INDYCAR Power Rankings: There's a new No. 1 and his name is Kyle
Alex Palou still has a dominating lead in the INDYCAR point standings, but with Kyle Kirkwood capturing the last two races, there's a new driver on top of this power rankings list.
Kirkwood earned his first career oval victory Sunday at World Wide Technology Raceway (commonly known as Gateway). That followed his win on the streets of Detroit.
With three wins this year, Kirkwood has shown the growth needed to be a major factor in the series. If not for a penalty at Indianapolis, he'd be just 51 points (instead of 75) behind Palou.
Here are this week's power rankings heading into back-to-back races on permanent road courses at Road America and Mid-Ohio.
Dropped out: Josef Newgarden (Last Week: 9)
On the verge: David Malukas, Josef Newgarden, Felix Rosenqvist
10. Scott McLaughlin (LW: 7)
McLaughlin's day ended 44 laps before the finish when he broke something in the left rear. The Team Penske driver had started second on the grid. He continues to have speed. He led 51 laps Sunday night. But he's not having the finishes he would like.
9. Marcus Armstrong (LW: Not Ranked)
Armstrong finished ninth at Gateway, his third top 10 in the last four races. For the young Meyer Shank Racing driver, that type of consistency is key.
8. Colton Herta (LW: 6)
Herta couldn't follow up his third-place run at Detroit with a solid finish. He placed 17th at Gateway, while Kirkwood — an Andretti teammate — won the race.
7. Santino Ferrucci (LW: 10)
Ferrucci placed fifth at Gateway for his third consecutive top-five finish. The AJ Foyt Racing driver has moved up to 11th in the standings and would be eighth without the penalty for a driver's compartment weight violation in Detroit.
6. Will Power (LW: 5)
Power blew a tire and hit the wall early in the race at Gateway, ending a promising event where he had won the pole — the 71st of his career and the series record. The Penske driver fell to seventh in the standings.
5. Christian Lundgaard (LW: 4)
Lundgaard finished 14th, the last driver on the lead lap at Gateway. The Arrow McLaren driver started 14th, too.
4. Scott Dixon (LW: 8)
Dixon finished fourth at Gateway, as he led 43 laps with a fast car and solid fuel strategy. The Ganassi driver is fifth in the series standings.
3. Pato O'Ward (LW: 3)
O'Ward ran among the leaders the entire race and finished second. The Arrow McLaren driver might have been a tick off the fastest cars but made the right moves to secure the runner-up finish.
2. Alex Palou (LW: 1)
Palou started ninth and finished eighth on what is arguably his worst track on the circuit. Plus, considering the points position he is in, he just needed a respectable finish. The Ganassi driver did just that.
1. Kyle Kirkwood (LW: 2)
Who says Kirkwood can't win on ovals? Kirkwood won for the first time on an oval, showing his versatility. The Andretti driver continues to be the biggest threat to Palou for the championship.
Bob Pockrass covers NASCAR and INDYCAR for FOX Sports. He has spent decades covering motorsports, including over 30 Daytona 500s, with stints at ESPN, Sporting News, NASCAR Scene magazine and The (Daytona Beach) News-Journal. Follow him on Twitter @bobpockrass.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
32 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Shaikin: What Mark Walter's ownership might mean for local fans watching the Dodgers and Lakers
Dodgers owner Mark Walter, along with TWG Global, will become the new controlling owner of the Lakers in a deal that came to light last week. (Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times) Once upon a time, sports fans wanted freedom of choice. Why pay for dozens — or perhaps hundreds — of television channels when all you wanted to do was to see your favorite teams play? The cable era is in its sunset. Streaming is all the rage. No longer need you pay for channels that feature news, movies, cooking and gardening in order to watch the home team. Advertisement For sports fans, this has become an expensive mess, too. The Dodgers require one subscription. The Lakers require another. The Angels, Kings and Clippers require another. The Galaxy and LAFC require another. The Ducks require another — although theirs is free for now. Read more: Shaikin: Why is Dodger Stadium SO LOUD? Truth be told, the Dodgers and Lakers run L.A. The most valuable sports broadcasting property in town could be one that carries the Dodgers and Lakers. For many fans in Los Angeles, that might represent freedom of choice: the one and only must-have sports subscription. Could that future — one broadcast channel and one streaming app for the Dodgers and Lakers — become reality now that Mark Walter, the controlling owner of the Dodgers, is the new controlling owner of the Lakers? Walter hasn't yet talked publicly about the Lakers deal, so we floated the idea by sports business insiders. Advertisement The Lakers are on Spectrum SportsNet. The Dodgers are on SportsNet LA. Who owns those channels? Charter Communications, the parent company of Spectrum, owns SportsNet. The Dodgers, through an affiliated company, own SportsNet LA, although Charter operates it and pays the team a rights fee every year, just as it does with the Lakers. Can Charter walk away from the Lakers deal because of the ownership change? No. Could Walter buy out Charter and put the Dodgers and Lakers on the same channel? In theory, yes. Charter probably would give him the Lakers' channel for free. In reality? That appears unlikely any time soon. Walter didn't get to be a billionaire by turning down half a billion dollars every year. Advertisement Read more: Shaikin: Why Wayne Randazzo and Mark Gubicza might be best Angels broadcast duo in 50 years Go on. When Charter's predecessor, Time Warner Cable, launched the channels for the Lakers in 2012 and the Dodgers in 2014, cable and satellite channels were the way most fans watched their home teams. And, because cable and satellite packages required subscribers to pay for 100 channels even if they only watched five, those cooking and gardening enthusiasts helped enrich all those teams. Fast forward to today: Nielsen reported that in May — for the first time — more Americans watched television via streaming than via broadcast and cable combined. This so-called 'cord cutting' has turned the ownership of most sports channels from an asset to a liability, and many operators have either gone out of business or forced teams to take nine-figure hits to their rights fees. Advertisement What does this have to do with whether I can watch the Dodgers and Lakers on one channel? The Dodgers' channel and the Lakers' channel each lose money. Walter would choose between acquiring a money-losing Lakers channel or keeping intact the two Charter deals that pay the Dodgers and Lakers more than $500 million combined each year. No team in baseball makes as much money from local television as the Dodgers, and no team in basketball makes as much money from local television as the Lakers. The Lakers' deal runs through 2032. The Dodgers' deal runs through 2038. Why are those dates important? While other teams are experimenting with various combinations of cable, satellite, streaming and even free TV, the Lakers and Dodgers can cash in on guaranteed income and let those other teams be the guinea pigs for learning what works and what does not work in the new media world. Advertisement Major League Baseball would like to sell a national streaming package in 2028 — one spot to watch your team from wherever you are, with no blackouts — and the NBA figures to explore that option, too. That gives the Dodgers and Lakers a fairly long runway to see what might be best for them, including whether to retain their streaming rights or contribute them to a league package — and what they would require in order to do so. Might a joint Dodgers-Lakers channel be a long-term solution? It could be. With the NBA joining MLB in making postseason broadcasts entirely national, the calendar would align nicely: April to September for the Dodgers, October to April for the Lakers. Behind the scenes, one staff could largely replace two. Read more: Shaikin: How the NFL Sunday Ticket trial could impact baseball's streaming future Advertisement The time for the single-team sports channel has come and largely gone. The economics are poor, and the enthusiasm for 24-7, all-access coverage of one team has dissipated into the reality that most fans just want to watch the game. How about Walter adding teams? Nothing is impossible. Ted Leonsis, who owns the NHL's Washington Capitals, NBA's Washington Wizards and WNBA's Washington Mystics, says the key to sports success could be an ownership bundle: own multiple teams, own the venues in which they play and own the platforms on which fans view their games. Walter's investments now include the Dodgers, Lakers and Sparks. SportsNet also airs the Sparks. Advertisement In 2012, Walter and his partners looked into buying AEG, which owns the Kings, the Galaxy and AEG owner Philip Anschutz opted not to sell then, but Walter could renew that pursuit and, if successful, would control the two venues and four teams that call downtown L.A. home. Sign up for our weekly newsletter on all things Lakers. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
Yahoo
34 minutes ago
- Yahoo
2025 Home Run Derby: Five sluggers we want to see debut and hit dingers
Major League Baseball's annual celebration of longballs is fast approaching, with the 2025 Home Run Derby set for Monday, July 14 at Truist Park in Atlanta and sluggers dreaming of joining the exclusive list of winners. This year's participants are not yet official, but a handful of stars are already voicing their desire to swing for the fences. While we should expect some veterans in the field like two-time winner Pete Alonso, the Home Run Derby can be a showcase for the game's up-and-coming young hitters. Advertisement There was a stretch in the 21st century where a lot of top players would shy away from taking part, largely due to a long-running fear of the "Home Run Derby Curse" and the notion that the contest can negatively impact your swing long-term. The data is still out that on that. But that's changed in recent years, with young players eager to put on a show – even if they aren't pure home run hitters. Here's a look at five rising sluggers we want to see make their Home Run Derby debuts in Atlanta: Cal Raleigh, Seattle Mariners Could "The Big Dumper" become the first catcher to win the Home Run Derby? Leading the majors with 32 homers, Raleigh should smash Salvador Perez's single-season record for catchers and is on pace to top Aaron Judge's American League record 62 homers. Seattle's 28-year-old backstop already counts Johnny Bench among his biggest fans and told USA TODAY Sports he'd jump at the chance to participate in the Derby if he were invited: "Why wouldn't you want to do something like that?" Advertisement As of June 24, the Mariners still have 19 games left before the All-Star break and Raleigh has a chance to become just the seventh player in history to reach 35 in the first half. James Wood, Washington Nationals One of the tallest players in baseball at 6-foot-7, Washington's 22-year-old slugger is tied for third in baseball with 12 "no-doubters" – homers that would be gone in all 30 stadiums according to Baseball Savant. Wood is averaging 415 feet per home run, second among all players with at least 13 homers entering play on June 23. 'I mean, it's been brought up,' Wood told reporters about his potential participation. 'But I mean, I don't know. We'll see. That'd be cool if I'm invited. So let's try to get that first.' Advertisement Said Wood: 'I've heard all of it. Like, 'It'll mess up your swing.' But I'm sure there's a whole lot of stuff it's good for. ... 'You're taking as many swings as you can in, like, 2½ minutes. That's a lot.' Elly De La Cruz, Cincinnati Reds Cincinnati's unicorn shortstop has declined to participate the past two years, but hinted in 2024 that his time would come eventually. 'It's not my time to do it yet,' De La Cruz told reporters last season. 'It's too many swings, and I want to rest on those days,' he said, having talked with other Dominican players who participated in the past. The 23-year-old has 18 home runs in 79 games, on track to blow past the 25 he hit as a first-time All-Star last year. Advertisement Said De La Cruz's agent Scott Boras in 2024: 'I guess it'll happen someday. ... Elly is an athlete. The Home Run Derby requires a visceral strength to repeat something which is very different than being an elite baseball player. 'Like Pete Alonso (of the Mets) and those kind of guys with those kind of bodies and strength, you can understand why they can endure a home run contest.' Andy Pages, Los Angeles Dodgers In his second year, Los Angeles' 24-year-old outfielder overcame a slow start and has hit .330 with 14 homers and 47 RBIs in 55 games from April 22-June 22. His 16 home runs are second on the Dodgers behind Shohei Ohtani and he's playing his way into consideration for a spot on the All-Star team – managed by Los Angeles skipper Dave Roberts. Junior Caminero, Tampa Bay Rays Tampa Bay's 21-year-old third baseman has found his power stroke in his first full season, clubbing 19 homers through 73 games in 2025, quickly becoming one of the top young hitters in the game. Advertisement He's also totally down for the Derby, which has never been won by a Rays player. "If I get selected, and they give me the opportunity, yes," Caminero said in an appearance on Foul Territory. "I'm not going to say that I'm going to win, but I'm going to put on a great show for the fans, and it's going to be entertaining." The biggest stories, every morning. Stay up-to-date on all the key sports developments by subscribing to USA TODAY Sports' newsletter. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Home Run Derby 2025: 5 young sluggers we want to see hit dingers
Yahoo
35 minutes ago
- Yahoo
IMG Academy CEO: Why colleges should more sports teams after NCAA House settlement
College sports face a tipping point — one that impacts millions of future student-athletes. On the heels of the recent House v. NCAA settlement, universities must grapple with an evolving economic model for sports. The knee-jerk reaction too often is to consider reducing rosters and teams. It doesn't have to be this way. Advertisement Here's the counterintuitive truth: universities should add student-athletes and sports teams, not cut them. Sports education — without any media rights or ticket sales — can be economically self-sustaining and wildly successful for students. That's not sentimental optimism. It's a sound strategic play. Universities are grappling with the fact that they want to be in the 'business of education.' Yet, a (small) fraction of their sports teams and student-athletes are exceptionally good at entertaining adults. Entertaining adults is the 'business of sport.' WHAT'S NEXT?: NCAA commissioners pledge to follow NIL rules after settlement We need to turn over every available stone before we let the 'entertaining adults' side of sports come at the cost of educating fewer students through sports. In fact, we should use this moment to tip the conversation in a positive direction: add student-athletes and teams. Advertisement The mission-aligned case for a university is this — student-athletes improve the educational makeup of a university, add to culture and graduate as tomorrow's leaders. According to Education Week, 57% of all high school students have played a sport, and student-athletes are the largest affinity group entering college by a wide margin; serving this group (varsity or otherwise) well serves a university's goals. Student-athletes also represent a future shift in education: with AI emerging, top skills of tomorrow include resilience teamwork, and self-motivation according to global hiring managers surveyed by the World Economic Forum. These are 'sports skills' and can be taught just like math and science. Student-athlete graduates have an outsized impact in the workforce, as demonstrated by the fact that 52% of C-suite women executives played sports in college, according to the EY Women Athletes Business Network and ESPN. While all of that should carry the day, it often doesn't. Why? The simple truth is that even non-profit universities need a business case — profits and losses — as the leading qualifier. There is also a strong economic case. Sports education — without any media rights or ticket sales — can be economically self-sustaining and wildly successful for students. The proven key to the model working for a university is to add more tuition-paying student-athletes and teams. SETTLEMENT FAQS: What you need to know about the college sports landscape Advertisement Universities should understand the model, but it requires a shift in historical thinking. The first shift is to count tuition (tuition from paying student-athletes often exceeds scholarships) in the financial equation for sports. Case in point, sports are often called 'non-revenue' sports, even when most of the athletes are in fact tuition paying. Any aspect of a university would fall short of profit and loss goals if tuition was not counted. The second is to add more student-athletes — leveraging fixed facility investments and semi-fixed staffing costs — to improve the overall discount rate for the student-athlete population. For many universities, the discount rate for student-athletes can be more attractive than the university average. This is not a new concept but rather applies an existing concept to sports. Public universities support lower in-state tuition and financial aid by enrolling higher paying out-of-state applicants. Universities support domestic student financial aid and academic program expansion by enrolling high-pay international applicants. Universities willing to reframe the conversation and consider adding student-athletes will find great success, great students, great athletes and great economics. Right now, high school student-athletes are being squeezed out of college athletics by the trifecta of roster caps, longer eligibility for existing NCAA athletes and the transfer portal allowing college coaches to recruit college players over high school players. This is bad for millions of high school athletes, and it is adding to an already massive supply-demand imbalance in market (only 3% of high school student-athletes can find Division I rosters, and 5-7% find rosters of any kind). Advertisement The upshot for universities: there are so many more tuition paying student-athletes that want to play, if offered a varsity or varsity-like student-athlete experience. A more detailed framework can be read at This framework is already circulating in universities, picking up steam, and outlines a 'Varsity Club' model and clear action plan that any university can run with, immediately. Let's not allow the business of entertaining adults to come at the cost of educating students through sports. This is a tipping point. A few voices can tip this in the right direction. Brent Richard is a career investor, operator and entrepreneur in sports and education, the CEO of IMG Academy, and a former Division I soccer player. This op-ed was developed in collaboration with Drew Weatherford, founder of Weatherford Capital, co-founder of Collegiate Athletic Solutions, and former Florida State starting quarterback. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Colleges should add sports teams after NCAA House settlement
