IndyCar is set for its fifth and final race in a span of 22 days this Sunday afternoon at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca before a much-needed week off ahead of the 17-race 2025 season's final three races in August.
Chip Ganassi Racing's Alex Palou is set to enter Sunday's 95-lap Java House Grand Prix of Monterey around the 11-turn, 2.238-mile (3.602-kilometer) natural terrain road course in Monterey, California with a 99-point advantage in the championship standings over Arrow McLaren's Pato O'Ward, the winner of two of the three most recent races (and winner on back-to-back weekends).
Palou, who dominated at Laguna Seca in both 2022 and 2024 and has never finished lower than third there in four career starts, leads the series with a modern era-record seven wins in 13 races this year, and he is aiming for his fourth career championship and third in a row.
Last year's race at Laguna Seca took place in late June, and it's when he took the lead of the championship. He has not relinquished it since, having led all the way so far in 2025 as well, and regardless of what happens on Sunday, his streak of consecutive races atop the point standings is set to extend to 23.
Can O'Ward close the gap even further after lopping off 30 points in Toronto, or can Palou effectively put this year's championship battle away with still a month to go on the schedule?
There is no doubt that qualifying is important at Laguna Seca, with Colton Herta winning from pole in both of the series' first two races back at the track (2019 and 2021) following a 15-year hiatus, and Palou winning from pole lats year.
But Palou's massive 30-second win in 2022, the season-ending win many point to as the catalyst for his ongoing run atop the series, came from 11th on the grid, as did teammate Scott Dixon's win two years ago.
How much will it matter this year?
Follow along with our qualifying updates from Laguna Seca.
IndyCar qualifying at Laguna Seca: Round 1, Group 1 results
1st - Alex Palou - No. 10 Chip Ganassi Racing Honda
2nd - Felix Rosenqvist - No. 60 Meyer Shank Racing Honda
3rd - Christian Rasmussen - No. 21 Ed Carpenter Racing Chevrolet
4th - Christian Lundgaard - No. 7 Arrow McLaren Chevrolet
5th - Colton Herta - No. 26 Andretti Global with Curb-Agajanian Honda
6th - Josef Newgarden - No. 2 Team Penske Chevrolet
7th - Scott McLaughlin - No. 3 Team Penske Chevrolet
8th - Marcus Ericsson - No. 28 Andretti Global Honda
9th - Rinus VeeKay - No. 18 Dale Coyne Racing Honda
10th - Scott Dixon - No. 9 Chip Ganassi Racing Honda
11th - Jacob Abel - No. 51 Dale Coyne Racing Honda
12th - Conor Daly - No. 76 Juncos Hollinger Racing Chevrolet
13th - Robert Shwartzman - No. 83 Prema Racing Chevrolet
IndyCar qualifying at Laguna Seca: Round 1, Group 2 results
1st - Pato O'Ward - No. 5 Arrow McLaren Chevrolet
2nd - Marcus Armstrong - No. 66 Meyer Shank Racing Honda
3rd - David Malukas - No. 4 A.J. Foyt Enterprises Chevrolet
4th - Will Power - No. 12 Team Penske Chevrolet
5th - Louis Foster - No. 45 Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing Honda
6th - Graham Rahal - No. 15 Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing Honda
7th - Kyffin Simpson - No. 8 Chip Ganassi Racing Honda
8th - Nolan Siegel - No. 6 Arrow McLaren Chevrolet
9th - Kyle Kirkwood - No. 27 Andretti Global Honda
10th - Santino Ferrucci - No. 14 A.J. Foyt Enterprises Chevrolet
11th - Alexander Rossi - No. 20 Ed Carpenter Racing Chevrolet
12th - Callum Ilott - No. 90 Prema Racing Chevrolet
13th - Sting Ray Robb - No. 77 Juncos Hollinger Racing Chevrolet
14th - Devlin DeFrancesco - No. 30 Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing Honda
IndyCar qualifying at Laguna Seca: Round 2 results
1st - Alex Palou - No. 10 Chip Ganassi Racing Honda
2nd - Colton Herta - No. 26 Andretti Global with Curb-Agajanian Honda
3rd - Pato O'Ward - No. 5 Arrow McLaren Chevrolet
4th - David Malukas - No. 4 A.J. Foyt Enterprises Chevrolet
5th - Josef Newgarden - No. 2 Team Penske Chevrolet
6th - Will Power - No. 12 Team Penske Chevrolet
7th - Christian Lundgaard - No. 7 Arrow McLaren Chevrolet
8th - Graham Rahal - No. 15 Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing Honda
9th - Louis Foster - No. 45 Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing Honda
10th - Marcus Armstrong - No. 66 Meyer Shank Racing Honda
11th - Christian Rasmussen - No. 21 Ed Carpenter Racing Chevrolet
12th - Felix Rosenqvist - No. 60 Meyer Shank Racing Honda
IndyCar qualifying at Laguna Seca: Firestone Fast Six results
1st - Alex Palou - No. 10 Chip Ganassi Racing Honda
2nd - Pato O'Ward - No. 5 Arrow McLaren Chevrolet
3rd - Colton Herta - No. 26 Andretti Global with Curb-Agajanian Honda
4th - Josef Newgarden - No. 2 Team Penske Chevrolet
5th - Will Power - No. 12 Team Penske Chevrolet
6th - David Malukas - No. 4 A.J. Foyt Enterprises Chevrolet
IndyCar qualifying: Full Laguna Seca starting lineup
1st - Alex Palou - No. 10 Chip Ganassi Racing Honda
2nd - Pato O'Ward - No. 5 Arrow McLaren Chevrolet
3rd - Colton Herta - No. 26 Andretti Global with Curb-Agajanian Honda
4th - Josef Newgarden - No. 2 Team Penske Chevrolet
5th - Will Power - No. 12 Team Penske Chevrolet
6th - David Malukas - No. 4 A.J. Foyt Enterprises Chevrolet
7th - Christian Lundgaard - No. 7 Arrow McLaren Chevrolet
8th - Graham Rahal - No. 15 Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing Honda
9th - Louis Foster - No. 45 Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing Honda
10th - Marcus Armstrong - No. 66 Meyer Shank Racing Honda
11th - Christian Rasmussen - No. 21 Ed Carpenter Racing Chevrolet
12th - Felix Rosenqvist - No. 60 Meyer Shank Racing Honda
13th - Scott McLaughlin - No. 3 Team Penske Chevrolet
14th - Kyffin Simpson - No. 8 Chip Ganassi Racing Honda
15th - Marcus Ericsson - No. 28 Andretti Global Honda
16th - Nolan Siegel - No. 6 Arrow McLaren Chevrolet
17th - Rinus VeeKay - No. 18 Dale Coyne Racing Honda
18th - Kyle Kirkwood - No. 27 Andretti Global Honda
19th - Scott Dixon - No. 9 Chip Ganassi Racing Honda
20th - Santino Ferrucci - No. 14 A.J. Foyt Enterprises Chevrolet
21st - Jacob Abel - No. 51 Dale Coyne Racing Honda
22nd - Alexander Rossi - No. 20 Ed Carpenter Racing Chevrolet
23rd - Conor Daly - No. 76 Juncos Hollinger Racing Chevrolet
24th - Callum Ilott - No. 90 Prema Racing Chevrolet
25th - Robert Shwartzman - No. 83 Prema Racing Chevrolet
26th - Sting Ray Robb - No. 77 Juncos Hollinger Racing Chevrolet
27th - Devlin DeFrancesco - No. 30 Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing Honda
Fox is set to provide live coverage of the Java House Grand Prix of Monterey from WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca beginning at 3:00 p.m. ET this Sunday, July 27. Start a free trial of FuboTV now and don't miss any of the action!