Is your head spinning yet from the high-speed game of musical chairs ahead of the 2026 NTT INDYCAR SERIES season?
Josef Newgarden won the 2025 season finale last weekend at Nashville Superspeedway, and it took only two days for driver movement – the “Silly Season” – to kick into high gear.
In a whirlwind 24-hour span, Will Power, the only driver not named Alex Palou to win this series’ championship since 2021, and Colton Herta, the 2024 championship runner-up, left their respective rides.
Power, a two-time INDYCAR SERIES champion (2014, 2022) and series record holder for career poles with 71, announced his departure from Team Penske on Sept. 2. Later that day, Rinus VeeKay confirmed he isn’t returning to the No. 18 Honda for Dale Coyne Racing after helping the car jump from 27th in entrant points to 14th this season.
Herta, a nine-time series winner, was announced a day later to serve as a test driver for the Cadillac Formula 1 Team. With his No. 26 Andretti Global Honda open, Power was named as his replacement just an hour later.
With several key announcements, including Marcus Armstrong being announced on Aug. 18 to return to Meyer Shank Racing w/ Curb-Agajanian, here’s where each team stands heading into 2026, with seven seats that could still be available.
The list of potential candidates includes David Malukas (11th in points), VeeKay (14th in points), Conor Daly (18th in points), Callum Ilott (21st in points), Sting Ray Robb (25 in points) and Jacob Abel (27th in points).
One driver not yet signed but guaranteed a ride for at least two races is Dennis Hauger (photo, above), the 2025 INDY NXT by Firestone champion. As the series champion, Hauger earns a career advancement package that includes a test on the Indianapolis Motor Speedway road course, an INDYCAR SERIES rookie test, participation in the Indianapolis 500 Rookie Orientation Program, a spot in the 110th Indianapolis 500 presented by Gainbridge and one additional INDYCAR SERIES event in 2026.
CHEVROLET TEAMS (14 cars)
AJ Foyt Racing: Santino Ferrucci, open seat
Ferrucci signed a multiyear deal ahead of the 2024 season finale at Nashville Superspeedway and is expected to return in 2026. The other seat is expected to be open as David Malukas is anticipated to replace Power with Team Penske.
Arrow McLaren: Christian Lundgaard, Pato O’Ward, Nolan Siegel
Zak Brown, CEO of McLaren Racing, confirmed all three 2025 drivers will return. O’Ward finished second in points, while Lundgaard, in his debut year with the team, achieved a career-best fifth in the final standings. Siegel affirmed after Milwaukee Mile qualifying Aug. 23 that he’ll return in a critical year for his development.
“2026 has to be another notch up for us,” Siegel said. “So, we have to produce results.”
Ed Carpenter Racing: Christian Rasmussen, Alexander Rossi
Both drivers (photo, above) signed multiyear deals in September 2024. Rasmussen earned his first NTT INDYCAR SERIES win at the Snap-on Milwaukee Mile 250 on Aug. 24. Rossi ended the season strong with three consecutive top-10 finishes, including two finishes in the top five.
“Looking ahead to 2026, we’re light years ahead of where we were when we arrived at St. Pete this March,” Rossi said.
Rasmussen said: “It’s been an amazing year, especially on the ovals. Now I’m looking forward to next year to see the road and street course results follow.”
Juncos Hollinger Racing: Two open seats
Neither 2025 drivers, Sting Ray Robb and Conor Daly, are under contract for next season.
“Honestly, I think actually ending early might be sort of helpful because you can really get into the business conversations for folks to kind of decide on budgets are really like that September, October time period,” Daly said. “So, we do have a lot of time to focus on that.
“All the partners who have enjoyed being on the car and being a part of our program this year are only talking about continuing next year. We want to be here with this team, and we hope that all that feeling is reciprocated and that everyone can be aligned on the future.”
PREMA Racing: Two open seats
PREMA made its NTT INDYCAR SERIES debut in 2025. While Ilott finished 21st and Robert Shwartzman 24th in points, both showed promise. Ilott ended strong with four top-10 finishes in the final five races. Shwartzman, despite a tougher season, scored two top-10s and claimed the pole for the 109th Indianapolis 500 presented by Gainbridge, the first rookie to do so since Teo Fabi in 1983.
Shwartzman noted last Friday in Nashville that he has a contract to return to PREMA, but it’s not exclusive to INDYCAR, as he could return to Europe to race with the team there.
Team Penske: Scott McLaughlin, Josef Newgarden, open seat
McLaughlin signed a contract extension prior to the 2025 season opener in St. Petersburg, while Newgarden is operating on a multiyear contract that was announced June 1, 2024. Power has joined Andretti Global, leaving the No. 12 Chevrolet open.
HONDA TEAMS (13 cars)
Andretti Global: Marcus Ericsson, Kyle Kirkwood, Will Power
Ericsson confirmed at Portland International Raceway that he will return in 2026. Kirkwood signed a multiyear contract extension after the 2023 season, and it is possible that he’d be entering the final year of that contract in 2026. Power was named Sept. 3 to drive the No. 26 Honda.
Chip Ganassi Racing: Scott Dixon, Alex Palou, Kyffin Simpson
No changes expected. Team owner Chip Ganassi said last week Palou will return to the No. 10 Honda to chase a fourth consecutive title. Palou and Simpson both recently confirmed plans to return, and Dixon said he is not slowing down.
“I still feel like I’ve got a couple of good years in me,” Dixon said from Nashville. “The fire’s still there.”
Dale Coyne Racing: Two open seats
Coyne said Friday in Nashville that he expects to announce both drivers by Halloween. He plans to speak with Abel about a return and must replace VeeKay.
Meyer Shank Racing: Marcus Armstrong, Felix Rosenqvist
Both drivers (photo, above) return for 2026 after a breakout year for the team. For the first time, both entries finished inside the top 10 in points. Rosenqvist joined the team in 2024 and improved his No. 60 Honda from 25th in entrant points in 2023 to 12th. He charged to sixth in the 2025 season. Armstrong lifted the second entry from 20th to seventh.
Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing: Louis Foster, Graham Rahal, Devlin DeFrancesco
All three drivers are on multiyear deals. Foster won the NTT INDYCAR SERIES Rookie of the Year award in his first year with RLL. DeFrancesco finished 26th – outside the top-22 Leaders’ Circle bonus program – in his first season with the team.