Alex Palou, Pato O’Ward, Josef Newgarden, Colton Herta, Jimmie Johnson and Jim Michaelian

Pit Pass Indy

SEPTEMBER 21, 2021

The 2021 NTT INDYCAR SERIES championship will be decided in this weekend’s final race of the season, the Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach. Pit Pass Indy has all the storylines entering this weekend’s championship as show host Bruce Martin interviews all three of the drivers still eligible for the title.

That includes Alex Palou, Pato O’Ward and two-time NTT INDYCAR SERIES champion Josef Newgarden as the last three drivers to determine the championship in Sunday’s fabled street race.

Twenty-four-year-old Alex Palou of Chip Ganassi Racing has a 35-point lead over 22-year-old Pato O’Ward of Mexico entering the final race of the season. Two-time NTT INDYCAR SERIES champion Josef Newgarden of Team Penske is 48 points back and would have to score the maximum 54 points available in the race to claim a third INDYCAR SERIES championship.

This will be the 16th consecutive season in which the NTT INDYCAR SERIES title race will be decided at the final race of the season.

This week’s Pit Pass Indy also features interviews with Colton Herta, winner of last Sunday’s Firestone Grand Prix of Monterey, seven-time NASCAR Cup Series champion and INDYCAR Rookie Jimmie Johnson.

Show host Bruce Martin also has an extended interview with Grand Prix Association of Long Beach President Jim Michaelian, who talks about the great history of this famed street race that ranks only behind the Grand Prix of Monaco as the great street races in the world.

For more INDYCAR coverage, follow Bruce Martin at Twitter at @BruceMartin_500