Inside Line: Biggest Surprise of 2025 Season?

Today’s question: What was the biggest surprise of the 2025 NTT INDYCAR SERIES season for you? 

Curt Cavin: It wasn’t a surprise that Alex Palou (photo, top) repeated as the NTT INDYCAR SERIES champion, but I couldn’t have imagined he would dominate as he did. I thought clinching the 2023 title one race ahead of the season finale was as good as it could get, but the Spaniard was assured of being clear of the field with two races left this season. Palou’s eight race wins were as many as he posted over the past three years combined, and he was in control of this season from the get-go, winning five of the first six races, highlighted by a terrific drive to win the Indianapolis 500 presented by Gainbridge. After sweeping the three May races – at Barber Motorsports Park and the two at Indianapolis Motor Speedway -- we joked that the championship battle was over, and it certainly turned out that way. Palou won the title by a staggering 196 points, with third place 259 points in arrears. For perspective, Scott Dixon’s six series championships were won by a combined 135 points. Now the question is, what can Palou do for an encore?

Eric Smith: My biggest surprise this season has been the development of Kyffin Simpson (above photo, left). No disrespect to him, but coming into the year, he had just two podiums in 27 INDY NXT by Firestone starts. Then he leaped the NTT INDYCAR SERIES in 2024 -- still a teenager -- driving for one of the most prestigious teams in the paddock: Chip Ganassi Racing. That’s a daunting challenge for anyone of that age. Despite the steep learning curve, Simpson flashed impressive growth this past season in what is arguably the most competitive racing series in the world. In just his 30th career start, he stood on the podium in Toronto alongside Pato O’Ward and Rinus VeeKay. Four races later, he went wheel-to-wheel for several laps with Scott McLaughlin on the Nashville oval, fighting for the final podium spot, only to lose it on the last lap. After the race, McLaughlin spoke at length about how respectful and clean the battle was, saying Simpson had earned his respect. That’s saying something.

Arni Sribhen: If you had told me that Team Penske would go five months into the 2025 season with more combined DNFs than wins, I wouldn’t have believed you. But here we are looking back at the season, and Roger Penske’s three-car effort came away with two wins (both in August – Will Power at Portland and Josef Newgarden at the season-finale at Nashville) and 15 combined DNFs between Power, Scott McLaughlin and Newgarden. To say 2025 was an un-Penske-like season would be an understatement. There was the attenuator drama in May that led to two cars being disqualified and the eventual departure of three key members of the team’s leadership. And there was just plain, bad luck as McLaughlin crashed before the start of the “500” on cold tires (photo, above) and Newgarden got collected in a crash at World Wide Technology Raceway while dominating the event. A driver lineup that finished first, second and fourth in the 2022 standings finished ninth, 10th and 12th just three seasons later. With a fresh start in 2026, will its first lineup change in five seasons be what Team Penske needs to right the Captain’s ship?

Paul Kelly: Will Power leaving Team Penske and signing with Andretti Global. Power (photo, above) started his Penske tenure in 2009 and became one of the legendary team’s full-time drivers in 2010. He became the organization's most successful INDYCAR SERIES driver, earning 42 victories and 65 poles with the team. He also won season titles in 2014 and 2022 and the Indianapolis 500 presented by Gainbridge in 2018. Power was so synonymous with Penske and primary sponsor Verizon that growing whispers during the summer that he may not return to the team seemed so surreal. But hearsay became reality Sept. 2 when the Penske-Power divorce was confirmed, and it was almost as odd a day later to see Power confirmed as an Andretti Global driver. Will Power out at Penske after such an illustrious career, especially after finishing as the team’s top driver in 2025 and earning the team’s last season championship in 2022? Colton Herta leaving the Andretti INDYCAR SERIES team for a Formula One test driver role? Yeah, safe to say I had neither of those on my INDYCAR Bingo card last March on the opening weekend of the season.