Scott McLaughlin got the jump from pole Sunday at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca. The 2026 Mission Foods Grand Prix of Monterey did not get much farther before the season finale’s first crash arrived.
Sting Ray Robb’s No. 77 Juncos Hollinger Racing Chevrolet made contact with the rear of Dennis Hauger’s No. 19 Dale Coyne Racing Honda while the field climbed toward Turn 6 on the opening lap. Hauger was sent into the barrier, ending his race almost immediately and bringing out a full-course yellow. Lap-by-lap coverage documented the opening-lap collision at the 18th and final round of the NTT IndyCar Series season.
Robb was assessed a stop-plus-10-second hold penalty for avoidable contact, an early setback that will put the Juncos Hollinger driver at or near the back when the race settles back into a rhythm. Hauger, meanwhile, has no opportunity to recover positions after the wall contact left his Dale Coyne Racing entry unable to continue.
The two drivers had been lined up near the rear of the 25-car field. IndyCar’s official grid listed Hauger 24th, directly ahead of Robb in 25th.
“Dennis Hauger obviously super annoyed about being taken out. He hopes they might be able to repair the car so he can get some laps and in case others have trouble,” Pockrass reported.
Hauger’s DNF Changes the Rookie Picture
The crash has immediate consequences beyond one damaged Honda. Hauger entered the weekend with an 18-point advantage over Mick Schumacher in the Rookie of the Year standings, with the standings also tied to the valuable Leaders Circle cutoff for 2027.
“Schumacher would need to finish eighth or higher to take rookie of the year from Hauger,” FOX Sports’ Bob Pockrass noted after the crash.
A zero-point afternoon is not how Hauger wanted to finish his first IndyCar season.
Schumacher started 13th and has the chance to turn Hauger’s early exit into a late-season surge. Before Sunday’s green flag, reporting on the points picture had Hauger holding the final guaranteed Leaders Circle position at 223 points, with Schumacher 18 behind. The season finale began with Leaders Circle implications still unresolved.
Alex Palou already has his fifth series championship locked up, so the title itself is not in play. Second place is. Christian Lundgaard, Kyle Kirkwood and Pato O’Ward began the afternoon separated by only four points, while David Malukas remained within reach if the drivers ahead of him ran into trouble.
Hauger’s crash has not altered that battle directly. It does, however, put more attention on the midfield and back-half results that can decide both rookie honors and next year’s financial picture.
A Costly Hit, With Racing Still Ahead
The hit into the barrier was expensive even before a team begins assessing the specific parts that can be saved. A current IndyCar is not valued like a production vehicle, and the cost depends on whether the impact damaged the carbon-fiber chassis, suspension, gearbox, electronics or aerodynamic pieces.
One industry cost estimate places a new IndyCar chassis alone between $800,000 and $1 million, while a full competitive seasonal program can run from $8 million to $12 million per car. Published IndyCar cost estimates put chassis value well below the total investment required to field one across a season. The more immediate concern for Dale Coyne Racing is whether Hauger’s car can be repaired rather than replaced in major sections.
Up front, McLaughlin led Palou off the line after taking pole by 0.0177 seconds Saturday. The 95-lap race covers 212.61 miles around Laguna Seca’s 2.238-mile, 11-turn layout.
For now, though, the focus is back on the restart. Hauger is done. Robb has a penalty to serve. And the final IndyCar race of 2026 has already changed shape.
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