Today’s question: The Seattle Seahawks and New England Patriots elevated themselves from out of the playoffs last season to Super Bowl LX this Sunday. What NTT INDYCAR SERIES team could climb into title contention this season?

Curt Cavin: A couple of us in this panel like what we’re seeing from Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing. Jay Frye joined the organization as president last April, and his fingerprints are now evident both with the staff and the partners. Gavin Ward and Brian Barnhart were great additions to the management team, and there are more new people behind them -- engineer Mike Pawlowski and driver coach Ryan Briscoe, among them -- to help this three-car team get back to the front. Mick Schumacher has loads of experience, and I think he will surprise people in his first season here. Also, watch for series sophomore Louis Foster to challenge for a podium finish or two this year. Graham Rahal could use some better luck, particularly at Indy, but I look for him to win a race before he retires. He finished second on the Indianapolis Motor Speedway road course last year. Add it all up, and you’ve got a team on the rise.

Will Power

Eric Smith: I’m going with Andretti Global. While Kyle Kirkwood was in the championship mix during the first half of the 2025 season, he faded like the Indianapolis Colts in the second. Kirkwood posted three wins and eight top-eight finishes in the first 10 races but managed just two top-eight results over the final seven events, both sixth-place finishes. Still, the Florida native has improved in the points standings every season – 24th to 11th to seventh to fourth -- and if that trend continues, he’ll be in the championship fight this year. Don’t count out Will Power (photo, above), either. New to the team, he arrives motivated to show Team Penske why he deserved a multiyear deal. He’s also the only driver not named Alex Palou to win an INDYCAR SERIES championship since 2021. Then there’s Marcus Ericsson, who arguably has the most to prove as he auditions to remain with the team beyond this season. He’s coming off a 20th-place points finish, but is a four-time series winner, including the 2022 Indianapolis 500, and finished sixth in points in each of the three seasons prior to joining Andretti Global in 2024. Andretti Global owns five series championships, but none since 2012. That drought could end this season.

Arni Sribhen: The New England Patriots exceeded expectations by reaching the Super Bowl, and a lot of that has to do with shrewd offseason moves by the team’s ownership over the last two seasons that improved the team from top to bottom. There’s one NTT INDYCAR SERIES team that could follow the same playbook and reap similar success – Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing. Robert Kraft’s hiring of Mike Vrabel was key, and Vrabel’s culture change turned one of the NFL’s frogs into a prince. RLL’s additions of Jay Frye, Brian Barnhart and Gavin Ward in leadership roles share the same vibe. Behind the wheel, Graham Rahal brings the veteran presence and team leadership that can only help emerging talents Louis Foster and Mick Schumacher grow as they cement themselves as franchise pieces and help the team beat the odds.

Josef Newgarden

Paul Kelly: I think Curt and Arni are on to something with Rahal Letterman Lanigan, whose management roster is among the most impressive in the series. Good call on Andretti by Eric, too. I think Will Power will elevate that team almost immediately with his intensity, speed and experience. But I’m looking to Power’s longtime former employer, Team Penske, as a group poised to rebound in 2026. Let’s cut to brass tacks: Penske suffered through a terrible season in 2025 by its standards, winning just two of 17 races with its drivers finishing ninth, 10th and 12th in points. It was arguably one of the toughest seasons for the team since its winless drought in 1998-99. I just don’t see a repeat of that in the 2026 tea leaves. There’s no way Josef Newgarden (photo, above) will finish outside of the top 10 in points, and he should contend for his third title. I also think Scott McLaughlin, winless in 2025, will win at least one race and be a factor in the title run. David Malukas faces plenty of pressure stepping into his first year as a Penske driver, but I could still see him take Penske’s usually dominant short-oval package and pull off a win at Phoenix, World Wide Technology Raceway, Nashville or Milwaukee.