Favorites and Sleepers: Portland

Note: INDYCAR.com’s Eric Smith takes a fun look before each NTT INDYCAR SERIES race at the drivers with the inside line to Victory Lane and a few others who could surprise with a strong result.

Will Power led 101 of 110 laps in the 2024 race at Portland International Raceway and 78 of 110 last season, helping Team Penske earn two of its event-record nine victories. Team Penske has three wins in the last four visits to the Oregon road course.

Power returns to Portland this weekend in the No. 26 TWG AI Honda for Andretti Global in the OnlyBulls Grand Prix of Portland (4 p.m. ET Sunday, FOX, FOX One, FOX Deportes, INDYCAR Radio powered by OnlyBulls). This is his first season with the team.

Andretti Global seeks its first Portland victory. That’s ironic because Michael Andretti as a driver completed a hat trick in victories on the track from 1990-92 for Newman/Haas Racing. Mario Andretti also won in 1985 and 1986, also for Newman/Haas, giving the Andretti family five victories in an eight-year span.

Who will come out on top in Sunday's 110-lap race in the Pacific Northwest?

Favorites

Pato O'Ward (No. 5 Arrow McLaren Chevrolet)

O'Ward recorded top-five finishes at Portland in four of the previous five races before a mechanical issue left him 25th last season. On natural road courses this year (Barber Motorsports Park, Indianapolis Motor Speedway road course, Road America, Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course), he has finished 17th, 18th, 12th and first, respectively. O’Ward is tied with Graham Rahal for sixth in points scored on permanent road courses.

Christian Lundgaard (No. 7 Arrow McLaren Chevrolet)

Lundgaard (photo, top) finished second at Portland last year, one of three runner-up finishes on natural road courses in 2025. This season, he was runner-up at Barber and Mid-Ohio while winning the Sonsio Grand Prix and at Road America. Since joining Arrow McLaren in 2025, he has earned nine podium finishes in 11 natural road course starts. He leads all drivers this season in permanent road course points, 37 ahead of Palou. Arrow McLaren has won three of the four permanent road course races this season.

Alex Palou (No. 10 DHL Chip Ganassi Racing Honda)

Palou owns two Portland victories and has led 106 laps in five starts. He boasts a 3.6 average starting position and 3.8 average finish, with wins in 2021 and 2023 followed by second- and third-place finishes the last two seasons. This year, he won at Barber, finished fifth in the Sonsio Grand Prix after winning the pole and leading 23 laps and added fifth-place finishes at Road America and Mid-Ohio. Dating to 2023, Palou has 12 victories, three runner-up finishes, two third-place finishes and 23 top-five finishes in 24 natural road course starts. He ranks second in points scored on permanent road courses this season and has finished in the top five in each of the last four races. He was one of five drivers, joining teammates Scott Dixon and Kyffin Simpson in addition to Juncos Hollinger Racing drivers Rinus VeeKay and Sting Ray Robb, who tested July 29 at PIR.

David Malukas (No. 12 Verizon Team Penske Chevrolet)

On permanent road courses this season, Malukas finished fourth at Barber, second in the Sonsio Grand Prix on the Indianapolis Motor Speedway road course, second at Road America and eighth at Mid-Ohio. He takes over the No. 12 Team Penske entry that won the last two Portland races with Power behind the wheel. Malukas started fourth and finished 19th here last season with AJ Foyt Racing. He ranks third in points scored on permanent road courses this season and has four podium finishes in the last seven races overall.

Will Power (No. 26 TWG AI Honda)

Power has been feast or famine at Portland, finishing 13th or worse in three of his last seven starts but second or better in the other four, including three victories (2019, 2024, 2025). His Portland resume includes a 4.4 average starting position, four front-row starts, one pole (2018) and a 9.1 average finish. This season on natural road courses, he has finished 12th, 13th, third and sixth, respectively, ranking fifth in points scored on these circuits.

Sleepers

Josef Newgarden (No. 2 Astemo Team Penske Chevrolet)

Newgarden finished 24th last year, ending a streak of six consecutive top-10 finishes at Portland, including four top-five results. This season on natural road courses, he has finished 10th (Barber Motorsports Park), fourth (Indianapolis Motor Speedway road course), 22nd (Road America) and ninth (Mid-Ohio). He also has four top-10 finishes in the last five races overall. He’s a sleeper because he hasn’t scored a road course victory since 2022 at Road America.

Scott McLaughlin (No. 3 Sonsio Vehicle Protection Chevrolet)

McLaughlin has a good Portland track record but has struggled on permanent road courses this season, which is why he’s a sleeper and not a favorite. McLaughlin has finished in the top 10 in each of his last five Portland starts, including seventh last year and a win in 2022. This season, he was 16th at each Barber, the Indianapolis Motor Speedway road course and Mid-Ohio and seventh at Road America. He has four top-10 finishes in the last six races on the season, including three top-five results.

Graham Rahal (No. 15 MiJack Honda)

Rahal has led 69 laps over the last five Portland races while recording four top-10 finishes. He won the NTT P1 Award in 2023 and finished fourth last season. This year, he placed third at Barber and the Indianapolis Motor Speedway road course before spinning from third on the final lap at Road America after contact with Power. He finished 12th at Mid-Ohio.

Marcus Armstrong (No. 66 OnlyBulls Honda)

Armstrong has two top-10 finishes in three Portland starts, including fifth in 2024 and eighth last season. He appeared headed for a win at Road America before a mechanical failure with three laps remaining while leading dropped him to 24th.

Rinus VeeKay (No. 76 Juncos Hollinger Racing Chevrolet)

VeeKay was second-quickest in the five-car Portland test last week and has two fourth place finishes in the last four races on the season, including one on a permanent road course at Mid-Ohio.