Farewells aplenty at Laguna IndyCar finale

The WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca paddock will be extraordinarily busy late Sunday afternoon as a surprisingly large contingent of drivers say goodbye to their teams, and in some instances, goodbye to their places in the series.

It’s Scott Dixon’s last race for Chip Ganassi Racing.

It’s Felix Rosenqvist’s last race for Meyer Shank Racing.

It’s Christian Lundgaard’s last race for Arrow McLaren.

It’s Nolan Siegel’s last race for Arrow McLaren.

It’s Mick Schumacher’s last race for Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing.

It’s Sting Ray Robb’s last race for Juncos Hollinger Racing.

It’s Caio Collet’s last race for AJ Foyt Racing.

It’s the last race for RLL’s No. 47 Honda entry before the entry moves to its new owners at Dreyer & Reinbold Racing.

It’s even the last race for O.Z.’s aero wheels and any other brands that aren’t BBS, as a new spec wheel made from aluminum rather than magnesium, and without the aero flange, is introduced in 2027.

Question marks also linger over a number of teams and drivers who won’t be able to settle their business before season’s end, but could be competing in their last race together. For some drivers, we might see them again at the Indy 500 as their full-time roles are in doubt. In so many ways, the unknown is casting a wide shadow across the field.

It could be the last regular IndyCar race for Robb. The same is also possible for Siegel. But thanks to IndyCar’s new and stricter licensing guidelines, these two veterans – who are capable of contributing sizable budgets – just might be in play for 2027 after having no hope to continue just days ago.

In light of the new restrictions, could Siegel – who sits 18th in the standings in his second full season in the series and has three top 10 finishes this year – become the most sought-after young driver with a budget to offer?

And what about Robb, who’s said to have the largest funding package of any driver, and was preparing to say farewell to IndyCar after Sunday? What seemed to be foregone conclusions about their departures 48 hours ago have been turned upside down. Who knows what their futures hold, but at a minimum, there are answers waiting to be discovered.

Could this be the last ride for Juncos Hollinger Racing? Perry Nelson/Lumen via Getty Images

It could also be the last race for Ricardo Juncos as an IndyCar team owner. He and Brad Hollinger are believed to be in the process of winding down their business relationship, and if that gets done in the near term, Juncos Racing, which debuted in 2017 and transformed into Juncos Hollinger Racing in 2021, could transform once more and become Hollinger Racing when the new season begins.

The Argentinian has been nothing less than an inspiration throughout his decades as a junior open-wheel team owner and champion in series like Indy NXT and those right below it, and in IndyCar, Juncos has brought extreme determination and passion in all that he’s done in the series.

Dixon. Rosenqvist. Lundgaard. Siegel. Schumacher. Robb. Juncos. How about Dennis Hauger? Romain Grosjean? For one last time, celebrate those who are here and hope for the best in whatever comes next for the drivers, owners, and crew members who face uncertainty once the finish line is reached in Monterey.