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When the power rankings came out after the first race, Christian Lundgaard’s social media account responded with a shrug emoji.
The message: What about Lundgaard, who was not among the 10 drivers on the list?
Yeah, he’s in there now. After starting on the front row and finishing third Sunday at Thermal, Lundgaard vaulted to sixth in the rankings. Also surging up the rankings was his teammate, Pato O’Ward, who won the pole and finished second.
Here are the rankings after Thermal, with no surprise that winner Alex Palou remains atop the list.
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Dropped out: Marcus Ericsson (Last Week: 8)
On the verge: Marcus Armstrong, Marcus Ericsson, Alexander Rossi
10. Kyle Kirkwood (LW: 7)
Kirkwood finished eighth at Thermal. So why did the Andretti driver drop three spots? Other drivers behind him in the rankings enjoyed a slightly better result at Thermal.
9. Will Power (LW: 9)
No Penske car was strong in qualifying and Power started 21st. The fact he got to sixth was impressive, especially since the race went without a caution. It certainly was a much better day than the season opener, where he wrecked on the opening lap.
8. Felix Rosenqvist (LW: 10)
Rosenqvist finished fifth in the race, picking up spots after starting ninth. The Shank-Ganassi alliance already seems to be paying dividends for the Shank organization.
7. Scott Dixon (LW: 5)
Dixon had an OK day at Thermal with a 10th-place finish. Why didn’t he drop more? The Ganassi driver still finished second at St. Pete, and that is worth something. Let’s see what happens in a few weeks at Thermal.
6. Christian Lundgaard (LW: NR)
Lundgaard said the move from Rahal to Arrow McLaren in the offseason was because it was time for a change. That might have been polite, as he is showing what he can do with a stronger team. This could be a breakout year.
NTT INDYCAR SERIES: The Thermal Club INDYCAR Grand Prix Highlights
5. Scott McLaughlin (LW: 2)
A collision with Devlin DeFrancesco before the race even started and then a hybrid overheating issue relegated McLaughlin to last place at Thermal. Obviously, qualifying 25th can’t be ignored, as it put him at the back of the field for the start. But it would be dumb to think Penske won’t bounce back from this weekend.
4. Josef Newgarden (LW: 3)
Newgarden also had a disappointing weekend, starting 17th and finishing 13th. He will need to rebound at Long Beach.
3. Colton Herta (LW: 4)
Starting fourth and finishing fourth is the type of performance that should be common for Andretti’s Herta this season. For a driver who wasn’t dominant, this was the type of day that should at least make him feel good.
2. Pato O’Ward (LW: 6)
O’Ward had a solid weekend with the pole and finishing second, with tire selection strategy making the difference in the race. O’Ward won three races last year and if he remains as strong as he was this weekend, he’ll win more than that this year.
1. Alex Palou (LW: 1)
The two-time defending series champion is two-for-two as far as wins this year, as Chip Ganassi Racing continues to celebrate in victory lane. Enough said.
Bob Pockrass covers NASCAR and INDYCAR for FOX Sports. He has spent decades covering motorsports, including over 30 Daytona 500s, with stints at ESPN, Sporting News, NASCAR Scene magazine and The (Daytona Beach) News-Journal. Follow him on Twitter @bobpockrass.
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