Power Rankings: Felix Rosenqvist, Scott Dixon Climb After Podiums

Editor’s Note: Power Rankings is a feature after every NTT INDYCAR SERIES race in which INDYCAR.com staff writer Eric Smith ranks the top 10 drivers in the series based on objective recent and season-long performance statistics and the subjective “eye test” from race weekends.

Alex Palou retains the top spot in Power Rankings following his 22nd career NTT INDYCAR SERIES victory in Sunday’s Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach. It was also his first win in six tries on the scenic 11-turn, 1.968-mile street circuit.

Kyle Kirkwood lost the points lead to Palou but remains second in the Power Rankings.

Here are the top 10 drivers entering the break before the Sonsio Grand Prix on Saturday, May 9 (4:30 p.m. ET, FOX, FOX One, FOX Sports app, INDYCAR Radio powered by OnlyBulls).

↓10. Josef Newgarden (No. 2 Astemo Team Penske Chevrolet, Last Rank: 8)

Newgarden’s victory in the Good Ranchers 250 at Phoenix Raceway on March 7 keeps him in the Power Rankings. He’s finished 15th, 10th and 14th in the races since but did turn the race’s fastest lap in Long Beach. He’s one of three drivers, along with Palou and Kirkwood, to win a race this season, which still carries weight. He sits sixth in points with three top-10 finishes in five starts.

↑9. Scott McLaughlin (No. 3 AAA Travel Team Penske Chevrolet, Last Rank: NR)

McLaughlin gets the nod narrowly over teammate Josef Newgarden for the ninth spot. McLaughlin started eighth and finished sixth in Long Beach, the second time in the last three races he has finished ahead of Newgarden. McLaughlin has four top-11 finishes in five races this season, including a runner-up in the season-opening Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg, where he started on pole. This marks the fourth time in five races he has been ranked.

↑8. Felix Rosenqvist (No. 60 SiriusXM/Acura Honda, Last Rank: NR)

Rosenqvist earned the NTT P1 Award in Long Beach and led a race-high 51 of 90 laps but was beaten by Palou off pit road on the final stop at Lap 59. He finished second. This is his first top-10 result of the season after finishes of 12th, 12th, 19th and 13th. It’s his first appearance in the rankings since sitting 10th after Toronto last July.

↑7. Graham Rahal (No. 15 Fifth Third Bank Honda, Last Rank: 10)

Rahal climbs again to his highest ranking since the list debuted in 2024. He started 10th and finished eighth in Long Beach, his third top-10 result in the last four races. He also qualified and finished third at Barber. Rahal has three top-10 starts in the last four races.

↓6. Christian Lundgaard (No. 7 Arrow McLaren Chevrolet, Last Rank: 4)

Lundgaard drops two spots after an 11th-place start and 20th-place finish in Long Beach. Prior to that, he climbed from 10th to finish second at Barber and from 18th to seventh in Arlington. The Dane has three top-seven finishes in five races, including a podium at St. Petersburg, and sits fifth in points.

↑5. Scott Dixon (No. 9 PNC Bank Chip Ganassi Racing Honda, Last Rank: 9)

Dixon solved his qualifying struggles by making the Firestone Fast Six (sixth-place start) in Long Beach and converting it into a third-place finish. He has four consecutive top-10 finishes entering May and sits eighth in points. Dixon has gained significant ground in multiple races this season, including drives from 15th to seventh at Phoenix, 20th to eighth in Arlington and 13th to seventh at Barber.

↑4. Pato O’Ward (No. 5 Arrow McLaren Chevrolet, Last Rank: 6)

O’Ward rebounded in Long Beach with a second-place start and fifth-place finish, both career bests at the track. He had his toughest weekend of the season in the previous race, starting 12th and finishing 17th at Barber. O’Ward has four top-five finishes in five races but has yet to step on the podium this season.

↔3. David Malukas (No. 12 Verizon Team Penske Chevrolet, Last Rank: 3)

Malukas started fifth and finished seventh in Long Beach. Not spectacular but solid. He has been one of the strongest qualifiers this season, starting in the top 10 in all five races and in the top five in four of them. That consistency keeps him third in the rankings and in the points standings.

↔2. Kyle Kirkwood (No. 27 JM Bullion/Gold.com Honda, Last Rank: 2)

Kirkwood remains second after a fourth-place finish in Long Beach, his fifth top-five result in as many races to start the season. That run includes a victory in the March 15 Java House Grand Prix of Arlington. He trails Palou by 17 points entering the Month of May.

↔1. Alex Palou (No. 10 OpenAI Chip Ganassi Racing Honda, Last Rank: 1)

Palou led 32 of 90 laps in Long Beach to earn his third victory of the season. He also finished second to Kirkwood in Arlington, giving him four top-two results in five races. A crash at Phoenix remains his only blemish, resulting in a 24th-place finish.