Alex Palou may have clinched the NTT INDYCAR SERIES championship already. Scott Dixon has P2 wrapped up. However, there’s still plenty at stake to watch though too. The championship may be over but there’s also still one race left with implications riding on it.

There’s another battle worth watching and that’s the rookie of the year race between Marcus Armstrong and Agustin Canapino. Does Honda get a second straight ROY or does Chevy pick up a 3rd ROY in the last 4 years?

Armstrong leads Canapino by 26 points.

That’s not all.

There’s a battle for the top Penske driver between Josef Newgarden and Scott McLaughlin. 22 points separate the two for that distinction with Newgarden leading the way.

There’s also a three-way battle for the top Chevrolet driver. Newgarden leads Pato O’Ward by 9 and McLaughlin by 22.

What about the fight for 10th?

Colton Herta is 10th now but has alternated season finale wins in going 1st to 11th to 1st to 11th to…1st? He’s finished 7th, 3rd, 5th and 10th in points during his career.

He’s after his former teammate Alexander Rossi who’s worst points finish is 11th as a rookie in 2016. Since then, he finished 7th, 2nd, 3rd 9th, 10th, 9th and currently sits…9th.

Rossi leads Herta by 1 and Kyle Kirkwood who sits in 11th, by two.

Then you have the Leaders Circle race. The No. 14 AJ Foyt Racing Chevrolet has 201 points and sits +35. Helio Castroneves has been consistent enough to gain more points and has 200 points scored (+34).

Juri Vips went from +1 to +6 and is 21st. Devlin DeFrancesco went from -4 to +3 now and holds the 22nd and final spot. All indications are that if he can keep the 29 car in the top 22, then Andretti will run four cars in 2024. If he falls below, then they may scale back to 3.

Tom Blomqvist lost points and is -3 while Agustin Canapino went from -1 to -5.

Sunday’s race is also about seeing if a winless streak could end.

Will Power has won at least one race every season since 2007. The defending series champion is winless in the first 16 races run in his championship defense. He’s almost out of time.

Palou went winless for the first 16 races a year ago before winning the season finale. The last time someone went that long was Scott Dixon going 14 races in 2014. Dixon went winless in 2004.

Sam Hornish Jr. was winless in 11 races in 2003.

Can Power avoid their company?

Champions And How Long It Took To Win The Next Season

2022 – Alex Palou 16 races – won the 17th and final race

2021 – Scott Dixon – won the 3rd race at Texas

2020 – Josef Newgarden – won the 6th race at Iowa

2019 – Scott Dixon – won the 8th race in Belle Isle

2018 – Josef Newgarden won the 4th race at Barber

2017 – Simon Pagenaud – won the 4th race at Phoenix

2016 – Scott Dixon – won the 2nd race at Phoenix

2015 – Will Power – won the 5th race in the Indy Grand Prix

2014 – Scott Dixon – won the 15th race at Mid-Ohio

2013- Ryan Hunter-Reay – won the 2nd race at Barber

2012 – Dario Franchitti – won the 5th race in the Indy 500

2011 – Dario Franchitti – won the season opener at St. Pete

2010 – Dario Franchitti – won the 6th race in the Indy 500

2009 – Scott Dixon – won the 3rd race at Kansas

2008 – Dario Franchitti – went to NASCAR

2007 – Sam Hornish Jr. – won the 7th race at Texas

2006 – Dan Wheldon – won the season opener at Homestead

2005 – Tony Kanaan – won the 8th race at Kansas

2004 – Scott Dixon – winless

2003 – Sam Hornish Jr. – won the 12th race at Kentucky

2002 – Sam Hornish Jr. – won the season opener at Homestead

2001 – Buddy Lazier – won the 6th race at Pikes Peak

2000 – Greg Ray – won the 7th race at Phoenix

1999 – Kenny Brack – won the 4th race in the Indy 500

1998 – Tony Stewart – won the season opener in Disney

1997 – Scott Sharp – won the season opener in Loudon

Power’s 41 career wins rank fifth all-time. So, there’s a high likelihood that he can find victory lane this season. However, he’s running out of time.

He has finished 2nd, 26th and 3rd in his three Laguna Seca tries.

He’s not the only one hoping to end a drought. No one wants to go winless throughout an entire season. Heading into the season finale, here’s who’s riding a longer winless streak: Graham Rahal (107 races ago – Belle Isle 2017), Felix Rosenqvist (60 races ago – Road America 2020), Rinus VeeKay (45 starts ago – GMR Grand Prix 2021), Helio Castroneves (39 races ago – Indianapolis 2021), Colton Herta (29 races ago – GMR Grand Prix 2022), Will Power (27 races ago – Belle Isle 2022), Pato O’Ward (22 races ago – Iowa 2022), Alexander Rossi (21 races ago – Gallagher Grand Prix 2021).