Today’s question: Who or what had the best month of September in a very newsworthy month for the NTT INDYCAR SERIES?

Curt Cavin: I’ll go broadly with my answer. I think INDYCAR, as a whole, had a terrific month with the 2026 schedule announced, featuring a return to Phoenix and a record number of races in March (four). On the competition side, INDYCAR got the intrigue of a motivated Will Power switching teams (and manufacturers), a young whippersnapper replacing him at Team Penske (David Malukas), a strengthening of Dale Coyne Racing through a new technical alliance with Andretti Global and news of an upcoming test featuring Mick Schumacher. That’s quality right there.

Eric Smith: I think Dale Coyne Racing is the big winner here. At Nashville in late August, team owner Dale Coyne (photo, top) vowed to have his 2026 driver lineup finalized by Halloween. For a team historically known for making last-minute decisions, it has flipped the script by announcing not only a driver, Dennis Hauger, on Sept. 23, but confirming a technical partnership with Andretti Global. Add to that a major funding boost from Todd Ault and his company, Ault Blockchain, which will support both chartered cars, and the team has positioned itself exceptionally well. With the 2025 INDY NXT by Firestone champion in the lineup and an alliance with a powerhouse like Andretti, Dale Coyne Racing has made a bold and strategic leap forward.

Dennis Hauger

Arni Sribhen: Even though he wrapped up the INDY NXT by Firestone title Aug. 24 and was crowned the champion Aug. 31 – a day before September started – this past month has been pretty good for Dennis Hauger (photo, above). The Norwegian was feted as INDYCAR’s development series champion Sept. 17 during INDYCAR’s Victory Lap alongside NTT INDYCAR SERIES champion Alex Palou. A week later, it was announced Hauger would move up to the NTT INDYCAR SERIES with Dale Coyne Racing. Even better, he won’t leave the Andretti Global family, as Coyne has secured a technical alliance with Andretti Global. Hauger even won a pair of Porsche Carrera Cup Scandinavia races as a guest driver in his native Norway after winning the INDY NXT title in Nashville. With his first two NTT INDYCAR SERIES tests with Dale Coyne Racing on the books for October, it looks like it could be the autumn of Hauger.

Paul Kelly: Will Power won September. The protracted decision about his 2026 status with Team Penske, for which he drove full time since 2010, was revealed Sept. 2 when it was announced Power and Penske were parting company. It didn’t take long for his new destination and engine manufacturer to be unveiled, as the next day Andretti Global announced it had signed Power to drive its No. 26 Gainbridge Honda vacated by Colton Herta, who will serve as the Cadillac Formula One team’s test driver in 2026. Let’s not dance around the obvious: Interviews with Power during August and after he signed with Andretti indicated there was friction between the prideful Power and Penske in their parting. Power has nothing to prove with 45 career victories and a series-record 71 poles, but I doubt there will be a more motivated driver on the grid next March 1 at the season-opening Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg. He’ll drive for the team with arguably the best street-racing package in the series, with longtime Team Penske colleague Ron Ruzewski calling the shots as Andretti’s new team principal. I won’t be the slightest bit surprised if Power kicks the field’s posterior at St. Pete.