The NTT IndyCar Series is set to hit the streets of Washington, D.C., for a once-in-a-lifetime racing spectacle to celebrate the United States’ 250th anniversary.
There will be a lot of eyes on this race, with more than a few of them tuning into IndyCar for the first time since the Indianapolis 500, or maybe even ever.
No shame if that’s you (although, seriously, you’re missing out), but to get you up to speed, here are five drivers you might want to keep an eye on when the race gets underway at 1 p.m. ET this Sunday on FOX.
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Alex Palou
The driver of the No. 10 Honda for Chip Ganassi Racing is going to come into the weekend as the man to beat, which shouldn’t be a surprise considering he almost always is.
The four-time series champ and 2025 Indy 500 champ is currently leading the standings by 133 points.
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In case you were wondering, the most you can score on a single race weekend (not including the upcoming double-header weekend in Milwaukee) is 54 points.
Palou makes very few mistakes, if any, and the bad news for the field going into the Freedom 250 Grand Prix is that he made one of those mistakes last weekend in Markham, Ontario. A poor qualifying meant that he started the race in 11th.
Of course, he still finished in fourth.
As I said, always dangerous.
Kyle Kirkwood
The Jupiter, Florida, native, who drives the No. 27 Honda for Andretti Global, is currently sitting second in the championship standings behind Palou. However, he should be licking his chops going into the weekend because this kind of race is where Kyle Kirkwood excels.
Five of his six IndyCar wins have come on street circuits, and he’ll want to lean on the same skillset that has helped him take two wins at Long Beach, two in Detroit and another at Arlington earlier this season.
It feels like it has been a feast-or-famine season for Andretti Global. They’re coming off a win for Marcus Ericsson last time out in Markham, but it was a rough weekend for Kirkwood. He qualified a disappointing 22nd and crashed out of the race before seeing the checkered flag.
David Malukas
While he is still hunting for that first IndyCar win, David Malukas has been stellar in his first season behind the wheel of the No. 12 Chevrolet for Team Penske.
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It has been a daunting task to fill Will Power’s shoes, but the 24-year-old from Chicago hasn’t seemed fazed by it at all.
That’s why he’s third in the championship, but he needs that first win.
It’ll come eventually; there’s no doubt about it. But what better way to get it than by winning in the nation’s capital while driving for motorsports legend Roger Penske?
Aside from maybe getting your first win in the Indy 500, there isn’t a better way.
Pato O’Ward
Arrow McLaren’s Pato O’Ward is a fan favorite and one of the series’ most talented and well-rounded drivers. He always seems to be in the mix whether it’s an oval, a road course, or a street circuit.
He’s been the centerpiece of the Arrow McLaren lineup for years and is the only driver from this year’s lineup who will return in 2027 when Felix Rosenqvist and Scott Dixon join the team.
However, O’Ward is trailing teammate Christian Lundgaard in the standings and in race wins by a margin of 2-1. Drivers are a competitive bunch, and that can’t sit well with the 27-year-old from Monterrey, Mexico.
Scott Dixon
The six-time champion is in a strange spot with just a few races left in the season and in his time with Chip Ganassi Racing.
The legendary Kiwi is staring down what could be his first winless season since 2004.
Dixon is leaving CGR after this season — his 25th with the team — to join Arrow McLaren in ’27.
A final win with the team in Washington seems like a perfect way to cap off an incredible run.
And it’s not outside the realm of possibility. There’s a reason the Dixon-CGR combination has been so successful; they’re almost always in contention.
Pre-race coverage of the Freedom 250 Grand Prix begins at 11:30 a.m. ET, with the race slated to get underway at 1 p.m. ET on FOX.
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