At the end of last season, it appeared the NTT IndyCar Series was on a significant upswing. Highlights of the series’ fourth year under the management of Penske Entertainment Corp. included:
■ Alex Palou of Chip Ganassi Racing won his second IndyCar Series championship, establishing himself as a legend in the making.

■ Viewership across the NBC platforms continued to increase, while other racing series experienced a decline in ratings.
■ Car counts were up, with 27- or 28-car starting lineups at nearly all the races on the schedule.