IndyCar: Way-too-early power rankings for 2024

With no IndyCar action to speak of for another six months or so, let’s get into a way-too-early prediction for how next year’s standings will look.

After back-to-back seasons of having picked the eventual IndyCar champion to finish in 10th place or worse in the standings, I finally nailed my first correct title pick since Josef Newgarden in 2017 with Alex Palou in 2023.

Palou became the first driver to clinch a championship before the season finale since Sebastien Bourdais in 2007 — and if you exclude Champ Car, it hadn’t happened since Dan Wheldon in 2005. Palou took the points lead in the first race at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway road course race in mid-May and never looked back.

Now as we prepare for an offseason of roughly six months, let’s have a way-too-early look at how things might shape up in 2024.

IndyCar way-too-early power rankings

10. Colton Herta

I still trust Colton Herta’s speed, but not his consistency. IndyCar’s highest paid driver was his own worst enemy more times than he needed to be during a winless 2023 season, the first such season of his career. I think he gets back in the win column in 2024, but too much needs to go right for him to compete for a title.