The build-up to the 109th Running of the Indianapolis 500 officially began this weekend as the NTT IndyCar Series stormed the iconic Indianapolis Motor Speedway—but this time, it was the 2.439-mile, 14-turn road course that played host to the Sonsio Grand Prix.
In a race marked by bold strategy, late-race drama, and standout performances from New Zealand’s finest, Scott McLaughlin, Scott Dixon, and Marcus Armstrong all powered into the Top 10 in a thrilling display of Kiwi tenacity.
While all three drivers looked strong in the pre-race warm-up—Dixon clocking in third overall (and fastest among the Hondas), Armstrong sixth, and McLaughlin ninth—the qualifying session painted a more complicated picture.
Team Penske’s McLaughlin kept himself in the hunt by qualifying fourth, but for Chip Ganassi teammates Dixon and Armstrong, it was damage limitation from the outset, starting side-by-side in 15th and 16th, respectively.
When the green flag dropped, chaos was contained. Three-wide battles through the opening corners set the tone, but the field managed to stay clean until the final turn, when Colton Herta and Callum Ilott were both forced to pit with issues.
That early drama helped both Dixon and Armstrong capitalise; within a handful of laps, they had each climbed into the top 12, slicing through traffic with clinical precision. McLaughlin, meanwhile, lost a position early to a determined Devlin DeFrancesco but settled into a steady rhythm.
What separated McLaughlin from the other front-runners was strategy. Opting to start on the hard compound tyre while others gambled on softs, McLaughlin’s approach would pay dividends later.
By Lap 15, he’d reclaimed ground, passing Nolan Foster for fourth.
The first round of pit stops shook up the field. While the early-stoppers filed in, McLaughlin and Armstrong extended their opening stints on the harder rubber.
That decision temporarily elevated both into podium contention, McLaughlin running second and Armstrong third, before they, too, dove in for service.
Dixon, who pitted early, found speed on his new set of tyres and began his familiar charge. Within six laps, the six-time series champion had muscled his way back into the top 10.
All three Kiwis were firmly inside the Top 10 and building momentum at the halfway point.
With 35 laps to go, the battle intensified. McLaughlin had solidified his position in third, while Dixon and Armstrong ran seventh and eighth, remarkable given their lowly grid slots.
On Lap 64, McLaughlin made his final stop, switching to brand new soft tyres in a bid to undercut the leaders. Though he lost a spot to Pato O’Ward in the lane, the Kiwi remained a serious threat in the closing stages.
Dixon and Armstrong stopped together one lap later, both emerging in strong positions. With 19 laps remaining, McLaughlin held fourth, Dixon fifth, and Armstrong seventh—but time was running out to climb higher.
Then, the first caution since Lap 1 at St. Petersburg finally arrived. David Malukas came to a halt just off track, wiping out championship leader Alex Palou’s massive 10-second lead and bunching the field up for a restart with 14 laps to go.
When the race resumed, chaos loomed, but the Kiwis kept their cool. O’Ward launched an attack on Palou into Turn 1 but was repelled.
Behind them, Dixon pounced on Graham Rahal to move into fifth, while Armstrong edged up to seventh after dispatching Kyle Kirkwood.
Despite their valiant efforts, there would be no further movement in the final laps. Palou took his fourth race win of the season and third consecutive win at the Sonsio GP, ahead of O’Ward in second and Power in third. McLaughlin crossed the line in fourth, narrowly missing the podium.
In a classic display of determination and racecraft, Dixon completed a stunning drive from 16th to fifth.
Armstrong—still a relative newcomer to the series—delivered one of his strongest races yet, finishing seventh after starting 15th and constantly harrying Rahal in the closing laps.
Kiwis in Command:
Though Alex Palou won the title, extending his championship lead with a dominant final stint, the trio of New Zealanders provided the heart of the show.
McLaughlin’s strategy and race pace were impeccable. Dixon, as ever, was relentless and methodical. And Armstrong continues to mature into a true contender, with another performance that proved he belongs near the front.
With the Indianapolis 500 looming in just two weeks time, the Kiwi contingent is peaking at just the right time. Momentum is building. And on the biggest stage of them all, don’t be surprised if it’s one of these three flying the silver fern from Victory Lane.
Header Image: Penske Entertainment – Chris Owens
