Latest news with #Palou
Fox Sports
a day ago
- Automotive
- Fox Sports
Inside Line: Hectic July Takeaways?
INDYCAR Today's question: The NTT INDYCAR SERIES just conducted five races in July. What is your biggest takeaway from this intense summer stretch of action? Curt Cavin: Since I lead off this discussion, let's begin by acknowledging Alex Palou's successful month. In tennis it's called holding serve, and he actually did more than that. He entered July with a 93-point lead and exits it ahead by 121 points, thanks to four top-five finishes (two wins) in five races. Pato O'Ward did the best he could, losing only 10 points to Palou during the month, but the Arrow McLaren driver needed to do more to unseat the champ. Meanwhile, Kyle Kirkwood faded, and Scott Dixon has had too large of a points hole to climb out of it. So, July's big winner is Palou. The Astor Challenge Cup awaits him in August. Eric Smith: How about the emergence of Pato O'Ward? Entering the month, Alex Palou and Kyle Kirkwood had won the first nine races and were considered the championship favorites. But O'Ward surged past Kirkwood in July to second in the standings, scoring 194 points -- second-most among all 27 drivers, and just 10 points shy of Palou for the month. He went head-to-head with the two-time defending series champion and delivered an impressive run: two wins (Iowa 1 and Toronto), two fifth-place finishes (Mid-Ohio and Iowa 2) and a fourth-place at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca. Most impressive? After a seventh-place finish in Detroit, O'Ward told me street courses had been his team's Achilles' heel. He had previously finished 11th in St. Petersburg and 13th at Long Beach. For him and his team not only to improve on street circuits but to break through with a win proves just how legitimate this team is. Paul Kelly: Curt and Eric make solid points about Alex Palou and Pato O'Ward's winning ways in July. But I'm looking a little further down the results sheet and like what I see. It was refreshing to see some new names enter the upper echelon of the series with strong results at one or more of the five races this month. There are plenty of examples, whether it was Rinus VeeKay chasing winner O'Ward to the finish at Toronto, Kyffin Simpson's impressive first career podium at the same race, Marcus Armstrong placing third on the short oval at Iowa or Christian Lundgaard continuing his breakout season with podium finishes at Mid-Ohio and Laguna Seca. There appears to be a trend of young drivers finding their way in one of the toughest, most competitive series in the world. I won't go so far as to say this is a changing of the guard, but this field just continues to get deeper with emerging talent if you look past Palou's deserved dominance. recommended Item 1 of 1
Indianapolis Star
2 days ago
- Sport
- Indianapolis Star
How Alex Palou can clinch fourth IndyCar championship at Portland
It's official: Alex Palou's lone remaining 2025 IndyCar title challenger Pato O'Ward no longer has control of his longshot of all longshot title hopes still with three races remaining in the season. What does that mean? It means that no matter what O'Ward does, even if he were to pull off a max points weekend at Portland International Raceway next month, Palou could still end the Arrow McLaren driver's mathematical shot at what would be his first IndyCar title in his seven-year career by virtue of a runner-up finish and leading a lap. In stick-and-ball sports with teams battling for playoff spots, we'd say a team no longer has control of its own destiny. Although it's felt that way for the Chip Ganassi Racing driver's title challengers for two months or more, it's mathematically locked in now, after Palou snagged his eighth win of the season — becoming the first driver in the sport to do so since 2007 (Sebastien Bourdais) and the first outside the split (Al Unser Jr.). Palou's 2025 campaign is one of just 10 driver seasons in the various iterations of major American open-wheel racing dating back to 1946 to have reached eight wins — a feat only seven other drivers have reached (Mario Andretti did so three times with eight wins each in 1966 and 1967 and nine in 1969). He reached that milestone Sunday at Laguna Seca — a race he won from pole, the fourth time he's done so this season in five out-front starts, compared to a 1-8 record for the rest of the field — by thoroughly dominating the race at the central California track yet again, leading 84 of 95 laps and only briefly surrendering the lead to an off-sequence Nolan Siegel during a pit cycle. It was Palou's third win at the track over his last four starts, continuing his run of five starts at Laguna Seca without a finish off the podium. 'I think this was probably one of our best weekends ever,' Palou said. And even yet, after having eliminated 25 of the series' 27 full-season drivers from title contention with three rounds left and O'Ward 121 points adrift, Palou remained unwilling to put on the crown just yet. 'It's never over until it's over,' he said. 'I think I proved that at Mid-Ohio, and we've seen that in the past as well. 'It's not done until it's done. We still need to win it. We still need to keep our heads down and try to win some more races.' IndyCar TV ratings: Series maintains recent audience trend despite head-to-head Brickyard 400 battle Palou's correct; the No. 10 CGR crew led by strategist Barry Wanser, engineer Julian Robertson and crew chief Ricky Davis would've needed to leave Laguna Seca with a 162-point cushion to O'Ward in order to have this championship wrapped up with three races remaining — a feat made impossible by virtue of the combination of O'Ward's Toronto win a week ago and Palou's 12th-place finish that slashed 30 points off the championship leader's advantage down to 99. But Palou needs to be just 108 points up on O'Ward leaving Portland on Aug. 10 to lock the championship up, meaning the young Mexican driver needs to make up a minimum of 14 points to stay mathematically alive. The maximum points any driver can score in a non-Indy 500 event is 54 — including 50 for a win, a point each for winning pole and leading at least one lap and two points for leading the most laps of any driver. Those bonus points can trickle down to any other driver on the grid (with the caveat that only one driver can win pole and only one can lead the most laps in the race), so there aren't point totals a driver finishing in a certain spot would earn. But the base point awards for given finishing positions are as follows: 40 points for second; 35 for third; 32 for fourth; 30 points for fifth (and two fewer for each successive position down to 20 for 10th); 19 points for 11th (and one fewer for each successive position down to five for 25th); five points for each position below 25th. Points report: IndyCar 2025 drivers title, Rookie of the Year, Leaders Circle standings after Laguna Seca Without listing every single points possibility that would either keep O'Ward alive or allow Palou to clinch (keeping in mind O'Ward stays alive by making up at least 14 points and Palou can clinch at Portland by staying within 13 points of O'Ward), here are the nuggets of note that would allow Palou to secure Aug. 10 his fourth IndyCar title in five years: But there are additional ways in which Palou could leave Portland knowing he and the No. 10 crew need only take the green flag in the final two races of the season at the Milwaukee Mile and Nashville Superspeedway, earning a minimum of five points in both instances, to clinch the title. With Palou's 121-point cushion, he need score a minimum of 41 points over the final three races to guarantee himself the championship. O'Ward could finish with a run of three perfect 54-point weekends, and 41 additional points for Palou would still wrap things up. McLaren Racing CEO Zak Brown: IndyCar must remain 'commercially viable' despite team's growth That 41-point target would amount to finishing 16th in the final three races (without any bonus points), for 42 points. None of the top 8 drivers in points have suffered a three-race stretch at any point this year where they've scored fewer than 41 points, and Palou has never had such a stretch in his five seasons with Ganassi. With that in mind, given Palou's lead and the knowledge that holding an 108-point lead after Portland would secure his fourth championship, he would only needs a 98-point cushion leaving the 15th race of the season to feel as if things are locked up given five points if he starts the final two races. Here's a sampling of how Palou could maintain a 98-point leaving Portland and needing to start the final two races for the championship: Best in class: Pato O'Ward targeting second-place IndyCar championship finish
Fox News
2 days ago
- 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
3 days ago
- 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
Fox Sports
3 days ago
- Automotive
- Fox Sports
Instant Recall: WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca
INDYCAR If there was any doubt about Alex Palou on Sunday at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca, he erased it early in and throughout the Java House Grand Prix of Monterey. Get used to it, folks. Palou not only has set the standard for this sport; he is the standard. Palou would have led all 95 laps from the pole if there wasn't that pesky business of needing to stop for fuel. Nolan Siegel had pitted much earlier in the race, on Lap 12, and that's why his Arrow McLaren machine was a few paces ahead of Palou for 11 laps. After that? Well, it was all Palou. Again. The driver of Chip Ganassi Racing's No. 10 DHL Honda has now won three of the past four races on the Monterey Peninsula, and he finished third last year. Palou has competed there five times. His average finish is a ridiculous 1.6. And, he has won the past two poles. Palou gapped fellow front-row starter Pato O'Ward so quickly Sunday that it might have seemed the Arrow McLaren driver had an issue. He did, of course. His name is Alex Palou. The Spaniard now has eight wins in 14 races this season, and guess what: His second-best track is next on the schedule. Palou has won two of the past four races at Portland International Raceway, site of the Grand Prix of Portland on Sunday, Aug. 10 at 3 p.m. ET (FOX, FOX Sports app, INDYCAR Radio Network). He finished second to Team Penske's Will Power there a year ago. He might have another absurd average finish at that track had he not finished 12th there in 2022. By now, Palou's third consecutive series championship and fourth in five years is virtually a foregone conclusion. We can save that analyzation for another day, but his lead is 121 points with only 162 points available the rest of the way. He should officially be handed the Astor Challenge Cup on Sunday, Aug. 31 at Nashville Superspeedway. While everything at Laguna Seca featured Palou, there were other shining drives. Arrow McLaren's Christian Lundgaard drove from seventh to finish second. That's now five podium finishes for the Danish driver who had only three in his first three full seasons. Lundgaard and Colton Herta of Andretti Global w/ Curb-Agajanian had a spirited battle, and Lundgaard used a mid-race shoulder to uproot Herta for the position mid-race. Herta continued his family's run of Laguna Seca success, but Palou's dominance makes it seem like forever ago that a Herta was the talk of this track. O'Ward finished fourth, but he never seemed in the game. Yet, that added to his career year, already the ninth top-five finish which includes two wins. Barring unforeseen circumstances, the Mexican will finish a career-best second in the standings. (It should be noted that O'Ward trails Palou by 121 points, but he leads Chip Ganassi Racing's Scott Dixon by 77 points, so it's unlikely he moves out of the second position.) Dixon gained 14 positions in Sunday's race to finish fifth, and that enabled him to overtake Andretti Global's Kyle Kirkwood for third in the standings. Assuming Dixon holds the position, he will finish in the top three in points for the 16th time in his Hall-of-Fame career. Kirkwood, meanwhile, had a July to forget. There were five races, and he posted an average finish of 14.8. Sunday, he finished 16th with a drive-through penalty for contact with Dale Coyne Racing's Rinus VeeKay. He has lost 120 points to Palou this month. PREMA Racing's Callum Ilott had another strong weekend at Laguna Seca. The only front-row qualifying effort of his career in this series came in 2022. In 2023, he tied his career-best finish by coming home fifth. Sunday, he drove from 24th to finish sixth. One more performance to single out: Ed Carpenter Racing's Christian Rasmussen finished ninth, his third top-10 result in the past four races. This has been a breakout season for the second-year driver who won the INDY NXT by Firestone championship in 2023. Beyond that it was all Palou as it has been all season. He is poised to go wire to wire in this historic season. recommended Item 1 of 2
