2022 Writers’ Roundtable, Vol. 23: Road America Winner?

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Alex Palou

Today’s question: Who will win the Sonsio Grand Prix at Road America presented by AMR this Sunday?

Curt Cavin: Isn’t it finally time for Alex Palou to return to the winner’s circle? Seems like it to me. The driver of Chip Ganassi Racing’s No. 10 NTT DATA Honda certainly has been close this season, finishing second in St. Petersburg and at Barber Motorsports Park, and he has top-10 finishes in six of the seven races. But he’s due to go to Victory Lane, and Road America is one of his better tracks. In addition to winning last year’s 55-lap race, the reigning series champion finished third in Race 1 in 2020. A victory also likely would vault him back to the points lead for the second time this season.

Zach Horrall: I’m liking what I see out of Alexander Rossi. It doesn’t really feel like it, but Rossi has been solid this season after a rough first two races. Since Long Beach, he’s finished eighth, ninth, 11th, fifth and second. In fact, he’s on the best stretch of his NTT INDYCAR SERIES career since the fall of 2020 and is seventh in the points, 74 behind Will Power. He’s ripe with confidence after signing a new contract with Arrow McLaren SP, and it seems like the mulligans that plagued him at Andretti Autosport have finally subsided. That’s a powerful combination for Rossi. Plus, it was at this racetrack three years ago that Rossi scored his last NTT INDYCAR SERIES win. How crazy is that? And how crazy would it be for his winless drought to end at Road America?

Paul Kelly: Before the last four weeks, Felix Rosenqvist would have been a longshot pick for victory. He was amid a slump that lasted more than a year, as the Swede finished 21st in the standings in an injury-marred 2021 season, with a best finish of just sixth. That’s not what Arrow McLaren SP expected when it signed Rosenqvist after two seasons at Chip Ganassi Racing, and there were more than a few whispers about his status with the team for 2023 and beyond. But Rosenqvist has found a nice groove in the last three races, finishing sixth in the GMR Grand Prix and fourth in the Indianapolis 500 presented by Gainbridge in May at Indianapolis, and 10th last weekend in the Chevrolet Detroit Grand Prix presented by Lear. I think Rosenqvist, perhaps fighting for his seat with AMSP, will find an even higher gear and win this weekend at Road America. His only NTT INDYCAR SERIES victory came in 2020 at the picturesque circuit, so tipping him for a win shouldn’t be that surprising. But the timing of this win couldn’t be better for his future prospects in the series.