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| Java House Grand Prix of Monterey race start on full send. Image Credit: Ralph Garcia - Motorsports Journal (2025) |
Maximum Points Effort By Palou Almost Closes Out A Historic 2025 NTT INDYCAR SERIES Championship Season
To be clear, at the beginning of this 13th race of a 17 race season at
WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca, there was a small chance at having the
balance of the 2025 season have an actual fight for points to close this
season out.
With a maximum points effort by the chief challenger to points leader and
winner of 7 races in 12 events (already an unheard of level in dominance
during the car specific formula era) Chip Ganassi Racing's driver of the No.
10 DHL Honda Alex Palou, Pato O'Ward, driving the No. 5 Arrow McLaren
Chevrolet, sitting 99 points behind in this achievement tally, would need to
score every point available this weekend while Palou would have to finish on
down the order.
Total points available can be pretty confusing to some so here’s how the
points system works in a race, explained as if we’re discussing it over a
business lunch (with a couple of beers and a decent burger - medium-rare).
If you win the race, you earn 50 points - a significant reward. Second place
secures 40 points, and third place takes 35. The points then decrease
gradually by a varying point margin, with 25th place and beyond receive a
locked-in 5 points each for participation. This structure encourages fierce
competition while still recognizing everyone who finishes.
To further motivate bold and strategic driving, additional points are
available. Secure pole position, and you gain 1 extra point. Lead at least
one lap, and you earn yet another 1 point. If you lead the most laps in a
race, you’ll add 2 points to your tally. These bonuses emphasize the value
of strong qualifying and calculated race execution. Clear enough?
Maximum effort points for a win? Start from P1 earned during the three round
knockout qualifications structure - one point | lead a lap - one point |
lead most laps - two points | win the race is fifty points ... so we are
lookin' at 54 points.
If Pato O'Ward was able to make these final four races of the season a
championship points race, he would need Maximum Points effort of 54 points
for all four races to garner 216 points. Then Pato needs Alex Palou to not
earn 99 points over these next four races. So - 98 divided by 4 equals 24.75
points on a pure mathematical average - Alex needs to finish P6 or better
without any bonus points.
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| Ed Carpenter Racing's Alexander Rossi in his No. 20 Java House Chevrolet taking the drop into Turn 8b, the Corkscrew, with the Pacific Ocean under a fog bank off on the horizon, during knockout qualifications at the Java House Grand Prix of Monterey. Image Credit: ECR via FB/META (2025) |
Welcome to the newly sponsored Java House Grand Prix of Monterey held at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca - where the rubber meets the now worked in and weathered track surface laid down before the 2023 season that is getting back to the "go-kart" feel of the original track surface.
“It's looking a little bit more like older Laguna Seca, which I like,” said Andretti Global driver Colton Herta, the 2019 and 2021 winner, to RACER. “I think it opens up the passing a lot more, and the raceability of the racetrack is going to be a lot better. It seems like there's more deg [degradation] than previous years by a good chunk."
<<< to be continued >>>
Only three races remain:
... notes from The EDJE
TAGS: INDYCAR 2025, Alex Palou, Pato O'Ward, Chip Ganassi Racing, Arrow McLaren, WeatherTech Raceway, points chase, maximum effort, championship fight, race points, Java House Grand Prix of Monterey, The EDJE
