INDYCAR: PALOU OWNS PORTLAND
- Cavalieri Garage Magazine
- 4 days ago
- 2 min read
Alex Palou continues to set the standard in the NTT IndyCar Series, adding another victory at Portland. The Chip Ganassi Racing driver earned his 25th career win and his sixth of an increasingly remarkable season, collecting another major haul of points in his pursuit of a fifth championship. The No. 10 Honda crossed the finish line ahead of Felix Rosenqvist and Will Power after another nearly flawless performance.
The first of six races scheduled over the next five weeks initially belonged to Felix Rosenqvist, who started from pole and controlled Palou during the opening stages. The Spaniard also came under pressure from Marcus Ericsson, who managed to get past the No. 10 early in the race.
The first major turning point came on Lap 7, when a problem for Graham Rahal brought out the yellow flag. The caution immediately opened the door for alternate strategies, with Josef Newgarden and Santino Ferrucci among those choosing to pit early. The move eventually placed them first and second once their rivals made their stops on Lap 32.
Palou's decisive move came during the first green-flag pit cycle. The Ganassi driver jumped Rosenqvist in pit lane, effectively taking control of the race. Once the sequence of stops was completed, the No. 10 Honda emerged ahead of Rosenqvist, Will Power, and Kyle Kirkwood.
With no further cautions, tire management and strategy became crucial. The harder tire compound proved to be the strongest option over the long runs, allowing Palou to gradually build his advantage and turn the second half of the race into another demonstration of his consistency and speed.
There were no late surprises. Palou secured his third career victory at Portland, taking the checkered flag ahead of Rosenqvist and Power. Rinus VeeKay finished fourth, followed by Kirkwood and Ericsson.
McLaren, meanwhile, was largely absent from the fight at the front. Christian Lundgaard, one of Palou and Kirkwood's main championship rivals, could manage only 10th place, finishing behind the No. 8 Chip Ganassi Racing entry of Kyffin Simpson.
It was also a challenging day for Team Penske, which attempted to make an alternate strategy work without getting the desired result. Scott McLaughlin finished seventh ahead of Josef Newgarden, while David Malukas had to settle for 12th.
Palou therefore leaves Portland with an even stronger grip on the championship, as IndyCar immediately turns its attention to the next challenge. The series will head to Canada next week for its first-ever race in Markham, the new event replacing Toronto on the schedule.
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