Overview
- McLaughlin ended his long winless stretch with a dominant victory at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca on Sunday, leading 87 of 95 laps and winning by 1.3739 seconds.
- Alex Palou had already clinched the 2026 championship before the finale and finished eighth after an early four-stop strategy left him on degraded used soft tires.
- Kyle Kirkwood finished second at Laguna Seca and secured second place in the final championship standings behind Palou.
- The race featured intense on-track action with 160 total passes, 146 for position, six lead changes among four drivers, and one full-course caution for three laps caused by Sting Ray Robb's contact with Dennis Hauger, which earned Robb a 10-second stop-and-hold penalty.
- Coverage immediately turns to the offseason, focusing on who can challenge Palou next year, Kirkwood's momentum, reported team moves such as Scott Dixon's transfer to Arrow McLaren, and the prospect that a new car planned for 2028 could alter competitive balance.