If you're an NFL fan tired of hearing "three-peat" anywhere and everywhere you look, you're off the hook for at least another 52 weeks (hopefully longer) after the Philadelphia Eagles beat the Kansas City Chiefs to win Super Bowl LIX.
With the Chiefs down 34-0, quarterback Patrick Mahomes was 7-for-15 with 41 yards and two interceptions, including a pick six, before racking up a load of fairly meaningless stats in "garbage time" during an eventual 40-22 loss. It marked the two-time reigning champions' first loss in a meaningful football game since January 2022.
But if you're one of the 126 million NFL fans watching the Super Bowl who was introduced to the NTT IndyCar Series for the first time via the three ads Fox aired for the series, featuring Josef Newgarden, Alex Palou, and Pato O'Ward, perhaps you won't be done hearing the term for another couple of months.
Two IndyCar three-peats in play for 2025
Fox has gone all-in to promote the American open-wheel series after acquiring the rights this past offseason, rights that had belonged to NBC since 2009, and after the 2024 season saw all seven drivers who won win multiple races, there is already plenty of hype surrounding the 2025 season.
Palou is set to enter the year as the two-time reigning series champion. The three-time champion became the first driver to win back-to-back titles since Dario Franchitti won three in a row from 2009 to 2011.
Palou's back-to-back titles marked the 17th instance of a driver winning back-to-back championships. But a third in a row would mark just the fourth instance of someone winning three in a row. Aside from Franchitti, the only two drivers to do it are Ted Horn (1946 to 1948) and Sebastien Bourdais (2004 to 2007). A fourth title for Palou would tie him for third on the all-time list. He is currently one of 13 drivers with at least three championships.
Then there is Newgarden, who is set to enter the year as the two-time reigning winner of the Indy 500. From 1911 to 2022, just two Indy 500s had been won after last lap lead changes. Newgarden singlehandedly doubled that total in 2023 and 2024, passing Marcus Ericsson to win in 2023 and passing O'Ward to win in 2024.
No driver had won back-to-back Indy 500s since Helio Castroneves won it in his first two attempts in 2001 and 2002. Newgarden's consecutive Indy 500 victories marked only the sixth time a driver had won the race two years in a row.
No driver has ever won the race three years in a row. Al Unser and Castroneves came closest with runner-up finishes in 1972 and 2003, respectively. A third Indy 500 win for Newgarden would tie him for fifth on the all-time list. He is currently one of 21 drivers with at least two Indy 500 wins.
Both Palou and Newgarden are favorites to three-peat.
At FanDuel Sportsbook, Chip Ganassi Racing's Palou is listed as the favorite to win the championship at +210, and Team Penske's Newgarden is listed as the favorite to win the Indy 500 at +700.
Newgarden's teammate, Scott McLaughlin, is listed as Palou's most likely championship challenger at +340, while Arrow McLaren's O'Ward, a two-time Indy 500 runner-up, is listed as Newgarden's most likely challenger to win the "Greatest Spectacle in Racing" at +750.
Newgarden is listed at +500 to win his third championship, while Palou is listed at +1000 to win his first Indy 500.
Full odds for both the IndyCar championship and the Indy 500 can be found here.
The 2025 IndyCar season-opening Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg is set to be shown live on Fox from the streets of St. Petersburg, Florida beginning at 12:00 p.m. ET on Sunday, March 2. The Indy 500 is set to be shown live on Fox from Indianapolis Motor Speedway beginning at 10:00 a.m. ET on Sunday, May 25. Begin a free trial of FuboTV and don't miss any of the action!