The 2025 IndyCar double-header in Iowa is finally over with Alex Palou proving that he is not only the master of Road Courses and Long Ovals but Short Ovals, as well. At the second race in Iowa, ‘staying out’ was the key trend and there was more heartbreak for Penske and Andretti in a race dominated by our Championship Leader. More interestingly, Iowa saw a full Chevy Podium during Race 1, but a full Honda Podium in Race 2.
Here are the key takeaways from Race 2 at Iowa.
Pit Strategy Mastery
It’s no secret if you watched Race 2 in Iowa that pit strategy was the key to our final running order. It was likely the key to an all Honda Podium, as Chip Ganassi Racing and Meyer Shank Racing are the two teams that lean into the ‘staying out’ strategy we saw reign victorious.
After Andretti teammates, Ericsson and Herta crashed on Laps 130 and 252, respectively, several drivers found themselves out of position on the caution. This happened not once but twice for Josef Newgarden who had just pit before each caution. This pushed him back in the order from the race lead. Alternatively, Alex Palou, Scott Dixon, and Marcus Armstrong (our podium) who waited to pit for a lucky caution… saw that luck pay off in droves.
In his post-race interview, Armstrong commented on Meyer Shank Racing’s strategy of ‘staying out’ until the last possible moment. Clearly, the tire and fuel saving has paid off for the team. This is a feeling that Chip Ganassi, their technical partner knows well.
Penske Back Out of Form
Race 1 in Iowa feels like an entirely different race weekend for Team Penske after their luck during Race 2. Scott McLaughlin out after less than one lap. Will Power… lost power… to his Chevy engine at Lap 21. Josef Newgarden, although finishing 10th, was caught in two unlucky pit cycles trailed by cautions.
One of the more compelling storylines comes from Townsend Bell’s commentary just before Power retired from the race.
“Power and Malukas are fighting for the same job next year”
The remark was made during an on-track battle between the two just before Power’s retirement. Townsend’s statement is technically true. Members of the IndyCar paddock have confirmed that Malukas has a Penske promotion written into his AJ Foyt contract. However, which driver Malukas may replace and when is yet to be confirmed. With all 3 Penske drivers delivering another luck-less race, the final few races of the season will determine which driver is on the chopping block.
One thing is for certain though, with his on-track dominance in Oval Racing, Malukas is certainly looking a lot ‘sweeter’ for Team Penske.
Andretti’s Struggles Persist
After a day to forget in Iowa yesterday, Andretti may want to just erase this entire weekend from their memories. Yet again, two of the four cautions today were caused by Andretti drivers. First, Marcus Ericsson crashed on Lap 130. This was followed by a late crash by Colton Herta on Lap 252. Although Kyle Kirkwood did not crash, he finished in an out of form 18th.
As discussed after Iowa’s Race 1, Kirkwood and Herta simply did not have good weekends, but that doesn’t mean they haven’t had ‘good’ seasons. Alternatively, Marcus Ericsson seems to have hit a wall of performance in 2025. While some other drivers, namely the Penske trio have been struck by ‘bad luck’, many of his low finishes this year can be poor driving performance.
Luckily for Andretti, IndyCar heads to the Streets of Toronto next race – one that will likely be strong for the trio… namely Kyle Kirkwood.
Prema’s Rookie Ovals
Robert Schwartzman may be new to IndyCar, but after today’s Iowa race, oval racing could be a hidden strength. Prema’s pace isn’t standout compared to Penske, Ganassi, or McLaren. However, after his Indy 500 pole and strong Iowa finish, Schwartzman may be adapting to ovals faster than expected.
He’s learning to maneuver in traffic with growing confidence, making smart overtakes and showing real composure under pressure. In fact, he has outpaced veteran teammate Callum Ilott during both Iowa races and the Bommarito 500. Unfortunately, as with the Indianapolis 500, his efforts were slightly derailed today by a slow pit stop, losing track position.
Prema, still finding its footing as a new team, will need to tighten up its race-day execution if they want to convert Schwartzman’s promising performances on ovals.
Stand Out Drives
Iowa brought us several other driving stories worth mentioning.
Christian Rasmussen loves short oval racing. He was the stand out driver of yesterday’s Iowa Race 1 and again gained 9 positions at Iowa Race 2 to finish 8th. It is very clear that in 2025 Christian and his Ed Carpenter Racing crew are gelling seamlessly, which is a thrill to watch.
Felix Rosenqvist did not have a great day in Iowa yesterday, but finished a strong P7. Rosenqvist had a strong qualifying performance putting him in P3 and P2, respectively in Iowa, resulting in a P17 finish yesterday. Today, though, he held positions during several on-track battles with several drivers who are considered ‘oval specialists’. It is clear that the 60 Car crew made adjustments to the setup to give Rosey a much stronger race, today.
Dale Coyne had one of their best team finishes in Iowa today. Jacob Abel and Rinus Veekay finished P11 and P12, respectively, gaining 14 positions each throughout our second race in Iowa. This marks Jacob Abel’s best finish to-date in his rookie IndyCar Season after his crash yesterday during Race 1.
After a weekend of drivers out of step with their expected performance, exciting new winners, surprise podiums, crashes galore, and more… We’re excited to see what shakes out for the next 2 back-to-back races.
Join IndyCar again next week in Toronto on Sunday, July 20th!
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