IndyCar Gradebook: Iowa 275s
- Dan Jones
- Jul 16
- 12 min read
Pato O'Ward and Álex Palou took the honours at IndyCar's double-header weekend at Iowa Speedway, as O'Ward become the first Chevrolet driver to win in 2025, and Palou finally claimed his first oval victory. DIVEBOMB IndyCar Correspondent, Dan Jones, graded all 27 drivers' performances during the Iowa double-header weekend.
Chip Ganassi Racing
No.8 - Kyffin Simpson - C
As I have mentioned several times, Simpson's development in his sophomore season has been highly impressive. However, there is still clearly work to be done on ovals as evident this weekend. The Cayman Islander qualified 22nd and 18th and quietly raced to 18th and 13th. We saw numerous incidents from Simpson on short ovals last season, but there was no such problems at Iowa. His road and street course improvement has been noticeable, and Simpson now needs to translate that onto ovals.
No.9 - Scott Dixon - B+
Although it felt like a relatively quiet weekend for Dixon, the New Zealander still brought home some silverware after finishing second in Race 2, after extending his final stop and being one of the benefactors of Colton Herta's crash. Qualifying was respectable, with Dixon sixth for Race 1 and eighth for Race 2. Saturday's race saw Dixon in-and-around the top 10 for the majority, coming home in 10th. Race 2 saw a small collision with his countryman, Marcus Armstrong, which Dixon thought gave him damage. Dixon came out unscathed, and rode his luck to claim a third podium of the season.
No.10 - Álex Palou - A
The one outstanding accomplishment in Palou's career prior to this weekend was a short oval victory - and that box has finally been ticked. It felt like the weekend that Palou finally clicked with short ovals, qualifying fourth for Race 1 and taking the pole for Race 2. Palou raced superbly too, stating that he "felt like Lightning McQueen" being the one making moves on short ovals, instead of being overtaken. A fifth place in the opening race was all that Palou could realistically have managed, but he took full advantage of his starting spot in Race 2 and led the majority of laps. Palou was seemingly helpless against the dominant Newgarden, but made his own luck by staying out longer and being able to claim victory via the subsequent yellow. Yes, Palou had his fair share of luck on this occasion, but still drove superbly throughout the weekend.
Team Penske
No.2 - Josef Newgarden - A+
This is as good of a weekend as you're ever going to see for somebody not to take home a race victory. There's no hiding how disastrous Newgarden's 2025 season has been, but this was the opportunity to turn it around, and Newgarden had by far-and-away his best performance of the season thus far. Using the hybrid on Lap 1 of his qualifying run secured him pole position, and qualified fourth for Race 2. His Saturday performance was dominant, leading 232 laps, only to lose out due a bobble on his final stop. He was unable to get around O'Ward and had to settle for second. If that wasn't enough bad luck, his luck in Race 2 was laughable. Newgarden got caught out by a yellow on his opening green flag stop and restarted 13th. He still managed to get back into the lead only for a yellow on his final stop to relegate him back to 10th. Newgarden was helpless and was unable to improve his position. Newgarden may be getting a huge amount of criticism currently, but his performance during this weekend should be applauded by all even if he remains winless.
No.3 - Scott McLaughlin - C+
Big-time errors have cost McLaughlin hugely in 2025, and his opening lap qualifying crash was another to add to the list. It was an awful crash to have, as he would have to start last both races on a track where overtaking was expected to be difficult. That said, McLaughlin's Race 1 was superb. He was passing cars like nobody else could, in what certainly was one of the best drivers of his career, as he drove home to fourth - which could well have been a podium spot! He was the helpless victim of Devlin DeFrancesco's crash in Race 2, but as I say several times, you make your own luck - and starting at the back means you're more likely to get in these incidents. A very impressive Race 1 showing, but he should not have had to show what he could do from the back of the field.
No.12 - Will Power - B+
Power seemed the weakest of the three Penske's this weekend, but still brought home just a second podium of the season in Race 1, before retiring with yet another mechanical failure in Race 2. Power qualified in seventh and sixth respectively, however, clearly struggled in traffic compared to his teammates during the races being unable to get past cars for almost entire stints. He did well to remain in the front pack in the opening race though, and brought home a strong finish in third.
Andretti Global
No.26 - Colton Herta - C-
Herta has made huge strides in his oval performances throughout the course of the last 12 months, but this was not a weekend to be proud of. A lot of performance issues should be linked back to the team, but Herta himself qualified poorly in 23rd and 19th. He embarrassingly half-spun before the green on Race 1 and only managed 13th at the chequered flag. Race 2 was not a significant improvement, and he was the final Andretti driver to suffer a front-right tyre failure when he was running on the outskirts of the top 10. A weekend where pace was hugely lacking and one where Herta was not at his very best.
No.27 - Kyle Kirkwood - C-
In a year where Kirkwood has impressed hugely, this was far from the standard we've been accustomed to seeing Kirkwood perform at. His crash during high-line practice was costly as it forced him to sit out of practice and sensibly did not push to the limit in qualifying, therefore lining up 18th and 21st. His front-right tyre failure occured during Race 1, and the new tub that he was in for Race 2 did not have the pace either, as he finished just 18th. A far cry from the pace the team so impressively showed at Gateway.
No.28 - Marcus Ericsson - C
There's not many weekends this year where I've graded Ericsson above Herta and Kirkwood, but Ericsson's weekend was still far from the standards that are expected of the Swede. He was the best qualified in the team, but that was in just 15th and 14th respectively. Race 1 did not show much as Ericsson finished where he started and Race 2 saw his front-right tyre failure occur on Lap 130 when running 17th. Had the edge on his teammates, but still not a weekend to be pleased with.
Arrow McLaren
No.5 - Pato O'Ward - A
It's been a quiet, but relatively steady for O'Ward, who finally broke through by claiming Chevrolet's first win of the season in Race 1. O'Ward has always been Penske's main challenger on ovals, which was shown once again at Iowa. The Mexican qualified relatively well in fifth and ninth and made consistent progress throughout the opening race. He executed the overcut superbly and did an excellent job by keeping the hard-charging Newgarden at bay in the closing stages. O'Ward made good progress in Race 2 as well, being in the top five the majority of the day. He was unfortunate with the late race caution but still recovered excellently to fifth by making multiple overtakes in the closing 10 laps. He finds himself a comfortable second in the standings and operates at a level of consistency we have not seen from him in his career.
No.6 - Nolan Siegel - B
Although his late race crash in Race 1 was an abrupt and disappointing way to end Siegel's weekend, his performance to that point was one of the best of his IndyCar career. Siegel's qualifying was highly, highly impressive lining up eighth for Race 1 and what would have been fifth for Race 2 - a better combined result than O'Ward. He showed well in his racecraft too in Race 1, regularly on the edges of the top five and able to race some of the top names in the series. However, his second late-race crash of the season on an oval was particularly costly particularly with the impact of him sitting out of Race 2 from concussion symptoms. That said, it is yet another weekend Siegel can take huge confidence from, and we wish him the best in his recovery.
No.7 - Christian Lundgaard - C-
The biggest question mark of Lundgaard's move to Arrow McLaren is how he would perform on ovals, and although he's excelled on road and street courses, his oval performances still leave a lot to be desired. The Danish driver was significantly off the pace of both of his teammates in qualifying in 21st and 22nd and never made any progress from that point forward. He finished 21st in Race 1 and was one of the biggest benefactors of the late-race caution in Race 2 which cycled him up to a sixth place finish. It was a good result, but it does not mask what was in fact, quite a poor weekend.
Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing
No.15 - Graham Rahal - C+
There has been absolutely no hiding what a struggle ovals have been for Graham Rahal in recent seasons, but this was a small step in the right direction. Rahal qualified respectably in 14th and 10th and finished 11th in Race 1. Sunday's race saw a CV joint issue cause Rahal to drop down the order, but was pleased to avoid any incidents with the failure, finishing 19th at the flag. It was not a stellar weekend, but at least he was not a 'moving chicane' like we have seen on occasions this season.
No.30 - Devlin DeFrancesco - D
Another horror-show of a weekend for DeFrancesco, marred by an early spin on an oval for the second time this season. He qualified significantly behind his teammates in 20th and 23rd, finishing just 19th in Race 1. Changes the team made overnight caused the car to be loose, according to DeFrancesco, which contributed to his opening lap accident which took out McLaughlin with him. Not the standards expected from somebody in their third season.
No.45 - Louis Foster - C+
Ovals were never going to be easy in Foster's rookie season, and although his Iowa weekend was nothing to shout home about, it was a steady and positive weekend. The Briton qualified 12th and 16th respectively and came home in 14th in both races, being on the lead lap on both occasions. His predecessor in the No.45 was struggling to finish in the top 15 on ovals on a regular basis, showing signs of improvement for RLL.
Meyer Shank Racing
No.60 - Felix Rosenqvist - C
It was an utterly bizarre weekend for Rosenqvist, who showed superb pace in qualifying with a third for Race 1 and second for Race 2, but seemed completely devoid of race pace. Rosenqvist fell down the order quickly in both races, particularly Race 1 where multiple cars would overtake him lap-after-lap until he tumbled to 17th. Things were slightly better in Race 2 after changes overnight, as he ran just outside the top 10. He benefitted from the late caution to finish seventh at the flag. After a qualifying that showed so much promise, it was disappointing for Rosenqvist to struggle so much in race trim.
No.66 - Marcus Armstrong - A-
Armstrong may go about his business quietly, but he continues to impress on ovals, particularly for a driver in just their second season racing on this track type. Armstrong qualified in the mid-pack in 11th and 12th, but worked his way up to ninth in the opening race - his five successive top 10, which is the longest streak of any driver. His Race 2 was even better, as he was running comfortably inside the top 10. He stayed out when the final caution waved, elevating him to third for a well-deserved second career podium. Armstrong now lies seventh in the standings in what has been a strong season for the New Zealander.
Ed Carpenter Racing
No.20 - Alexander Rossi - C
It's been a difficult run of races for Rossi after what had been a promising start to the season, and Iowa was another difficult affair for the American. Rossi qualified in 13th and 15th - some way ahead of his teammate. However, could make a little impact in either race. Race 1 saw Rossi parked after 181 laps due to an engine failure when running just inside the top 20. Race 2 would not be significantly better, with Rossi finishing just 17th.
No.21 - Christian Rasmussen - A-
Rasmussen continues to star in his sophomore season on ovals after yet another highly impressive showing at Iowa with sixth and eighth place finishes. As always, Rasmussen was on the controlled side of aggression, with the opening seeing a miraculous save in Turn 3, and thread the needle when overtaking the crashed Jacob Abel. Race 2 saw Rasmussen finish eighth after another impressive display. His qualifying needs significant work on ovals - if he was qualifying well, he would be in the top five week-in, week-out. He is one of three drivers to claim a top 10 in every oval race this season alongside Palou and O'Ward - very impressive company.
AJ Foyt Racing
No.4 - David Malukas - A-
A weekend of two halves for Malukas, who was anonymous in Race 1, before being one of the major contenders for victory in Race 2. Malukas qualified 10th for Race 1 and finished in 12th with not much to show. However, Malukas lined up third for Race 2 and made the most of it, being in the mix with Palou and Newgarden for victory throughout proceedings. He had jumped Newgarden in the pits on the final round of stops and looked set for a first victory until the late yellow same out for Herta's crash. Malukas was relegated to ninth but did well to cycle back up to fourth. A disappointingly quiet Race 1, but was maybe the most unfortunate - bar Newgarden - in Race 2.
No.14 - Santino Ferrucci - B
Ferrucci was in the headlines for all the wrong reasons last week, but was expected to bounce back triumphantly this week. It wasn't to be on this occasion for one of the series' finest oval drivers. Ferrucci qualified ninth for Race 1, but bizarrely in 20th for Race 2. Ferrucci finished eighth in the opening race after an excellent battle with his Mid-Ohio rival, Conor Daly. Race 2 saw the American only 15th, one lap down after being caught out by the caution when running seventh. It wasn't an awful weekend, but Ferrucci's standards on ovals in recent years means this was a slight disappointment when compared to his teammate.
Juncos Hollinger Racing
No.76 - Conor Daly - A
Daly's input into Juncos' oval program has been evident once again, and the American continues to star on ovals for one of the series' smallest outfits. Daly qualified mightily, second for Race 1, and seventh for Race 2, a true testament to Daly's oval ability. Although he didn't seem in win contention like he was at Indianapolis or Gateway, Daly consistently ran in the top five in the opening race, being the first driver to use multiple lanes. However, was usually let down on pit road during yellow flag stops. He finished an unjust seventh in Race 1. Daly was maybe the biggest loser from the yellow in Race 2, as he went two laps down after being just outside the top five, relegating him to 16th. Another case of 'what could have been?' after another hugely impressive weekend.
No.77 - Sting Ray Robb - D
Although Robb has started to show development on ovals, this was a weekend to forget. He qualified 24th for both races and struggled for pace throughout the rest of the weekend. He was the last car running in 22nd on Saturday and then crashed after 50 laps on Sunday. Considering the oval package that Juncos now have underneath them, you can only be disappointed with Robb's showing.
Dale Coyne Racing
No.18 - Rinus VeeKay - C
VeeKay has starred for IndyCar's smallest team on multiple occasions this season, but it is rather clear that the team still lag behind the competition when it comes to ovals. He hit the wall on his qualifying run before avoiding a major accident on his second lap, qualifying 25th and 26th. However, VeeKay kept it clean as he has usually done this season bringing the car home in 16th and 12th - which would have still been the team's best result last year showing the standards that VeeKay has now set at Coyne.
No.51 - Jacob Abel - C
It's not been the smoothest of rookie seasons for Abel, however he finally has a weekend with plenty of positives to take. As proved by VeeKay, the team did not have the pace in qualifying with Abel 26th and 25th. The pace was not there in Race 1 either, with Abel being lapped quickly before crashing on Lap 74. However, Race 2 saw Abel achieve an 11th place finish - the best of his IndyCar career after benefitting from the late yellow. After some torrid luck in recent races, it was good to see things go Abel's way.
PREMA Racing
No.83 - Robert Shwartzman - B-
Ovals were expected to be a huge weakness for Shwartzman and PREMA in 2025, but it has proved to be the complete opposite thus far. Shwartzman qualified better than expected in 16th and 11th and although Race 1 was nothing to be proud of with a 20th-place finish, Race 2 showed more oval development. Although Shwartzman had to restart at the back of the field on Lap 64 after speeding in the pits, he would recover to within the top 10 and had not pitted when the caution came out. However, he did not take tyres and was over-fuelled on his final stop which meant he fell out of a potential top five finish to end up only ninth. A bittersweet performance, but Shwartzman continues to shine on ovals.
No.90 - Callum Ilott - C+
Although both races were marred by crashed for Ilott, it was another encouraging weekend for PREMA. Ilott qualified respectably in 17th and 13th, and was one of few making multiple lanes work in the opening races. However, after the red flag, Ilott was too confident in what the sweepers had done and crashed in Turn 2. He received a drive-through in Race 2 for not being in line on a restart whilst running just outside the top 10 before he crashed on Lap 176. Not the results Ilott was looking for, but positives to take.
Comments