IndyCar momentum check: 5 drivers trending upward ahead of Portland showdown

The 2025 IndyCar season has only three races remaining on the race calendar, and aside from Alex Palou, the form of most of the other drivers has been inconsistent. Palou has secured eight victories in the first 14 rounds and is targeting a ninth at this week's Portland race.

Arrow McLaren's Pato O'Ward has picked up strong pace and has strung up some solid performances. In the last four rounds, he has amassed two race wins and a P4 and P5 finish.

In line with how the last few races have panned out for the IndyCar drivers, here is the list of the drivers with momentum on their side heading into this week's Bitnile.com Grand Prix of Portland.

#5 Colton Herta (Andretti Global)

First up is the 2024 runner-up and Andretti Global driver, Colton Herta. 2025 has not been his year, and while most of the IndyCar campaign has been downright dismal, he has picked up some much-needed momentum in the last few rounds.

In Round 13, the Ontario Honda Indy Dealers Toronto race, Herta secured a solid fourth-place finish and then backed it up with a podium (P3) in last week's Java House Grand Prix of Monterey. Herta is in P7 in the drivers' championship with 313 points.

#4 Scott Dixon (Chip Ganassi Racing)

Next up is the veteran IndyCar driver, Scott Dixon. Despite being 45 years old, Dixon has been one of the top performers in the 2025 IndyCar season and is thus in third place (392 points) in the drivers' standings.

When it comes to his recent form, he secured a P2 finish in Iowa Speedway's Race 2, followed it up with a P10 in Toronto, and then secured a P5 finish in last week's Monterey race.

#3 Christian Lundgaard (Arrow McLaren)

With two names out of the way, it is the turn of Arrow McLaren's Christian Lundgaard. After Pato O'Ward, Lundgaard has looked the most impressive for the papaya team in the 2025 IndyCar season.

Moreover, in the last three rounds, he has shown solid form. Lundgaard secured a P6 finish in Iowa Speedway's Race 2, and while he did slip back to P13 in the Toronto event, he came out roaring in Monterey to secure a sensational P2 finish. He is in fifth place in the drivers' standings.

#2 Pato O'Ward (Arrow McLaren)

For the last two positions of this list, it was pretty much a toss-up between Pato O'Ward and Alex Palou. Both have done well in the last four races, but the edge just goes to championship leader Palou for his consistent form throughout 2025.

As discussed already, O'Ward has secured two victories and a P4 and P5 finish in the last four rounds. He has been in solid form in his #5 Arrow McLaren challenger and is currently in second place in the drivers' championship with 469 points.

#1 Alex Palou (Chip Ganassi Racing)

Going from the above paragraph, Alex Palou is the driver who has the most momentum heading into this week's Portland race. In the last four rounds, the Chip Ganassi Racing driver has secured a P5, P1, P12, and P1 finish (Monterey). He is also leading the drivers' championship by a margin of 121 points over O'Ward.