Alex Palou Pads Championship Lead With Iowa Win: ‘It’s Magical’

NTT INDYCAR SERIES: Alex Palou Extends Championship Lead With Iowa Win: ‘It’s Magical’

Updated Jul. 13, 2025, 9:15 p.m. ET

NEWTON, Iowa — Alex Palou has positioned himself strongly in the championship race with a substantial 21-point lead over the nearest competitor, even if he were to sit out the next two races. With five races left on the calendar, Palou enjoys a commanding 129-point advantage over Pato O’Ward and feels confident that he can secure the championship, barring any unforeseen events.

Following his victory at Iowa Speedway on Sunday, Palou shared that his approach has remained consistent throughout the season. “Honestly, that’s how we’ve been racing since Race 1 in St. Pete,” Palou remarked. “We started racing not thinking about the points since it was the first race of the season. I raced hard today, as hard as I could, risking everything because I wanted to get the win.”

He continued, “I don’t think we’ve ever raced for points. The only instances I can recall were probably Nashville last year and Long Beach in 2021, where we were aware that finishing in a specific position could lead to the championship jilipark.” The other drivers know they are competing against someone exceptional.

O’Ward finished fifth in the second race of the Iowa doubleheader, having won the first race of the weekend just a day prior. While this might typically close the gap in the championship standings, Palou’s performance on Sunday allowed him to build on his fifth-place finish on Saturday, ultimately securing the victory and earning four additional points over the weekend compared to O’Ward.

“He’s got to not finish for two races, and we’ve got to be on the podium — or even winning — and maybe we’ll catch a whiff of him,” O’Ward said. “The longer this championship goes on, the more you see it not happening.” Kyle Kirkwood, who entered the weekend 113 points down, now ranks fourth, 180 points behind, while Scott Dixon’s second-place finish placed him third, 173 points back.

“They’re executing superbly and just doing a better job than everyone else,” Dixon commented.

Palou’s current car seems to suit his driving style well. “Alex has a very smooth driving style, quite similar to Dario [Franchitti],” said Dixon, a six-time series champion and a teammate to Palou at Chip Ganassi Racing. “On the other hand, with all that weight at the back in the hybrid car, it’s challenging for me. My aggressive style tends to agitate the car.”

Sunday’s race unfolded favorably for Palou. Josef Newgarden appeared to have the speed advantage, but during his last green-flag pit stop, a caution was called due to a wreck involving Callum Ilott. This left Palou in the lead since he had yet to pit and required him to fend off challengers like David Malukas, Dixon, and Marcus Armstrong. Palou also navigated through traffic effectively, as his team had prioritized speed over fuel mileage.

“I felt like I was Lightning McQueen or something while passing so many cars,” Palou said with excitement. “For the first time, I wasn’t being overtaken every lap on a short oval. It was incredibly fun.” He enjoyed the challenge of dealing with different cars and their respective lines.

It’s hard not to see Palou smiling these days. Even during a tornado warning on Friday, he attempted to stay positive as his wife and daughter sought shelter in the media center with other INDYCAR team members. com “Being here [in the media center] and seeing so many people actually makes it feel safer,” Palou explained about the previous weekend’s adventure. “Seeing 90 percent of the paddock outside snapping pictures and videos at least reassured me that we weren’t being irresponsible. https //www.okebet168.com/”

Palou has taken care of business throughout the year and aims for an ambitious goal of 10 wins by securing three victories in the final five events. “I’m going to work toward getting 10, obviously, but I’m not waking up each day thinking about it,” Palou noted. “It’s a realistic target, but it’s still far; that’s three wins online jili slot. It feels like it’s just three, but it’s a significant challenge.” With seven wins already this year, he remarked, “Honestly, it’s crazy. It’s been an incredible season. It’s tough to describe; it’s magical 188 jili login register.”

What are your thoughts on Alex Palou’s remarkable season so far?