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2018 Kohler Grand Prix preview

By Brittany Frederick

ELKHART LAKE, WI - JUNE 25: Podium finshers, L to R, Josef Newgarden, Scott Dixon, of New Zealand, and Helio Castroneves, of Brazil, celebrate in victory lane after winning the Verizon IndyCar Series Kohler Grand Prix at Road America on June 25, 2017 in Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin. (Photo by Brian Cleary/Getty Images)
ELKHART LAKE, WI - JUNE 25: Podium finshers, L to R, Josef Newgarden, Scott Dixon, of New Zealand, and Helio Castroneves, of Brazil, celebrate in victory lane after winning the Verizon IndyCar Series Kohler Grand Prix at Road America on June 25, 2017 in Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin. (Photo by Brian Cleary/Getty Images) /
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The 2018 Kohler Grand Prix resumes the 2018 IndyCar season in style. Here’s what to watch for in IndyCar from Road America.

The Verizon IndyCar Series returns to action this week with the 2018 Kohler Grand Prix, bringing IndyCar back to Wisconsin’s Road America. It’s one of the best road courses in the country, about to be taken over by the best racers in the world. What’s not to love?

We’re now into the second half of the 2018 IndyCar season, and that means the racing is only going to get more competitive from here. There’s not another double-points race until the season finale, so every result counts and there’s a dozen different drivers who are still in contention for the title.

Everyone’s rested up after some time off as well (well, maybe except those who headed to the 24 Hours of Le Mans), so this should be a race where every team is ready to go and no one is holding anything back.

What should we look for this weekend? Let’s break the race down in our Kohler Grand Prix preview:

THREE THINGS TO WATCH:

  • The track: Road America is one of the most beautiful tracks on the IndyCar schedule, so of course you should be admiring it. But it’s also a competitive track; this won’t be an easy race. And because of the schedule, it’s the first road course race in about three weeks (since the Dual in Detroit).
  • Passing: Of the 28 IndyCar races held at Road America, only seven have been won by pole sitters, and only two of those seven drivers are entered in the 2018 Kohler Grand Prix (Will Power and Sebastien Bourdais). So the odds are good that whoever wins this race won’t be the person who starts it out front.
  • Newcomers: There are five drivers in Sunday’s field who have never driven this track before: Zach Veach, Robert Wickens, Zachary Claman De Melo, Matheus Leist and Alfonso Celis Jr. The latter is driving his first IndyCar race ever this weekend for Juncos Racing. So definitely keep an eye on these drivers, how/if they adapt to this track, and if that affects the overall race.

THREE DRIVERS TO WATCH:

  • Scott Dixon: No IndyCar driver is in a better position right now than Scott Dixon. He comes into the Kohler Grand Prix as the Verizon IndyCar Series championship leader, and he’s also the incumbent race winner, and he just won the last race of the 2018 IndyCar season at Texas. You should never bet against Scott Dixon, but particularly now, don’t bet against Scott Dixon.
  • Sebastien Bourdais: It’s a bit baffling that Bourdais not only hasn’t won a race since the Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg, he hasn’t even been on the podium. But the Dale Coyne Racing driver is in a great position to end that drought on Sunday. He’s won at Road America, he’s been on the pole at Road America, and he’s led more laps at Road America than any other active IndyCar driver. There’s no reason he can’t get a result here.
  • Josef Newgarden: For a while, it seemed like Newgarden would defend his 2017 IndyCar championship. Unfortunately, his luck has turned over the last several weeks. Aside from his two wins at Phoenix and Alabama, Newgarden hasn’t finished even within the Top 5 and is now fifth in the 2018 IndyCar standings. A Kohler Grand Prix victory would go a long way toward getting him back into the championship hunt.

Next: What IndyCar taught us in Detroit

The 2018 Kohler Grand Prix takes place Sunday, June 24 at 12:30 p.m. ET. For complete coverage of the 2018 IndyCar season, follow the Motor Sports category at FanSided.