Oilpressure

And just like that, the IndyCar season is over. The season started out slowly. Through the first four races, there was only one caution throughout that span – the opening lap of the opening race at St. Petersburg. Not that I like to watch cars crash, but restarts help to spice up the show. It also didn’t help that Alex Palou opened the season by winning five of the first six races. For the most part, the championship was decided by the end of April. It was a great display of driving on Palou’s part, but there was not a whole lot of suspense going into each race.

But Palou was a deserving champion, he and the team came into the media center after Sunday’s race and was his usual modest self in accepting the accolades of four championships over five seasons.

As far as yesterday however, it was an excellent way to end the season. Once Palou finally clinched the championship in Portland, we fans have been treated to two excellent races. If only the entire season had been as exciting as the races at Milwaukee and Nashville.

I’m not being a homer for my hometown track. I’ll be the first to admit that the races in the 2000s were mostly processional. The main reasons I attended them was simply because I lived here. But the last two races here have been surprisingly good. Actually, I was surprised by the quality of the racing last year, but I was actually expecting it this year. I did not come away disappointed yesterday.

Josef Newgarden was a popular winner in his hometown. When he took his first lead on Lap 147, I could hear the crowd go wild. Even though I was across the way in the pits, I could hear the cheers over the roar of the engines. While many drivers met with misfortune from the lead, Newgarden made it stick. Not only did he finally get a win in his hometown – he ended his miserable season on a good note. He was also able to extend his streak of at least one win in a season, since 2015.

TV Coverage: Although I heard very little of the coverage on Race Day, I was able to go back and watch some from practice and qualifying this week. Like the IndyCar season itself, I think the coverage from FOX kept getting better as the season went on. Hopefully, they can carry that momentum through the offseason.

The Crowd: I’m not sure what to make of Sunday’s crowd. I’m not even certain if it matched last year’s crowd in numbers.

But for what it may have lacked in quantity, they made up for in quality. I think most all attendees must have bought a paddock pass, because it was packed throughout the weekend. These were also very enthusiastic fans. They were knowledgeable and were here for the race, and not for the party.

Rumor Central: There have been so many rumors swirling around about who will be going where next year, it was making my head spin. Obviously many things hinge on what happens with Will Power. So many things will be put into motion, after that is settled. I’m not even going to comment on anything I heard this weekend, because so many of the rumors I heard contradicted some of the others. It will probably sort itself out a lot this week.

The Influencers: I don’t know if it is because the race was in Nashville, or if this is becoming a thing of the future. But the media center, paddock and the pits were overrun with Influencers this weekend. That is a term I’ve never cared for. I know I’m showing my age and coming across as an old man yelling at a cloud. I don’t do Tik Tok or Instagram, so I don’t really know how they do their influencing.

I heard one prominent journalist complain that he had overheard a couple of influencers snickering about Will Power’s name, and asking if that was his real name. He wondered if we were back in 2005.

While a fascinating place was taking place, these Influencers were more interested in other things in the pits besides racing.

When the IndyCar media centers were being taken over by the IndyCar bloggers in 2009 or 2010, the real journalists were bemoaning our presence and claiming we had no business being in there. At least we were passionate and knowledgeable about the sport. If the Influencers are unaware of a two-time series champion and an Indianapolis 500 winner, and they are posing for glam shots in the pits – I’m wondering how many eyes they are actually bringing to the NTT IndyCar Series.

Drive of the Day: Many drivers had good drives throughout the day but could not finish the job. One driver who really caught my eye late in the race was Chip Ganassi Racing’s Kyffin Simpson. He backed up a good qualifying session with a steady drive through the field. At the end, he was in a spirited battle with Scott McLaughlin for the final podium spot. While he took third in the closing laps, McLaughlin took the spot back near the end of the race.

In the post-race press conference, McLaughlin went out of his way to compliment Simpson on how he has improved over the season and how cleanly he races. While Newgarden salvaged his season with a win, Simpson closed out his season on a high-note as well. He received the coveted Oilpressure.com Drive of the Day award.

All in All: Finishing the NTT IndyCar Series season at Nashville Superspeedway has turned out to be an accidental stroke of genius. What started out as a Plan B for the re-done downtown street circuit has been the best thing that could’ve happened to this event.

Josef Newgarden has become a sympathetic figure as this season has wound down. It was good to see him get a win in his hometown and put this nightmare season behind him.

Now we head into the long offseason. I know I am in the vast minority, but count me as one that is in favor of ending the season on Labor Day weekend. At this point, IndyCar has no business trying to go head-to-head with the NFL. I’m not wild about the long offseason, and I would love to see the season start in February. But acknowledging the NFL is the behemoth for what it is, is a smart move. I side with Mark Miles on this one

Thanks for following along this weekend. It was a great way to end the season. I will now go back to my more sporadic posting, but I am not going away. I am retiring from the day job on January 9. Maybe I’ll become a little more regular with more time on my hands. For now, please keep checking back. You never know when I might post again.

I will close with more of Susan’s photos from Sunday.

George Phillips

This entry was posted on September 1, 2025 at 4:01 am and is filed under IndyCar. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.