and its 17th in the past 30 years.
And that’s only the beginning of what’s ahead when the season begins March 2 with the Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg presented by RP Funding.
The 17-race schedule features all sorts of intrigue, and the changes begin with FOX televising each race, including the 109th Indianapolis 500 presented by Gainbridge on Sunday, May 25, on its primary channel. That will make the NTT INDYCAR SERIES the only premier motorsport in the U.S. with exclusive major broadcast network coverage for all races.
As part of the series’ historic media rights deal, all NTT INDYCAR SERIES practice and qualifying sessions will air on FS1, FS2 and the FOX Sports app. The majority of INDY NXT by Firestone races also will air on FS1, with FS2 providing supplemental coverage of additional races.
From a team standpoint, there are changes aplenty for 2025. They begin with the scheduled debut of PREMA Racing, which has a proud history of success in the European junior categories. The Chevrolet-powered team based in Fishers, Indiana, has announced Callum Ilott, who has competed in 38 series races, will drive one of its cars. The identity of the second driver is expected to be announced soon. The team’s car numbers will be 83 and 90.
Last week, Ed Carpenter Racing announced its driver lineup, with 2016 Indianapolis 500 winner Alexander Rossi joining Christian Rasmussen, who had a strong second half of a rookie season with Ed Carpenter’s Chevrolet-powered team. The program, which includes Carpenter returning to the “500,” figures to receive a boost with the addition of a new co-owner, Ted Gelov, who owns Heartland Food Products Group.
Two other Chevrolet teams will have new drivers for 2025. Arrow McLaren will run with Christian Lundgaard for the first time – he’ll drive alongside Pato O’Ward and Nolan Siegel – while AJ Foyt Racing has added David Malukas and re-signed Santino Ferrucci.
At Indy, McLaren will welcome back 2021 NASCAR Cup Series champion Kyle Larson, whose bid to compete in this year’s Double was thwarted by bad weather in Indianapolis and Charlotte. The “500” was delayed by rain, while the Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway was halted by the wet conditions before Larson could get in his Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet. Larson will hope to become the fifth driver to compete in both premier races on the same day, the most recent being Kurt Busch in 2014.
Among other Chevrolet teams, Team Penske will return its same three drivers – Newgarden, Will Power and Scott McLaughlin – while Juncos Hollinger Racing (full season) and Dreyer & Reinbold Racing (Indy only) have not announced their driver lineups as of this writing.
The Honda side of the projected 27-car regular field also has much intrigue. Meyer Shank Racing has added Marcus Armstrong while Armstrong’s former team, Chip Ganassi Racing, will downsize to three cars after having five this year. CGR has not officially announced which three drivers it will enter, but Palou and six-time series champion Scott Dixon will be two of them.
Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing will bring back Graham Rahal, but it has two seats yet to be named. Dale Coyne Racing also has two full-time seats to announce.
Andretti Global will again have Colton Herta, Kyle Kirkwood and 2022 Indianapolis 500 winner Marcus Ericsson driving its cars, but one of the pit stands likely will look different given the reports that longtime team owner Michael Andretti is stepping away from most of his day-to-day duties.
INDYCAR’s new charter system could have an impact on competition, too. For now, the expectation is that there will be 27 car-and-driver combinations for 27 starting positions at all races outside of the “500.” But if the field should expand at a given race, there will be competition for the two non-charter starting positions. Currently, PREMA has the only two cars without a guaranteed starting position.
Finally, the schedule has some new looks. The Thermal Club in Southern California will be a points-paying race for the first time (Sunday, March 23) while the oval race at World Wide Technology Raceway has moved forward in the calendar – it will be Sunday, June 15 – and the road race at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca moves to Sunday, July 27.
The season’s sprint to the finish features three ovals in the final four races. Will it be Palou atop the standings again? That’s part of the intrigue that awaits.
The lineup as it stands:
CHEVROLET
AJ Foyt Racing: Santino Ferrucci, David Malukas
Arrow McLaren: Christian Lundgaard, Pato O’Ward, Nolan Siegel, with Kyle Larson at Indy
Dreyer & Reinbold Racing: Two Indy-only drivers to announce
Ed Carpenter Racing: Alexander Rossi and Christian Rasmussen, with Ed Carpenter at Indy
Juncos Hollinger Racing: Two full-season drivers to announce
PREMA Racing: Callum Ilott and second full-season driver to announce
Team Penske: Scott McLaughlin, Josef Newgarden and Will Power
HONDA
Andretti Global: Marcus Ericsson, Colton Herta and Kyle Kirkwood, with Marco Andretti at Indy
Chip Ganassi Racing: Scott Dixon, Alex Palou and a third full-season driver to announce
Dale Coyne Racing: Two full-season drivers to announce
Meyer Shank Racing: Marcus Armstrong and Felix Rosenqvist
Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing: Graham Rahal and two full-season drivers to announce