The Inside Line

The Milwaukee doubleheader created scheduling confusion, but it was a papaya-flavored victor as Pato O'Ward swept, Chevy dominated the podiums and Alex Palou's greatness continued. IndyStar motorsports insider Zion Brown and sports editor Aaron Ferguson break it down, preview Laguna Seca with what they're watching and more.

The pageantry of the Freedom 250 was special, so was the connection to an engaged IndyCar fanbase that has not had a race near its locale in awhile. IndyStar sports editor Aaron Ferguson and motorsports insider Zion Brown talk all things Freedom 250, Andretti Global's rise, Alex Palou's no-good terrible day and preview Milwaukee - with some games thrown in.

A special edition of the Inside Line IndyCar Podcast looks at how the Freedom 250 IndyCar race came together. IndyStar enterprise reporter Joshua Heron joins motorsports insider Zion Brown to discuss why and how IndyCar got a race once deemed impossible came to fruition.
Read IndyStar's exclusive story on how the Freedom 250 went from "impossible" to happening: https://www.indystar.com/story/sports/motor/2026/08/20/how-indycars-freedom-250-grand-prix-went-from-crazy-dream-to-reality/91101069007/

From a disastrous start to the IndyCar weekend at Markham, to Louis Foster's crash to Romain Grosjean's drive to Andretti's big day capped with Marcus Ericsson and Will Power on podium, IndyStar motorsports insider Zion Brown and sports editor Aaron Ferguson break down a wild weekend. They discuss the first of five years at Markham, and then a possible one-off in Washington D.C. Plus, they talk silly season and debate who gets a win first: Will Power or David Malukas; then Scott McLaughlin or Scott Dixon.

Alex Palou won in Portland where lapped traffic became a hot topic and the IndyCar series may or have been wrapped up with Palou's win. IndyStar motorsports insider Zion Brown and sports editor Aaron Ferguson question if Palou's dominance is good for the sport, talk Silly Season prospects for Christian Lundgaard, Rinus VeeKay and others, and preview a new course with a hairpin turn in Markham, Ontario.