From start to finish, the day belonged to Scott McLaughlin on Sunday in the Mission Foods Grand Prix of Monterey at Weather Tech Laguna Seca.
Starting from the pole position, McLaughlin bettered all takers in the 2026 season finale for the NTT IndyCar Series, prevailing throughout the 95-lap event to take his first win of the season and also his first victory since 2024 in Milwaukee. The victory, Mclaughlin’s first in 35 races, was also the third of the year for Team Penske.
The day’s celebration was hardly limited to McLaughlin, as Alex Palou, who battled back to finish eighth, was formally coronated with his fifth series title and presentation of the Astor Challenge Cup after clinching a week ago.
Kyle Kirkwood sewed up his second-place finish in the series points standings by finishing second on Sunday with Alexander Rossi taking third, his first podium finish since two years ago at Laguna Seca. Felix Rosenqvist and David Malukas rounded out the top five.
Brad joined Frontstretch.com in 2020 and contributes to the site's 5 Points To Ponder column and other roles as needed. A graduate of the University of Georgia's Henry W. Grady School of Journalism and Mass Communication, he has covered sports in some capacity for more than 20 years with coverage including local high school sports, college athletics and minor league hockey. Brad has received multiple awards for his work from the Georgia Press Association.
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