If you were to guess which nation would secure the most points in an IndyCar season, it would be logical to go with the home country and say the United States.
15 of the 43 drivers that featured throughout the 2024 IndyCar season were all from there, while nations like New Zealand only had three representatives all year.
Sadly for current champion Alex Palou, he is the only Spanish driver, making it difficult to claim the glory all alone.
A total of seven drivers won two or more races, with no one winning more than three – showing just how competitive the field has been.
New Zealand claims the most points in the Nations’ Cup
A damp squib of a title finale saw the anticipated fight between Palou and Will Power fade away within laps of the race starting due to a seatbelt malfunction.
That didn’t stop Colton Herta from marching to the win, claiming his first on an oval and second place in the drivers’ championship in the process.
He was joined on the podium by Pato O’Ward and Josef Newgarden – who both won two races this year like Herta.
READ MORE: Will Power explains why Alex Palou is such a ‘tough guy to beat’ after losing the IndyCar title
Considering the best result from each race of drivers from each nation represented within IndyCar, there is an interesting pattern.
Despite having significantly less representation, it turns out that New Zealand (Scott McLaughlin, Scott Dixon, and Marcus Armstrong) had better average results than the United States in 2024.
Perhaps what is most impressive is Spain and Australia (Palou and Power) in third and fourth while being the only ones to drive from their respective home nations.
The table which is almost a reverse of another sporting world
If you were to show that table to a football fan, it would appear like a list of the best teams of the world in reverse (for the top three at least).
England sitting rock bottom is an indication that they need to ship more talent over to IndyCar in the future, as the series continues to go from strength to strength.
It’s had characters like Max Chilton before compete and be successful, so there’s no reason why some of the Formula 2 stars that are denied graduation cannot move overseas and try their hand in North America.
READ MORE: ‘Unlucky’ Conor Daly explains the ‘crazy’ tactic he had to use to finish in the top 10 at Nashville
Sweden will continue to be represented by two drivers in 2025 after Meyer Shank Racing confirmed that Felix Rosenqvist would be remaining with them after the Music City Grand Prix.
He has earned himself a multi-year deal and will continue to lead the team which has just waved goodbye to young talent David Malukas.