Last Week in IndyCar (10/13-10/19/25)

We’re one week closer to the 2026 IndyCar season, and a couple developments have popped up along the way. Some took place off the track, some took place on it, and some of it was just downright weird. So before we start another week, let’s review the last seven days and see what we can glean from them.  

VeeKay joins Juncos Hollinger

Another piece of the 2026 grid fell into place Monday when Juncos Hollinger Racing announced Rinus VeeKay as their newest driver.

For JHR, the move is both a reunion and an upgrade. VeeKay came up the Road to Indy ladder with this team, winning 13 races and the 2018 Pro Mazda title in the process, and his ability to contend on the right-turn tracks combined with his history of blazing speed at the 500 makes him a far more well-rounded driver than what the team had to work with last year.

VeeKay should also reap some benefits here in terms of oval setups, but he’ll be under heavier scrutiny this time around. After rushing to try and capitalize off his excellent season at Dale Coyne, the Dutchman finds himself right back in the same position, trying to elevate what’s currently the weakest team on the grid. If this doesn’t pan out and Coyne keeps rising off the strength of their Andretti alliance, VeeKay will be the biggest bag fumbler of the offseason.

Series fawns over Schumacher

Mick Schumacher, a two-year F1 veteran and son of the great Michael Schumacher, took his first IndyCar test this week, sampling the IMS road course with Rahal Letterman Lanigan. This is notable less for his performance in the test itself and more for the fact that IndyCar went absolutely ballistic hyping this up on social media, to the point you’d be forgiven for thinking Mick was a lock for next year’s grid. This is despite the fact that Mick is gainfully employed in WEC, he isn’t even finished with that season yet, and that none of RLL’s full-time seats are known for sure to be open. If he does join the party and boots Devlin DeFrancesco out of the #30 in the process, few will complain, but if Mick winds up staying in sports cars next year, this little chapter will look especially silly.

Daly, Power, and an October shower

Most American racing fans were focused on Formula One’s annual visit to Texas this weekend, but the day before that, we saw a legend venture into new territory. Will Power made his sports car debut at the Indianapolis 8 Hour, which served as the season finale for both GT World Challenge America and the Intercontinental GT Challenge.

For this endeavor, Power teamed up with two-time Bathurst 1000 winner Chaz Mostert, who’s just a few months away from becoming Toyota’s first franchise player in V8 Supercars, and owner-driver Kenny Habul, a record four-time winner of IGTC’s oft-renamed secondary drivers’ championship, currently known as the Independent Cup. The Australian all-stars took to the track in the 75 Express #75 Mercedes GT3, looking not only for a race win, but to help Habul secure his fifth midcard title in the series.

However, Power wasn’t the only IndyCar driver in the mix. Local hero Conor Daly was on the hunt for his first win in any category since 2013, and to that end, he joined the Random Vandals #99 BMW crew. Alongside him were fellow Americans Connor De Philippi, a two-time Petit Le Mans class winner after his performance the previous week, and Kenton Koch, a former Prototype Challenge champion at the 24 Hours of Daytona. This cohort had more local title ambitions, as a six-win season from De Philippi and Koch had the duo and their team in line for the two Pro-class GTWC America championships.

After a top-10 qualifying shootout put Daly’s team 5th and Power’s team 6th to start, Habul dug the #75 into a deeper hole with a slow opening stint, while the #99 rose up into podium contention. However, once Power and Moste got involved, the team’s fortunes shot right back up, as did their place in the order over the rest of the race’s first half

The second half, though, could barely even be called a race, as lightning strikes near the track forced an extended red flag, and the sheer volume of persistent rain meant that things ended with cars parading around under the safety car. Mostert was fourth across the line, but thanks to a penalty, the #75 finished 6th. Still, it was officially mission accomplished for Power and company. Since Habul entered in the Pro class while his two main rivals, Ralf Bohn and Antares Au, both stuck to Pro-Am, Habul was able to lap both men and leapfrog them to claim the intercontinental Independent Cup.

Daly, meanwhile, got to be part of arguably even sweeter festivities, as the penalty shakeout bumped the #99 up to 4th on the day. That handed De Philippi and Koch the GTWC America Pro drivers’ championships, as well as giving Random Vandals the continental teams’ championship. Daly may not have gotten to share in a race win, but he did earn some small fraction of a championship, and with his place in IndyCar now uncertain, he’ll need all the CV boosts he can get.