Author: Nathan Brown, Indianapolis Star

Colton Herta led nearly from start-to-finish at Laguna Seca for back-to-back victories at the track, edging IndyCar points leader Alex Palou.

Alex Palou holds a 25-point cushion entering Sunday’s penultimate race of the 2021 IndyCar season, but leads that size can evaporate in an instant.

Romain Grosjean had a rough start to his debut at Laguna Seca, crashing the Honda pace car while shooting a video segment for IndyCar.

Some in the paddock wondered whether NASCAR and IMS would finish the 200-mile experiment that went horribly wrong in the closing laps.

Alex Albon still hopes to land a seat back in Formula One, but if his primary dreams don’t pan out, he believes IndyCar would be a great next step.

Marcus Ericsson ran into ran into the back of Sebastien Bourdais’ car on the fifth lap and went airborne but was able to recover for the win.

Sunday’s Indy 500 victory was a masterclass in self-belief. “I still have that fire,” Helio Castroneves said after his record-tying fourth win.

History and statistics point to Alexander Rossi winning this year’s Indianapolis 500. We explain why and analyze other contender’s chances.

IndyCar may undergo several big changes by the end of the year, which combined with the series’ momentum, make 2021 uber important for its growth.