Today’s question: What interests you the most about oval testing this Thursday and Friday at IMS?

Curt Cavin: There are an usually high number of intriguing pairings in this fall test, but I’m particularly interested to watch Christian Lundgaard’s transition to Arrow McLaren over the next calendar year. There’s no other way to say it: Arrow McLaren has had strong results in the Indianapolis 500 – a pair of seconds, three fourths, a fifth and a sixth over the past five years – while Lundgaard, a race winner in Toronto’s street race, has wanted more from his three Indy starts with Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing. He has finished 18th, 19th and 13th, and he has only two top-10 finishes in 17 oval races in the series (his best was finishing ninth in Race 1 of this year’s race at the Milwaukee Mile). Changes in team scenery have been beneficial for a lot of drivers over the years, and it could very well help Lundgaard, as well. The proof might not come with Friday’s track time, but it could be the first step toward that.

Eric Smith: I’ve got my eye on Alexander Rossi and his first test with Ed Carpenter Racing. The 2016 Indianapolis 500 winner was named Sept. 25 along with Christian Rasmussen as full-time drivers for the 2025 NTT INDYCAR SERIES season for ECR. Carpenter transitions into Indy 500-only driving duties for the team. Rossi and ECR are an intriguing pair. Rossi comes to ECR with nine seasons of experience, seven driving Andretti Global Hondas and the last two at Arrow McLaren with Chevrolet power. He displayed fast pace at Indy with seven top-11 starts in nine tries, including qualifying positions of seventh and fourth, respectively, the last two years in a Bowtie-powered Dallara. ECR almost always provides speedy Chevrolet cars at the 2.5-mile Indianapolis Motor Speedway oval with 12 straight years of having at least one car in the Fast 12 Qualifying Shootout for the “500.” The benchmark is former ECR driver Rinus VeeKay, who qualified fourth, third, third, second and seventh, respectively, in the No. 21 Chevrolet for ECR and finished in the top 10 in three of his last four “500” starts. Rossi has seven top-seven finishes, including three straight top-five efforts. Rossi’s oval prowess and ECR’s superspeedway pace could provide a winning combination. The pursuit of a second Indianapolis 500 victory for Rossi and first for ECR begins Friday.

Paul Kelly: I’m watching Conor Daly. Maybe the local hero already has a deal for 2025 signed but not announced, but if not, this is an important test for him. Arguably, I’d say it’s more crucial for Daly than any other driver announced for the test because everyone else turning laps Thursday and Friday at IMS has a ride for at least the Indy 500 – if not the whole season – lined up for 2025. CD does not. Daly can keep his name in the Juncos Hollinger Racing mix for 2025 with a strong performance Friday, and there’s no better place than IMS for him to do it. Daly has finished sixth, eighth and 10th in the last three years in the “500” with two different teams. The guy knows how to get around the Speedway, which will help JHR in its preparation for next May. Daly also did a solid job for JHR in the final five races of the 2024 season after replacing Agustin Canapino, with a third-place result in the first Milwaukee race and a 10th at Nashville.