Palou tightens grip on IndyCar title race

Alex Palou says his points buffer will allow him to drive “aggressively” in the last three IndyCar races as he moves closer to back-to-back titles after finishing second in Portland.

The 27-year-old Spaniard entered the weekend with a 59-point lead over Andretti Global’s Colton Herta and will leave with just a five-point dent after watching Team Penske’s Will Power lead 101 of the 110 laps on his way to victory in an astonishing 9.8267s at Portland International Speedway. Now, with three rounds remaining in the season, Palou holds a 54-point lead over Power (484-430).

After starting third, the Chip Ganassi Racing driver opted for the less favorable strategy, running just one stint on the softer alternative tires (with red sidewalls), while most of the field – including Power – ran three.

“It was tough,” said Palou, who took his sixth podium of the year. “It was a tough race. I think we didn’t really make the right choices regarding tyres. But that’s because of yesterday’s qualifying. We didn’t really think the alternatives we used would hold up. We used both in qualifying.

“Yeah, too bad we couldn’t really fight that much. At the beginning I thought we had a lot of pace when the 12 and the 14 were on (the harder) primaries. I felt really comfortable. But as soon as Will went on red tires I just couldn’t really follow him. I had a chance on the straight when he had some traffic but I couldn’t really make it.

“So (I’m) happy, but of course a bit frustrating that we couldn’t really get there. It was tough. Our pace wasn’t at his level today. I think he had a seventh gear today. (I) couldn’t really catch him.”

Alex Palou, Chip Ganassi Racing Honda

Photo by: Phillip Abbott / Motorsport Images

Palou, the reigning and two-time IndyCar Series champion, was the driving force behind the tire strategy, which was based on lessons learned during the race on the streets of Detroit in early June, when he finished an uncharacteristic 16th and ended a streak of 23 consecutive top-10 finishes in points-earning races.

“We only had one set of red tyres,” he said. “That was the idea. That’s what I really pushed for in qualifying yesterday. That’s why I did two stints on used red tyres.

“Yeah, I got a lot of anxiety after Detroit when I started on used red tires. I just destroyed those tires in six laps. Went from second to sliding on a banana. I didn’t want that to happen again. I thought the primaries and the alternatives would be a little more exciting. They weren’t.

“So, that’s what we had to do today. It wasn’t the right thing. I really didn’t see this coming yesterday.”

A strong position

While Palou couldn’t replicate his previous success on the 12-turn, 1.964-mile natural-terrain course, which saw him take victories in 2021 and 2023 (in both years he won the season-ending Astor Cup Trophy), he still holds a full lead in the overall standings.

Even though the final stretch consists only of ovals, a track event in which he has not yet won, he still feels comfortable and eager to seize the opportunity to keep a clean sheet.

“I think it’s great,” Palou. “I mean, I would like to have more, probably three races ahead, but we couldn’t really achieve that.

“I think it’s good. It’s not enough, but it could be a lot worse. I’m looking forward to it. I think it allows us to be aggressive, just think about the race and not think about points and trying to minimize the damage or something like that.

If he outlasts his rivals to the finish in Nashville, Palou will become the first consecutive IndyCar champion since Dario Franchitti won his third consecutive title from 2009 to 2011.

“I’m looking forward to it,” Palou added. “It’s going to be tough. It seems like a lot, but at the same time it’s almost nothing. It’s just one race. You just said it. Hopefully we can get some points during the Milwaukee weekend.”