Inside Line: IMS Team Test Takeaway?

Today’s question: What’s your biggest takeaway from the NTT INDYCAR SERIES team test Monday, Oct. 13 on the Indianapolis Motor Speedway road course?

Curt Cavin: Obviously, if the last name of the driver in the No. 75 car had been Smith, Monday’s run would have been less anticipated by the outside world. But Mick Schumacher (photo, above) testing on the IMS road course was a big deal given the legendary status of his father, Michael, a seven-time Formula One champion who won five (and it should have been six) grand prix races here. Time will tell if Mick is on the grid next year with Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing, but he is intrigued by the possibility, and he brings global fascination. I was interested to hear how Mick would answer a question about oval racing since his father was understandably against it, but he said he’s up for it and that it would be wrong not to be fully committed to the series. I liked that. Another thing I enjoyed about meeting Mick: I could hear Michael in his voice, and after all these years without Michael, it was good to hear.

Eric Smith: As I mentioned in my Tuesday notebook, one of my key takeaways was the inclusion of Ed Carpenter Racing. While the team has traditionally performed well on the IMS road course, its presence to use a test day Monday stood out. That said, the reasoning made a lot of sense after chatting with their two drivers. Both Christian Rasmussen (photo, above) and Alexander Rossi ended the season on a strong note, so why let that momentum fade? Additionally, their performance during the Sonsio Grand Prix weekend in May wasn’t the best, so returning for more track time, building on a newly developing team culture and factoring in the fall weather all contributed to what could be another valuable stepping-stone toward a strong 2026 season.

Arni Sribhen: While Mick Schumacher drew a lot of attention at Indianapolis Motor Speedway on Monday, it was a big day for INDY NXT by Firestone drivers. The top three drivers in the 2025 championship all participated in the test, with 2025 INDY NXT by Firestone champion Dennis Hauger unofficially topping the time sheets with his new Dale Coyne Racing team. But Hauger wasn’t the only standout as Caio Collet and Lochie Hughes impressed on the test day, as did series veteran James Roe (photo, above), who sampled a Juncos Hollinger Racing machine. The biggest takeaway is that the official development series of INDYCAR is doing its primary job of preparing promising race drivers for an NTT INDYCAR SERIES future.

Paul Kelly: OK, we all know times and speeds aren’t released from INDYCAR team tests like they are at Open Tests. But stopwatches and timing systems are active, and those vital digits tend to leak and are seen in various media and social media reports. I was quite impressed that reigning INDY NXT by Firestone champion Dennis Hauger (photo, top) led this test in the No. 18 Dale Coyne Racing Honda, for two reasons. One, Alexander Rossi and Christian Rasmussen both tested for ECR the same day, and they’re both NTT INDYCAR SERIES race winners. Hauger was quicker than both. Mick Schumacher is a veteran of two Formula One seasons and WEC competition, and while it’s unrealistic to expect him to lead in his first NTT INDYCAR SERIES test on a new circuit for him, Hauger was still faster. Two, Hauger crashed twice in his first test with Coyne on Oct. 1 at Mid-Ohio. That could have dented his confidence, but it clearly did not. Hauger was on the development track for F1 before he decided to race last year in America, and it’s easy to see why. He could be a special rookie in the NTT INDYCAR SERIES in 2026.