Alex Palou wins frantic, fuel-saving IndyCar battle at Road America
It was a hot, chaotic weekend for the NTT IndyCar Series field in a challenging trip to Road America.
That did little to stop Alex Palou and the No. 10 Chip Ganassi Racing team from returning to form.
Palou kept his No. 10 Honda clean as drivers around him found trouble and managed fuel in a strategy-filled conclusion to claim Sunday's XPEL Grand Prix. It was the Spaniard's sixth win, bringing the championship dominator back to the front of the field after two atypical results at Detroit and World Wide Technology Raceway.
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'It was a crazy race for us,' Palou admitted. 'At moments I thought we were losing a ton of positions, then we were making (spots). It was a tough race for everybody.
'Kudos to the team for the amazing strategy. And Honda, man. HRC. Being able to give us the fuel mileage we needed to make it.'
As the race unfolded…
Kyle Kirkwood, Andretti Global
Kyle Kirkwood, Andretti Global
Don't let the result fool you: Palou was rarely up front in Sunday's race. He qualified second but was sent outside of the top-five after bold three-wide moves from the drivers around him. When he passed Will Power back on the ensuing restart, Power paid him back in the next corner.
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Hit with that early setback, Palou steadily marched forward. When Power and Kyle Kirkwood got into a pair of intense run-ins, Palou used the occasion to sneak past them. When Josef Newgarden was too late on the brakes and went wide under teammate Scott McLaughlin in turn 5, Palou snuck past him and used the slowdown to catch and pass McLaughlin a few corners later.
Timing also played a role. Christian Lundgaard looked poised to take his first win on the year, but a timely caution for a crashed Newgarden with 25 to go came after Lundgaard and others had pitted, allowing Palou and others to stretch fuel into the window needed to make it to the end on one more stop.
Even then, Palou didn't hold the front spot. Teammate Scott Dixon took over the lead and paced Palou into the closing laps. But the Kiwi had to pit with 17 to go and needed another caution if he hoped to make it to the end. That caution never flew, forcing Dixon to pit with two to go.
From there it was all Palou. The three-time IndyCar champion took the checkered flag 2.1725s clear of Felix Rosenqvist to return to his winning ways.
Felix Rosenqvist, Meyer Shank Racing
Felix Rosenqvist, Meyer Shank Racing
Rosenqvist's runner-up result was his best finish since 2023. Santino Ferrucci followed in third, giving A.J. Foyt Racing another feel-good podium. Ferrucci rightfully celebrated with a Miller Lite tossed his way by a fan after he stopped by turn 1, his car out of fuel.
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Kirkwood and Marcus Armstrong capped off the top five, with Kyffin Simpson, David Malukas, Nolan Siegel, Dixon and Rinus VeeKay completing the top-10.
It was an action-packed day from the opening corners at America's National Park of Speed. Three cautions flew in the opening 10 laps, including a yellow just two corners into the race when David Malukas was late on the brakes and ran into Christian Lundgaard in a top-five battle on the race start, sending Malukas spinning into the gravel trap.
The race got back underway three laps later, with fierce battles for position throughout the field. But the caution flew again for a Robert Shwartzman crash in Canada Corner before the end of the lap. It took until lap 8 for the field to complete a full lap, and the yellow flag was displayed again just two laps later when Sting Ray Robb nearly crashed into a braking Marcus Armstrong and slammed into the concrete barrier on driver's right before sliding into the tire barrier.
Scott Dixon, Chip Ganassi Racing
Scott Dixon, Chip Ganassi Racing
More chaos followed in the mid-section of the event. Conor Daly wound out sliding into the barrier after a similar late braking mistake into turn 5. Power spun in Canada Corner with 28 to go. Newgarden did the same at the exit of the final corner to bring out the final caution on lap 30. Lundgaard wound up going for a spin after catching a bump in a runoff area while battling Colton Herta.
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Given all the incidents, there was a real chance that Dixon would catch the caution he needed in the closing stretch. But in the end, it never came. Instead IndyCar's status quo returned. Palou marched back to victory lane, continued Honda's undefeated streak and stretched the number of races he and Kirkwood have combined to sweep to nine events.
The IndyCar field will return to action on July 6 at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course.
To read more Motorsport.com articles visit our website.
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