Power Rankings: Lundgaard, Armstrong on the Rise

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Christian Lundgaard

10. Alexander Rossi (No. 7 Arrow McLaren Chevrolet; Last Rank: NR)

With Pato O’Ward’s recent struggles, Rossi has climbed to the lead Arrow McLaren driver in power rankings. A rough Barber Motorsports Park weekend relegated Rossi to a 25th-place result in the finishing order. However, sixth in St. Petersburg, 10th in Long Beach and eighth in Saturday’s Sonsio Grand Prix makes Rossi a top-10 driver.

9. Kyle Kirkwood (No. 27 AutoNation Honda; Last Rank: 8)

The Andretti Global driver is eighth in points after three consecutive top-10 finishes to begin the 2024 season. Kirkwood finished 10th at St. Petersburg and Barber Motorsports Park and seventh in Long Beach. In Saturday’s Sonsio Grand Prix, Kirkwood climbed from 14th at the start to finish 11th.

8. Felix Rosenqvist (No. 60 AutoNation/SiriusXM Honda; Last Rank: 5)

Rosenqvist has qualified second, first fifth and 10th this season and finished fifth, ninth, fourth and 10th. That has the Meyer Shank Racing driver fifth in points. The strong start of the season has Rosenqvist in the hunt to end a 66-race winless skid. He had an opening-lap incident in the Sonsio Grand Prix, dropping him to last in the field. But Rosenqvist rebounded to a fourth consecutive top-10 finish.

↑7. Marcus Armstrong (No. 11 Root Insurance Honda; Last Rank: 10)

Armstrong, in the top 10 of both practice sessions at Barber Motorsports Park, turned that speed into becoming the top-qualifying Chip Ganassi Racing driver that weekend, a career-best sixth. Armstrong then finished ninth in the 90-lap race. At last weekend’s Sonsio Grand Prix, Armstrong qualified eighth and finished a career-best fifth.

↑6. Christian Lundgaard (No. 45 Hy-Vee Honda; Last Rank: 9)

The Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing driver had a stellar weekend on the 2.439-mile Indianapolis Motor Speedway road course, qualifying second and finishing third. Lundgaard was sixth and first, respectively, in the pair of practice sessions, too. That comes a race after he put it all together at Barber Motorsports Park. Lundgaard was fifth in both practice sessions, qualified third and finished sixth.

5. Scott McLaughlin (No. 3 Sonsio Team Penske Chevrolet; Last Rank: 4)

McLaughlin dropped a spot even with a sixth-place finish in Saturday’s 85-lap race. A timely caution on Lap 66 while McLaughlin was on pit road vaulted him into the top-five conversation. McLaughlin qualified a disappointing 13th Friday and competed outside the top 10 for much of the 85-lap race. He remains in the top five of the rankings since he was seventh and fourth in the pair of practice sessions and won April 28 at Barber Motorsports Park from the pole.

4. Scott Dixon (No. 9 PNC Bank Chip Ganassi Racing Honda; Last Rank: 7)

A relatively quiet weekend for Dixon on the IMS road course still gained him three spots in the Power Rankings. Dixon was third in the second practice session Friday, qualified sixth and finished fourth. The six-time NTT INDYCAR SERIES champion has three top-seven finishes, including an Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach victory, in four starts this season.

3. Colton Herta (No. 26 Gainbridge Honda; Last Rank: 2)

Saturday’s Sonsio Grand Prix was a championship-saving day for Herta. Climbing from 24th at the start to seventh at the finish – including rallying from an early-race hip check by teammate Marcus Ericsson – kept the Andretti Global driver in the championship conversation. Herta also has finished fifth in St. Petersburg, second in the Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach and eighth at Barber Motorsports Park.

↑2. Will Power (No. 12 Verizon Business Team Penske Chevrolet; Last Rank: 3)

Power may be mired in a 32-race winless drought, but if the two-time series champion keeps finishing like he has recently, that streak soon will snap. In that winless span, Team Penske driver Power has seven runner-up finishes, including three in four races this season. He was third and second, respectively, in the pair of practice sessions last weekend while qualifying third. He finished – you guessed it – second in the Sonsio Grand Prix.

↔1. Alex Palou (No. 10 DHL Chip Ganassi Racing Honda; Last Rank: 1)

For the second consecutive year, Palou won the Sonsio Grand Prix. This time, he did it from the pole. Can he pull the May sweep? Last year’s Indianapolis 500 NTT P1 Award winner has 23 consecutive top-eight finishes, including The Thermal Club $1 Million Challenge exhibition race, with eight wins and 14 podium finishes.