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Indianapolis Star
2 days ago
- Automotive
- Indianapolis Star
'This juices it up for all you fans': Pato O'Ward starts out front at Portland with narrow title hopes
PORTLAND – Pato O'Ward continues to insist IndyCar's two-man championship showdown is over for all intents and purposes. And yet, if you were putting together a script for Sunday's third-to-last race in hopes of igniting a drama-filled afternoon, the front rows of IndyCar's starting grid for this weekend's race at Portland International Raceway couldn't be drawn up any better. In top starting spot, headed toward the most treacherous Turn 1 on the IndyCar calendar, is O'Ward, 121 points back of runaway championship leader Alex Palou and needing to make up at least 14 points to hold onto a mathematical shot at the Astor Cup following Sunday's checkered flag and a minimum of 24 should he hope to still have a chance with two races to go that doesn't involve Palou missing one of the final two races. After an over-zealous run in the closing minutes of Saturday's Fast Six, Palou sent his No. 10 Honda into the tires in Turn 12, leaving him to qualify sixth, the Chip Ganassi Racing driver's worst qualifying performance at a track where he won in 2021 and 2023 and took runner-up a year ago. And yet, he'll advance one spot to 5th on Sunday's grid, as O'Ward teammate Christian Lundgaard snagged his first pole of the year on Saturday but was forced to take a six-spot grid penalty due to an unapproved engine change made between Practices 1 and 2, leaving him to start ever so curiously immediately behind Palou in 7th. Presuming the Danish driver, who sits 5th in the championship with three races to go and aspires to be a spot or two higher by the end of the season, doesn't purposefully turn into a human bowling ball as his No. 7 Chevy barrels toward Turn 1, he, at minimum, could make things noticeably difficult for his teammate's title challenger. But does Palou expect a borderline overzealous lunge from behind? Is Lundgaard willing to play gunner for O'Ward at the risk of ruining his shot at a 3rd-place championship finish? Sparks could come to a head rather quickly come Sunday's green flag. 'It's tough. I think everybody plays it by how we get that start with the position you're in. I think mostly everybody in the Fast Six will be okay by having those spots for the first lap, but there's always gaps, and people go for it,' Palou said of his inside starting spot on Row 3 for Sunday, a race where merely finishing runner-up would clinch his third consecutive IndyCar title and fourth overall with two races still to go, and where a win would keep his hopes alive to reset the sport's single-season wins record. Insider: How Alex Palou can clinch fourth IndyCar championship at Portland 'I don't know how I'm going to take it. Depends on if there's a gap or not,' he continued. 'I know that by winning the race, I can win both things. That's obviously the goal, and I think everybody's going to try and win the race tomorrow, but we need to see. 'I'm not going to drive differently just because we have a chance. As long as we finish the year with the championship at home, that's the goal, right? If we can get it tomorrow, great. And if we can't, it's okay. But I think knowing that by winning the race we can clinch it here, that's what we're shooting for.' On Friday, O'Ward, told IndyStar he has his sights set on locking up a runner-up finish in the championship – what would be a career-best for the 26-year-old Mexican driver – and that any opportunity for such a mindset to allow for his longshot title odds to remain alive would merely be 'extra gravy on those mashed potatoes, because it doesn't really depend on what we do. It depends on if (Palou) is lucky or not.' In short, he's not about to roll the dice on a longshot strategy to try and force a win that's likely not in the cards in hopes of preserving his minuscule chances for another couple weeks. Max points is the focus for the driver who's won twice in 2025 and remains the only challenger Palou with a mathematical shot at the title up against a driver who's on one of the sport's best modern-day campaigns. Focusing forward, inward: Despite looming IndyCar title battle, Alex Palou, Pato O'Ward focused on themselves at Portland 'This juices it up for all you fans, but this guy's pretty much won (the championship) already. I know they're making a big deal out of this, the championship, but we're (so far) back,' O'Ward said Saturday after qualifying. 'He has got to have the worst luck he's ever had in his career, just like the best luck he's had in his career so far this year, in order for us to keep this alive. 'We're focusing on our car, on our end, and we'll see where we can capitalize. I'll be thinking about winning the race, and the points will take care of themselves.' And Lundgaard, his teammate, has said repeatedly this weekend he plans to do the same, swatting down any idea he could take on a No. 2 driver role – ala Formula 1 – to try and be O'Ward's wingman and either shadow Palou to try and take away points from the season-long championship leader with O'Ward on a separate strategy, or roll the dice on a longshot one as O'Ward attempts to mirror Palou and come out on top. Details: IndyCar Grand Prix of Portland qualifying, starting lineup, time, TV, schedule 'Ultimately, I'm fighting for my own championship. That's where my priorities lie,' said Lundgaard, who sits 19 points out of 4th -place (Kyle Kirkwood) and 34 back of 3rd-place (Scott Dixon). 'If I have a chance of passing Alex, I will, but it's not to help Pato. At the end of the day, that's not how we race. 'If you're a lap down, sure, make (Palou's) life hard, but I don't think any of us want to race that way, and at the end of the day, we're all competitors, and I'm still racing for something just as (Pato's) still racing for something. So I wouldn't say I'm going to give up everything and say, 'Hey, I'm at your disposal.''
Fox News
29-07-2025
- Automotive
- Fox News
INDYCAR Power Rankings: It's Alex Palou's World
The run for Pato O'Ward atop these INDYCAR rankings didn't last all that long. It's Alex Palou's world and the rest of the drivers are just living in it, recognizing that they could have an excellent season and still not match Palou. Palou's eight wins give him the chance to clinch the title at the next race in two weeks at Portland. He sits 121 points ahead of O'Ward and needs to leave Portland with a 108-point lead to clinch his fourth championship. Here's how the drivers stack up after the weekend at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca: Dropped out: Rinus VeeKay (Last Week: 10) On the verge: Josef Newgarden, Graham Rahal, Christian Rasmussen 10. David Malukas (Last Week: 8) Malukas had a strong qualifying effort in making the Fast Six but was 13th in the race. That's still two top 10s in his last three starts and no finish worse than 15th since early May for the A.J. Foyt Racing driver. He's 10th in the standings. 9. Felix Rosenqvist (Last Week: 6) Rosenqvist found himself in the barrier in the opening lap after contact from Kyffin Simpson. He wound up 24th. He started 12th, so that can happen in the middle of the pack, but the Meyer Shank driver never got to show what he had. He's sixth in the standings. 8. Will Power (Last Week: Not Ranked) Power started fifth and finished seventh as the top-running Team Penske driver in the race. He's ninth in the standings despite two engine issues in the last month. 7. Kyle Kirkwood (Last Week: 4) Kirkwood had a race to forget, as he was penalized with a stop-and-go for avoidable contact when he got into Rinus VeeKay. He finished 16th and was mathematically eliminated from championship contention. The Andretti driver is still fourth in the standings. 6. Marcus Armstrong (Last Week: 5) Armstrong continues to have a workman-like season, starting 10th and finishing eighth. The Meyer Shank driver has eight top 10s in the last nine races and is eighth in the standings. 5. Colton Herta (Last Week: 9) Herta started third and finished third for his second podium of the season. The Andretti driver now has back-to-back finishes of fourth and third and maybe has found his groove. This could be a little bit late for the 2025 season but still good to see. He is seventh in the series standings. 4. Scott Dixon (Last Week: 3) Dixon was ninth and finished fifth for his sixth top five of the season. A teammate of Palou's at Ganassi and a six-time champion himself, Dixon (third in the standings) was mathematically eliminated from having a shot at the title. 3. Christian Lundgaard (Last Week: 7) Lundgaard's second-place finish was his fifth podium of the season in a year when he still seeks his first win. He ran a solid race but still finished 3.8 seconds behind Palou. The Arrow McLaren driver is fifth in the standings. 2. Pato O'Ward (Last Week: 1) O'Ward wasn't the happiest with his car but still muscled his way to a fourth-place finish. The Arrow McLaren driver is still mathematically alive in the championship hunt, but he is a distant second at 121 points behind Palou. 1. Alex Palou (Last Week: 2) Another pole. Another win. Another race where he earned max points. The Ganassi driver looked pretty much unbeatable on the way to his eighth victory of the year and would need a huge collapse and an O'Ward surge to get beat for the title. Bob Pockrass covers NASCAR and INDYCAR for FOX Sports. He has spent decades covering motorsports, including over 30 Daytona 500s, with stints at ESPN, Sporting News, NASCAR Scene magazine and The (Daytona Beach) News-Journal. Follow him on Twitter @bobpockrass.
Fox Sports
28-07-2025
- Automotive
- Fox Sports
INDYCAR Power Rankings: It's Alex Palou's World
The run for Pato O'Ward atop these INDYCAR rankings didn't last all that long. It's Alex Palou's world and the rest of the drivers are just living in it, recognizing that they could have an excellent season and still not match Palou. Palou's eight wins give him the chance to clinch the title at the next race in two weeks at Portland. He sits 121 points ahead of O'Ward and needs to leave Portland with a 108-point lead to clinch his fourth championship. Here's how the drivers stack up after the weekend at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca: Dropped out: Rinus VeeKay (Last Week: 10) On the verge: Josef Newgarden, Graham Rahal, Christian Rasmussen 10. David Malukas (Last Week: 8) Malukas had a strong qualifying effort in making the Fast Six but was 13th in the race. That's still two top 10s in his last three starts and no finish worse than 15th since early May for the A.J. Foyt Racing driver. He's 10th in the standings. 9. Felix Rosenqvist (Last Week: 6) Rosenqvist found himself in the barrier in the opening lap after contact from Kyffin Simpson. He wound up 24th. He started 12th, so that can happen in the middle of the pack, but the Meyer Shank driver never got to show what he had. He's sixth in the standings. 8. Will Power (Last Week: Not Ranked) Power started fifth and finished seventh as the top-running Team Penske driver in the race. He's ninth in the standings despite two engine issues in the last month. 7. Kyle Kirkwood (Last Week: 4) Kirkwood had a race to forget, as he was penalized with a stop-and-go for avoidable contact when he got into Rinus VeeKay. He finished 16th and was mathematically eliminated from championship contention. The Andretti driver is still fourth in the standings. 6. Marcus Armstrong (Last Week: 5) Armstrong continues to have a workman-like season, starting 10th and finishing eighth. The Meyer Shank driver has eight top 10s in the last nine races and is eighth in the standings. 5. Colton Herta (Last Week: 9) Herta started third and finished third for his second podium of the season. The Andretti driver now has back-to-back finishes of fourth and third and maybe has found his groove. This could be a little bit late for the 2025 season but still good to see. He is seventh in the series standings. 4. Scott Dixon (Last Week: 3) Dixon was ninth and finished fifth for his sixth top five of the season. A teammate of Palou's at Ganassi and a six-time champion himself, Dixon (third in the standings) was mathematically eliminated from having a shot at the title. 3. Christian Lundgaard (Last Week: 7) Lundgaard's second-place finish was his fifth podium of the season in a year when he still seeks his first win. He ran a solid race but still finished 3.8 seconds behind Palou. The Arrow McLaren driver is fifth in the standings. 2. Pato O'Ward (Last Week: 1) O'Ward wasn't the happiest with his car but still muscled his way to a fourth-place finish. The Arrow McLaren driver is still mathematically alive in the championship hunt, but he is a distant second at 121 points behind Palou. 1. Alex Palou (Last Week: 2) Another pole. Another win. Another race where he earned max points. The Ganassi driver looked pretty much unbeatable on the way to his eighth victory of the year and would need a huge collapse and an O'Ward surge to get beat for the title. Bob Pockrass covers NASCAR and INDYCAR for FOX Sports. He has spent decades covering motorsports, including over 30 Daytona 500s, with stints at ESPN, Sporting News, NASCAR Scene magazine and The (Daytona Beach) News-Journal. Follow him on Twitter @bobpockrass. recommended Item 1 of 3 Get more from the NTT INDYCAR SERIES Follow your favorites to get information about games, news and more
Indianapolis Star
27-07-2025
- Automotive
- Indianapolis Star
IndyCar's 2 championship contenders to start from front at Laguna Seca: 'I think it's great.'
Alex Palou captured his fifth pole of the 2025 IndyCar season, extending his championship lead over Pato O'Ward to 100 points. O'Ward will make a career-best start at the track Sunday on the outside of the front row, setting up an intriguing title battle. Like he did in Sunday's race on the streets of Toronto, Pato O'Ward and his No. 5 Arrow McLaren crew executed Saturday in qualifying for Sunday's race at Laguna Seca in what's become do-or-die territory for the driver and team who might need a miracle to be able to seriously challenge for an IndyCar championship come next month's season-finale at Nashville Superspeedway. But unlike Sunday at Toronto, Alex Palou and Chip Ganassi Racing shined, too. The final two realistic title contenders will start Sunday's 95-lap race at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca sharing the front row, with Palou extending his championship lead over O'Ward back to triple digits from 99 to 100 with the single bonus point awarded for taking his fifth IndyCar pole of 2025 at the track he won from pole at a year ago. In four career starts at the central California track, O'Ward had recorded a pair of Fast Six appearances, a career-best start at the track of fifth and had started no worse than ninth, but the 26-year-old Mexican driver had finished no better than fifth either — ultimately a solid but not overly impressive resume. In contrast, Palou has started all over the front half of the field in his four career starts — fourth, 11th, fifth and first — but he's never finished off the podium, with a pair of wins coming in 2022 and '24 to go with a runner-up in 2021 and third in 2023. And so as O'Ward and his team knew entering last weekend's Toronto street race, not only do they need to turn the tables on past results — something they did both on strategy smarts and raw speed in Toronto — but they also likely need Palou and his No. 10 crew to stumble, too, in order to make up valuable points to give themselves a reasonable chance with three races to go to challenge the two-time defending champs for the Astor Cup. With Palou's comfortable margin in Saturday's Fast Six — 0.2867 seconds back to O'Ward in second — it's clear more needs to be found overnight by the No. 5 crew. Qualifying results: IndyCar Java House Grand Prix at Monterey qualifying, starting lineup, time 'It's my best start here, so I'll take that,' O'Ward said participating in just his second Fast Six session of 2025, the other leading to pole at The Thermal Club in March. 'Alex just did a really strong lap. My qualifying was a bit more scrappy, especially from (Round 2 to Round 3). I found four-tenths, but I needed two more to be closer. 'It just makes it that much harder whenever the (driver) you're trying to beat is having as good of days or better. But it just makes us push even harder, and I think it's going to be a great opposition and view going into Turn 2.' Palou made a point to note that after starting last year's Laguna Seca race on pole, he lost the lead by Turn 2, but he'd ultimately ride strategy and speed back to the front to lead 48 of 95 laps and a cushion at the checkered flag of nearly 2 seconds. McLaren Racing CEO Zak Brown: IndyCar must remain 'commercially viable' despite team's growth The championship leader said he's looking forward to Sunday's battle with his lone serious title contender with whom he'll share the front row. 'I always think that it's better to have your closest competitor close. You want to be on kind of the same strategy, and you want to know — I think when you have somebody starting like 17th, it might look good on paper today, but then suddenly they do a crazy strategy and they cycle to the front, and you have, like, no chance to fight for it on track,' Palou said. 'I think it's great. I think it's good. It's for sure making it more challenging and more interesting for everybody. Honestly, I like it.' 'It's just so random and bizarre': Elsewhere throughout the front of the field, two-time Laguna Seca race winner Colton Herta will start on the inside of the second row in third with a trio of Team Penske, or Penske-affiliated, drivers trailing him in Josef Newgarden (fourth), Will Power (fifth) and David Malukas (sixth). O'Ward's teammate Christian Lundgaard will start seventh, followed by the Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing duo of Graham Rahal (eighth) and Louis Foster (ninth), with Meyer Shank Racing's Marcus Armstrong (10th) rounding out the top 10. Other notables from qualifying include Felix Rosenqvist in 12th, Scott McLaughlin in 13th, Marcus Ericsson in 15th, Kyle Kirkwood in 18th and Scott Dixon in 20th.
Fox Sports
26-07-2025
- Sport
- Fox Sports
Alex Palou, Pato O'Ward To Start 1, 2 At Laguna Seca Amid Championship Battle
MONTEREY, Calif. — Pato O'Ward couldn't be too upset with his front row starting spot for Sunday's INDYCAR race at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca. But if he looks at the driver who is on the pole, it isn't the one he would want to see. Or is it? Championship leader Alex Palou won the pole — his fifth in the 14 races this year — and earned the point that goes with it. "Now it's 100," O'Ward lamented Saturday afternoon. "It just makes it that much harder whenever the one that you're trying to beat is having as good of days or better." That 100 is the gap in the standings between Palou and second-place O'Ward. The two will start side-by-side at the front of the field for the 95-lap race Sunday (3 p.m. Eastern, FOX). Palou has dominated the season with seven victories, while O'Ward is coming off his second win of the season last week at Toronto. "You'd much rather be next to each other than not. Usually, if you're next to him, it means that you've been qualifying well because he seems to be the master this year at that, and we seem to be a little bit more of a stranger to the Fast Six [final round]," Palou said. "Our Fast Six record this year is pretty good. We've only got two and we've got a pole and a second." O'Ward knows he has an uphill climb. The Arrow McLaren driver cut 30 points off Palou's lead last week by winning at Toronto. Palou finished 12th, as his choice in tire strategy didn't produce results, with more cautions than the team had predicted. For Palou, he said having O'Ward right next to him actually helps when trying to race for the title. With four races remaining, O'Ward is the only driver who has a marginally reasonable shot to challenge Palou for the championship. "We're obviously the only two that can win the championship now," O'Ward said. "And I'm the one that's chasing down pretty hard." The maximum points a driver can earn in a weekend is 54. Palou can't clinch on Sunday but could put himself in a position to clinch at the next race in two weeks at Portland International Raceway. "It's better to have your closest competitor close," Palou said. "You want to be on the same kind of strategy. When you have somebody starting, like 17th, it might look good on paper. But then suddenly, they do a crazy strategy and they cycle to the front and you have no chance to fight for it on track." The Ganassi driver, who has won three titles in the last four years — including back-to-back championships in 2023 and 2024 — obviously likes his chances to fight for it on the track. His pole-winning speed was 0.2867 seconds faster than O'Ward in the final round. "It was not very close," O'Ward said. "We've definitely seen closer ones before. But it's my best start here, so I'll take that." O'Ward said he didn't have much for Palou in that final run. The drivers will see if they will be neck-and-neck on Sunday. "It's for sure making it more challenging and more interesting for everybody," Palou said. "I like it. Honestly, I like it." Bob Pockrass covers NASCAR and INDYCAR for FOX Sports. He has spent decades covering motorsports, including over 30 Daytona 500s, with stints at ESPN, Sporting News, NASCAR Scene magazine and The (Daytona Beach) News-Journal. Follow him on Twitter @bobpockrass. recommended Item 1 of 1 Get more from the NTT INDYCAR SERIES Follow your favorites to get information about games, news and more in this topic
