The NTT IndyCar Series returns to the Iowa Speedway for the first time since 2020 in a doubleheader.
Fans of America’s premier open-wheel series will be treated to a 250-lap race on Saturday, and a 300-lap event on Sunday around the ⅞-mile circuit as part of Hy-Vee IndyCar Race Weekend.
WHO TO WATCH
It took a while but Scott Dixon scored the 52nd victory of his IndyCar career last Sunday (July 17), leading a race-high 40 of 85 laps in Toronto to tie Mario Andretti for second on the all-time win list. The triumph also broke a tie between Dixon and Team Penske wheelman Will Power, who both entered the race with three wins at Exhibition Place. Now the all-time leader at Toronto, Dixon heads to a track where he has never won. Nonetheless, his numbers have been stellar.
Dixon has been the bridesmaid in two of his last four Iowa races and has four podiums overall. Can Dixon breakthrough in this weekend’s doubleheader? We’ll have to see.
Josef Newgarden is searching for his fourth win of the 2022 season. Although he has had an up-and-down season as far as consistency goes, the two-time NTT IndyCar Series champion loves corn. Okay, that might be untrue, but he does love Iowa Speedway. He has three wins at the facility, including two of the last three. Furthermore, Penske has won the last three Iowa races. The other winner not named Newgarden among the three was Simon Pagenaud.
The Championship
This weekend could make it or break it for many in the field. With a maximum of 100 points on the table this weekend, it’s go time for some and play it smart time for others. Expect drivers in need of a big points day, like Pato O’Ward, Scott McLaughlin, and Colton Herta, to be more aggressive with their strategies.
With just seven races remaining, and Marcus Ericsson leading the field by 35 points over second-placed Power, there isn’t much time to make up lost points. With that in mind, Dixon and Newgarden, who have a combined 75 IndyCar victories and eight championships, may elect to be more aggressive to claw into Ericsson’s advantage.
It’s an interesting way to look at the situation because Ericsson is not a guy who wins a lot of races. Some people may quip, ‘But he just won the Indianapolis 500!‘ While that may be true, he’s not the type of driver who wins five or more races a season.
That doesn’t mean he’s bad. In fact, it’s a compliment to his consistency. He may not have a winning car every week, but he’s there. Ericsson…
Click Here to Read the Full Original Article at Frontstretch…