How to Watch the Firestone Grand Prix of Monterey – NTT IndyCar Series | Channel, Stream, Preview
In an exciting conclusion to another great NTT IndyCar Series season, five drivers each have a chance to win the Astor Challenge Cup as series champions when the season concludes at Sunday’s Firestone Grand Prix of Monterey.
- Check out IndyCar DirectTV stream and peacock
An entertaining race in Oregon last Sunday has led to a potentially chaotic end to the 2022 season. Scott McLaughlin, who posed as a potential championship favorite earlier in the season, clinched his third win of the season at the Portland Grand Prix. It was the New Zealander’s first win since he took the checkered flag in Mid-Ohio in July.
McLaughlin has the worst chance of winning the championship as he finishes fifth in points on Sunday, 41 adrift of first place. Just a few ahead of him is Marcus Ericsson. The Swede seemed to bid farewell to the proverbial racing after winning the Indianapolis 500 earlier this year, but inconsistent finishes have pushed him down to fourth in points.
Two multiple series champions share second place in the overall standings. Josef Newgarden, who last won the championship three years ago, has five more wins in 2022 than any other driver. However, thanks to a number of crashes and hiccups throughout the season, he is still 20 points off the leader.
The man he is associated with is none other than the great Scott Dixon. The six-time champion has a chance to equal legendary AJ Foyt for most IndyCar titles at seven. The New Zealander is still well behind Foyt in wins, despite overtaking Mario Andretti for second all-time earlier this season. A seventh championship will only further cement the legacy of Dixon’s Hall of Fame.
However, trying to spoil the party is another former champion in Will Power. Although the Australian has only been on the road to victory once this season, Power had run well enough at the last Detroit Grand Prix at Belle Isle to give him a lead for the final race. He has finished in the top-10 in five of the last six races, including a second place finish at Portland. Power is aiming to become the 27th two-time IndyCar champion and hopes to claim his first title since 2014.
Monterey could pose a problem for the championship contenders since none of them have ever won at Laguna Seca. Since IndyCar returned to the track in 2019 after a 15-year hiatus, only Colton Herta has claimed victory, taking home the checkered flag in both 2019 and 2021.
What: Firestone Monterey Grand Prix
Who: NTT IndyCar Series
When: Sunday, 09/11
Time: 3:00 p.m. ET
Where: WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca (Monterey, California)
Channel: NBC, NBC Universe
Electricity: DirecTV Stream, FuboTV, Sling, Peacock
View NASCAR standings and results here