INDIANAPOLIS — It will be a celebratory weekend at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca for Chip Ganassi Racing, the winningest team in modern NTT INDYCAR Series history.
CGR enters the season finale on a historic high after Alex Palou locked up the organization's record-breaking 18th championship last week – a mark that broke a tie with Team Penske for most titles in series history.
The picturesque 2.238-mile road course on the Monterey Peninsula provides the perfect backdrop to close a dominant year. Palou's title marked his fourth consecutive series championship and fifth in six years. The feat marks the third time in team history CGR has secured four straight titles.
The organization's initial four-peat famously began at Laguna Seca and this weekend officially marks the 30th anniversary of CGR's first championship.
Honoring a Legend at The Corkscrew
Laguna Seca remains deeply intertwined with the foundational bedrock of American road racing and CGR history. On September 8, 1996, Jimmy Vasser secured Chip Ganassi's first driver's crown here. Concurrently, CGR icon Alex Zanardi won the race using a breathtaking, last-lap pass of Bryan Herta.
"The Pass" remains one of motorsport's most daring maneuvers. Zanardi plunged down the blind crest, dropping 59 feet in elevation over a brief 450-foot stretch. The famous turn complex will be officially dedicated this weekend as the "Zanardi Corkscrew". The Italian driver passed away peacefully at age 59 on May 1, 2026.
He won consecutive CGR championships in 1997 and 1998. To honor his legacy, Palou’s No. 10 DHL Honda will feature Zanardi's iconic red and yellow "Lightning Bolt" throwback livery.
Dixon Looks to End Strong
Six-time series champion Scott Dixon will aim to cap off his storied tenure at CGR with a strong showing. Dixon joined CGR in 2002 and won 58 races driving the iconic No. 9 car.
"The Iceman" is firmly established as an all-time motorsport great, ranking second only to A.J. Foyt in career championships and victories. Though he’s had a tough final season at CGR – he’s 12th in the standings and winless for the first time since 2004 -- Dixon remains a central force for CGR.
He will try to avoid a winless season Sunday at Laguna Seca, where he won once before in 2023. Race coverage begins Sunday at 2:30 p.m. EST on FOX.
