The 27-car field taking the green flag on March 10 at the Honda Grand Prix of St Petersburg includes 14 drivers with at least one NTT IndyCar Series win. Using the ole brain to calculate the numbers, the math shows that’s more than half of the current lineup. Add in the one-offs trying to make this year’s 108th Indianapolis 500, 19 of the 33 confirmed cars have visited victory lane.
If evidence was ever needed to prove how competitive the series was, then that’s exhibit A.
Last year two drivers joined this esteemed tier in the series. Kyle Kirkwood proved his dominance in the Road to Indy ladder to IndyCar was no fluke when he took his inaugural win at the Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach and later held off a Team Penske charge by Scott McLaughlin, no easy feat, at the Music City Grand Prix for his second win. Christian Lundgaard didn’t let his fellow sophomore outshine him, taking the checkered at the Honda Indy Toronto for his first victory in IndyCar.
Incredibly, if not for some sort of mischief by the racing gods, hard-luck Romain Grosjean might have made a third first timer at either St. Pete, Long Beach or the Children’s of Alabama Indy Grand Prix. The tightness in competition across the paddock and skill of incoming rookies, regardless if Indy ladder-bred or European-tested, has created a factory of parity in the series.
For 2024, who is on the cusp of claiming their first victory? Will it be a veteran like Grosjean or an eager young gun who has no idea what Y2K was except what they read in social studies books? Let’s find out.
Reigning Rookie of the Year
The 2023 Rookie of the Year Marcus Armstrong will return for his first full-time season. Wait. He won the rookie award without doing the full schedule? Check the stats, and yes, as a matter of fact, he did. The remarkable achievement adds to the reassuring thought that he will find victory lane because he ran so well on his road and street course lineup. In twelve races, he notched five top-10s and finished ahead of four full-time drivers, even though he was in five less events. Impressive.
Now he will hit the tracks a second time with a flaming hot Chip Ganassi Racing operation, who rewarded his initial foray into the series with the full-time gig in the No. 11 car. He will have to figure out how to start further up the grid – he qualified no better than seventh all year – to put him in a position to fight for top-fives, podiums and the lead. But…
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