By Eric Smith- Indycar.com
Honda is 4-for-4 since the NTT INDYCAR SERIES returned to WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca in 2019. Can Chevrolet, which produced the Barber Motorsports Park winner Scott McLaughlin and Road America victor Will Power on natural road courses, bring a fight?
The Team Penske Chevrolet-powered cars have three top-three finishes in the last two years at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca and are 2-for-3 in wins on natural road courses this season.
Favorites
Scott McLaughlin (No. 3 Good Ranchers Team Penske Chevrolet)
McLaughlin is ascending at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca, finishing sixth in 2022 and runner-up last year. He also won at Barber Motorsports Park, a similar track to this, on April 28 to go along with a sixth-place finish in the May 11 Sonsio Grand Prix at Indianapolis Motor Speedway and third two weeks ago at Road America. His average finishing position in three natural road course starts this season is 3.33.
Scott Dixon (No. 9 PNC Bank Chip Ganassi Racing Honda)
Six-time NTT INDYCAR SERIES champion Dixon has a pair of top-three finishes in his last four WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca tries, including last year’s victory. Dixon finished fourth in the May 11 Sonsio Grand Prix at Indianapolis Motor Speedway but 15th at Barber Motorsports Park and 21st at Road America. This is Dixon, though, and he should contend for a top-three finish Sunday.
Alex Palou (No. 10 DHL Chip Ganassi Racing Honda)
The third-place finish in last year’s race at WeatherTech Laguna Seca Raceway is the worst result in three tries at the scenic California road course for two-time and reigning series champion Palou. Prior he finished second and first, respectively. Palou has also led 118 combined laps in three starts. His natural road course finishes this season are fifth at Barber Motorsports Park, first on the 2.439-mile Indianapolis Motor Speedway road course and fourth at Road America.
Will Power (No. 12 Verizon Business Team Penske Chevrolet)
Power has three top-four finishes in his last four WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca tries and an NTT INDYCAR SERIES best average finish on natural road course races this season of 1.66. He has runner-up finishes at Barber Motorsports Park and Indianapolis Motor Speedway, plus a victory at Road America.
Colton Herta (No. 26 Gainbridge Honda)
Andretti Global driver Herta won the first two visits back to this track from the pole, leading 83 of 90 laps in 2019 and 91 of 95 in 2021. There wasn’t a race in 2020 due to pandemic restrictions. The last two years, Herta finished 11th and 23rd, respectively, after disappointing qualifying days of 18th and 12th. This season, Herta finished eighth, seventh and sixth, respectively, on natural road courses, leading to an average finish of 7.0. The improved pace should propel Herta back to where he was here before the pandemic.
Sleepers
Linus Lundqvist (No. 8 American Legion Chip Ganassi Racing Honda)
The rookie driver finished third at Barber Motorsports Park earlier this season for his first career NTT INDYCAR SERIES podium result. In four INDY NXT by Firestone starts at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca, Lundqvist finished second, third, sixth and fourth, respectively. Entering with the momentum from his maiden NTT P1 Award at Road America, Lundqvist could shine this weekend.
Marcus Armstrong (No. 11 Ridgeline Lubricants Chip Ganassi Racing Honda)
The reigning NTT INDYCAR SERIES Rookie of the Year finished eighth at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca last year. In three natural road course starts this season, Armstrong has finished ninth, fifth and 26th, respectively. The 26th-place result at Road America wasn’t indicative of the speed his car possessed, with Armstrong qualifying a career-best second.
Christian Lundgaard (No. 45 Hy-Vee Honda)
Lundgaard finished fifth and sixth, respectively, in his pair of starts at Laguna Seca. He qualified third last year. On natural road courses this season, Lundgaard placed sixth, third and 11th, respectively, leading to a fourth-best average finish of 6.6 on natural road courses.
Felix Rosenqvist (No. 60 AutoNation/SiriusXM Honda)
Rosenqvist earned NTT P1 Award honors last year but finished 19th. He has two top-five finishes in three previous WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca starts. On natural road courses this season, Rosenqvist has two top-10 finishes in three starts.
Romain Grosjean (No. 77 Juncos Hollinger Racing Chevrolet)
This car qualified second with Callum Ilott in 2022 and finished fifth with him a year ago. Grosjean finished third at this track in 2021 with Dale Coyne Racing and seventh and 11th, respectively, in two starts here with Andretti Global. Grosjean has the seventh-best natural road course average finishing position this season of 10.33.