North America's premier open-wheel series had a good year. Really. 2024 brought with it huge partnership announcements like IndyCar's multi-year agreement with FOX. Then there's Prema — a storied feeder team for racing greats — joining the ranks next season, and a new race on the horizon set for Texas in Arlington. All of it says a lot about the health and growth of the sport. Fans may not necessarily see the fruits of these big news items until well into the 2025 season and beyond. But regardless, there's plenty to be excited for.
But, before the checkered flag waves on 2024, we're taking a moment to reflect on other major, pivotal storylines of IndyCar this past season — the good and the bad — before things start back up in St. Pete for 2025.
5. The charter
The charter system made the list, but in reality many questions still remain over its significance. How it works: Revealed in September, nine team owners accepted charters for 25 entries. Each of those 25 entires, under the charter agreement, is guaranteed a starting position in every IndyCar race, excluding the Indianapolis 500, which remains at the standard process of the fastest 33 making the field.
Five teams occupy three charters each: Andretti Global, Arrow McLaren, Chip Ganassi Racing, Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing and Team Penske. The likes of A.J. Foyt Racing, Dale Coyne Racing, Ed Carpenter Racing, Juncos Hollinger Racing and Meyer Shank Racing have two charters each. Prema, new to the series in 2025, will operate its two entries without a charter. This leaves next year's field set at 27 entries for each race outside of the Indy 500.
The peculiar side of this agreement, is that the charter includes 25 entries, yet, the Leaders Circle awards $1 million to each entry in the top 22.
The terms of the initial charter agreements are set through the end of 2031.
4. The Malukas saga
Here is a fact: No other driver in the series endured more emotionally, mentally or physically than David Malukas. Primed for the ‘big time’ after signing on as Arrow McLaren’s latest pilot in September 2023, he laid down his first race laps in 2024 with a different team… after speculation ran wild on whether he would be able to get back into a car again.
All of this was because of the misfortune the Chicago native suffered after a cycling accident in the preseason. His severe injuries included torn ligaments in his left wrist that required surgery. It put him on the sidelines, watching the likes of Callum Ilott and Theo Pourchaire take turns in his car. When the month of May hit, the team parted ways with Malukas, citing his unavailability. Then, Meyer Shank Racing threw him a lifeline, putting him in the car previously occupied by Tom Blomqvist who was jettisoned from the team’s IndyCar program (but kept on for IMSA) after multiple mishaps that capped off with an opening lap crash in the Indy 500.
To his credit, Malukas responded with a strong performance that included battling late with Team Penske’s Will Power for a potential breakthrough win before contact crashed him out at Gateway. He was also in the mix late in the season finale at Nashville before a strategy miscue left him on the wrong side of the battle with the actual race winner, Colton Herta.
While there is a fondness for what Meyer Shank Racing did for his career, Malukas is set for another fresh start in 2025 with AJ Foyt Racing.
3. Pato Who?
The Friday leading into the Milwaukee doubleheader weekend is likely one that Penske Entertainment CEO Mark Miles won’t forget anytime soon, or at the very least, the fans and paddock won’t allow him to.
The buzz going into the weekend was how NASCAR swooped in to capture a race in Mexico for 2025, beating IndyCar to the punch — something Arrow McLaren driver Pato O'Ward, a native of Monterrey, Mexico, voiced his frustrations over. Miles shared some thoughts on a potential return, which also led to him calling into question O’Ward’s popularity compared to that of Adrian Fernandez, another beloved driver from Mexico that raced in the series from 1993-2005. How did O’Ward respond? By going out and winning the opening race the next day — following it up with the comment, “Pato who?” in the post-race press conference. And then, just like that, billboards began popping up around Indianapolis with that same phrase, no doubt for viewing pleasure on Miles’ way into the office.
Whether it was a genuine thought by Miles or a strategy to help push the needle, talks have since ramped up for the series to possibly return for a race in Mexico by 2026.
2. The hybrid engine cometh… finally
It took longer than expected, and debuted at one of the weirdest possible times, but the long-awaited hybrid engine finally arrived in 2024. IndyCar officials, with help from Chevrolet and Honda, were able to push out the new creation midseason at the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course. The race began with a dud as six-time series champion Scott Dixon’s title hopes diminished on the pace laps, but it ended with a sensational finish between O’Ward and Chip Ganassi Racing’s Alex Palou.
The rest of the year, though, was a blend of feast or famine. The heavier weight the hybrid added to the cars hurt passing, and the cost — especially in the wake of crashing — drew the ire of driver/owner Ed Carpenter.
Similar to the charter system, the hybrid is in its infancy, so issues and drawbacks are expected through the learning period. Teams' and drivers' patience will be crucial in its development and hopeful success.
1. The Penske push-to-pass scandal
It's not a good look to own a series, and have access to technology the rest of the teams can't use, and then, use it. Some might call it a conflict of interest. Some might see it as cheating. In a nutshell, Roger Penske, the owner of the IndyCar Series and Indianapolis Motor Speedway, and his race organization, Team Penske, put to use a new push-to-pass feature that put them in the crosshairs of an overtake scandal at the start the season.
Officials learned of the situation in Long Beach, the second points-paying event of the season, courtesy of several teams having pointed out the data flaws on the scoring monitors. Following an investigation, the Series concluded that Team Penske did illegally have the push-to-pass software (that provided an extra 50 horsepower) installed, and utilized it. The punishment: Josef Newgarden lost his victory on the streets of St. Petersburg, and Scott McLaughlin lost his third-place finish from that same weekend. Will Power, who did not use the overtake, but his car was fitted with the software settings, was docked 10 points.
McLaughlin issued a social post shortly after details became public, while Newgarden held a press conference to share his view of the situation during the weekend at Barber Motorsports Park. In the wake of Penske’s black eye, team president Tim Cindric — who also serves as Newgarden’s strategist — was suspended from the Indy 500, along with Newgarden’s race engineer and assistant engineer.
Honorable mentions: Moving Music City, Kyle Larson’s Indy 500 debut
Nashville was set to host the season finale on a revised street course through downtown, but it was cancelled just a few weeks prior to the season starting due to construction woes courtesy of the Tennessee Titans’ new NFL stadium. So, the series called an audible and, with the significant aid of Big Machine, the event’s promotor, event was able to move the Music City Grand Prix to Nashville Superspeedway, a 1.33-mile oval the series hadn't raced at since 2008, in nearby Lebanon. The outcome was stout, with a decent crowd that witnessed one of the best races of the year, which saw Andretti Global’s Herta score his maiden oval victory in a thriller over O’Ward.
Earlier 2024, Kyle Larson was set to become the fifth driver (and first since Kurt Busch in 2014) to complete ‘The Double’ by running the Indianapolis 500 and NASCAR 600-mile race at Charlotte Motor Speedway on the same day. Mother Nature put a damper on those hopes by delaying the start of “The Greatest Spectacle in Racing,” but the 2021 NASCAR Cup Series champion opted to stay in Indianapolis. Despite getting to Charlotte with enough time to jump in the car, the second leg of his Memorial Day Weekend trek was derailed by rain as well.
The California native, driving a Chevrolet-powered entry shared by Arrow McLaren and Hendrick Motorsports, impressed throughout the month and on race day. He earned Rookie of the Year honors after setting a single-lap, rookie record qualifying time of 233.43 mph before eventually starting fifth. The race saw Larson perform admirably, fighting back from a mis-shift on an early restart and poised for a potential top 10 before a pit road speeding penalty on lap 131 of 200 relegated him to 18th. He will make another attempt at all 1,100 miles in 2025 in a returning effort by Arrow McLaren and Cup team owner Rick Hendrick.
