How to watch the 2025 IndyCar XPEL Grand Prix at the iconic Road America
As the NTT IndyCar season hits its midpoint, three names top the marquee for Sunday's XPEL Grand Prix at Road America: reigning series champion Álex Palou, two-time Elkhart Lake winner Josef Newgarden and defending race winner Will Power.
The venue? A racing cathedral. Road America is celebrating its 70th anniversary, and its 4-mile, 14-turn layout remains as punishingly raw as it was in its 1955 debut: long straights, blind crests, massive braking zones and the infamous Carousel, where staying flat requires sheer bravery and absolute balance.
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Venue: Road America — Elkhart Lake, Wis.
Dates: June 20-22
Race coverage can also be streamed via the Fox Sports app. Fox is available over the air with a broadcast antenna.
The championship chase is tightening. Palou still leads with 335 points, but Pato O'Ward (262) and Kyle Kirkwood (260) are closing fast. O'Ward has claimed four podiums so far in 2025 — three of them second-place finishes. Kirkwood is on a tear, with three wins (Long Beach, Detroit and his first oval at World Wide Technology Raceway).
Road America is a bellwether. Since 2016, the winner here has finished outside the championship top three only twice, making this race far more than just a picturesque backdrop.
Practice and qualifying carry weight. Last season's weekend was unusually tidy, but fans should heed the warning from 2023 — Palou, Dixon and Power all wrecked their cars in a single practice session before qualifying. Road America punishes hesitation and rewards nerve, making every session breathtaking.
It's old-school, wide-open and worth watching start to finish. Expect a weekend as rewarding as it is ruthless.
Read more from The Athletic's motorsports team ahead of this weekend's Grand Prix at Road America:
'There's some people who don't see or don't read the race early on. They probably look only at the first stint of the race and they don't look that it's a three-stop race. You need to get first at the end, not at the beginning. That's been something that has been working for me, but it's not that I invented it or suddenly I'm more intelligent than everybody else. I'm able to do that because I have a good car and a good team around me that makes me see that.'
Streaming links in this article are provided by partners of The Athletic. Restrictions may apply. The Athletic maintains full editorial independence. Partners have no control over or input into the reporting or editing process and do not review stories before publication.
(Photo of Álex Palou: Miguel J. Rodriguez Carrillo / Getty Images)
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