FIRST Full Season In The Hybrid Technology Era Of The NTT INDYCAR SERIES

Chip Ganassi Racing's then two-time champion Alex Palou leads the field out in his Green & White No. 10 Dallara Honda on the first lap of the second and final Heat of the made for TV The Thermal Club $1 Million Challenge non-points paying race in Coachella Valley near Indio. He went on to win the race, money, and eventually his third series season championship. Image Credit: Edmund Jenks - Motorsports Journal (2024)

FIRST Full Season In The Hybrid Technology Era Of The NTT INDYCAR SERIES

The 2025 season will feature 27 full time competitors from 11 different teams with the usual mash-up of drivers changing teams and past drivers with INDYCAR experience being able to rejoin the field.

One of the early notable races for points will be the addition of The THERMAL Club. the two previous years had the special private road track be a pre-season test bed followed with the next year having a non-points paying contest designed for TV "Heats" format race, including a large purse for the drivers to compete for. 

The race scheduled for the weekend starting Friday, March 21 through March 23, 2025, is the second race of the season after the tradition of Saint Petersburg, Florida. One has to assume that this too, will be a "Heats" format race - not the best look for an open wheel series on a dedicated road track.

Sometimes, what's best, it is good to preview official communications portals in order to get a gage on this upcoming season and the challenges that will confront the 27 driver field this season. As usual, the two lead dogs in terms of teams will again be Chip Ganassi Racing with Scott Dixon, Alex Palou and Kyffin Simpson versus Team Penske with Will Power, Josef Newgarden, and Scott McLaughlin.

NTT INDYCAR Preview - Inside Line: What’s Under the Radar at St. Pete?

Today’s question NTT INDYCAR Preview: What is something under the radar to keep an eye on this weekend in the NTT INDYCAR SERIES season opener, the Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg presented by RP Funding (noon ET Sunday, FOX, FOX Deportes, INDYCAR Radio Network)?

Curt Cavin: I keep asking myself, who is the next big thing in this series? In a season-opening race with loads of faces in new places, I keep coming back to Christian Lundgaard joining Arrow McLaren. I’m not ready to say the 23-year Dane can win Sunday’s race, but he has a street circuit victory in this series – in Toronto in 2023 – and has raced well in St. Petersburg (two top-11 finishes with Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing). In this season opener, Lundgaard will drive for an organization that has excelled in St. Petersburg the past two years. Pato O’Ward finished second in 2023 and won last year’s race; Alexander Rossi finished fourth and sixth, respectively.

Eric Smith: I feel like I’ve been on the Scott Dixon storyline all offseason, and I’d be remiss if I stopped entering the 2025 season opener. Remarkably, Dixon has reached victory lane 58 times at 28 different tracks but is 0-for-20 on the streets of St. Petersburg. However, the six-time NTT INDYCAR SERIES champion has four podium finishes in his last eight starts on this track, and his seventh-place finish last season continued his streak of finishing eighth or better every year since 2016. Also, among the last seven victories for Dixon, four have come on city streets (Toronto 2022, Nashville 2023, Long Beach 2024, Detroit 2024). The Chip Ganassi Racing driver boasted a series-leading 3.0 average finish on street tracks last season. Add it up, and I think he’s primed to earn his fourth season-opening victory, joining 2003 and again in 2008 at Homestead-Miami Speedway to go along with 2020 at Texas Motor Speedway. He won three of his six championships in those seasons.

Paul Kelly: There are two “under the radar” stories I’m watching this weekend, mainly due to competition tweaks and how they will affect team’s strategies. One is the switch in Firestone’s weekend tire allotment at each event, as each team will get an additional set of Firestone Firehawk alternate-compound tires and one less set of Firestone Firehawk primary-compound tires, with five sets each. This may force teams to manage their tires more carefully over the weekend, especially at circuits where the primaries show an advantage. But the main “down low” story I’m watching is the ability for cars to restart on track – and now in the pits – without the AMR INDYCAR Safety Team due to the new hybrid units. There was only one street course race last season after the hybrid debuted in July at Mid-Ohio, at Toronto, so we really haven’t seen how fewer yellows at fraught, bumpy street circuits like St. Pete will change team’s fuel and tire strategies. But there is almost one certainty: The onboard starters will create more green flag action, something everyone wants.

ENDS

On a full season basis, here are the thoughts of two longtime paddock cruisers with their view upon what to expect - IndyStar's Nathan Brown and Joey Barnes, Founder - Motorsports Tribune. 

The Inside Line - Nathan Brown and Joey Barnes

In this episode of The Inside Line, Nathan Brown and Joey Barnes roll through each of the 11 full-time IndyCar teams on the grid in 2025 and ask their biggest questions facing them this season.

We at Motorsports Journal have a tremendous level of hope for a few mixes that have presented themselves with regards to teams and drivers combining to maybe shake things up.

Alexander Rossi - moving from Andretti Global to Arrow McLaren and now with his first year driving for long term owner/driver Ed Carpenter for Chevrolet. This mix can prove to be one of the biggest sleepers, especially at the INDY500.

Christian Lundgaard - stepping into the seat left vacant when Rossi decided to move on from Arrow McLaren. It was a shame that his promise didn't fully show itself when he was a Rookie Of The Year with RLL, but there were serious flashes of top-flight light.

Rinus Veekay - while losing a seat at Ed Carpenter Racing, Rinus lands as the primary driver at Dale Coyne Racing. More flashes of INDYCAR Rookie Of The Year verve left unrealized may get a magic vision for this Dutch talent.

Callum Ilott - a driver who left the series after 38 races yet managed 5 top 10s is returning with a first time NTT INDYCAR SERIES team with PREMA Racing. He has experience with teams efforts that are new to a series. His first exposure was driving a second car for then new Juncos Hollinger Racing. PREMA is new to INDYCAR, but not new as a racing organization. This F1 

David Malukas - this INDY NXT standout blew his grand chance last year to be with a top team when he landed a seat with Arrow McLaren, but broke his wrist in a bicycle accident and could not race until it healed. Arrow McLaren released him just after he was cleared and for 2025, he will be a teammate on AJ Foyt - Santino Ferrucci. Will he pop-up and deliver his hidden promise?

These drivers are all the hidden promises within a field of excellent standout drivers of accomplishment - will they break on through? The first race of a 17 event season begins this weekend with the new broadcast partner FOX Sports.

Christian Lundgaard's Arrow McLaren as it flashes by while testing at Sebring, Florida.
Image Credit: Chris Owens via NICS (2025)

As commented when someone on FB/META asked "Who is your pick to win St. Pete this weekend?" Motorsports Journal responded "Just throwin' a dart here - Arrow McLaren driver Christian Lundgaard."

... notes from The EDJE

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TAGS: 2025, NTT, INDYCAR SERIES, Championship, IndyStar, Joey Barnes, Nathan Brown, Will Buxton, Christian Lundgaard, Alexander Rossi, David Malukas, Callum Ilott, Rinus Veekay, The EDJE