Picture Perfect! Alex Palou Wins Indianapolis 500!

SPEEDWAY, Ind. — In a feat that has only ever been seen once before in the sport of North American Open-Wheen racing, Alex Palou took the checkered flag in the 109th running of the Indianapolis 500. The win is his fifth win in the first six races of the 2025 NTT IndyCar Series.

Only AJ Foyt has ever matched that start to an IndyCar season when he won five of the first six races in the 1979 USAC Championship season.

“I cannot believe it,” Palou said. “What and amazing day. It’s amazing to win. There were moments I felt really good in the race. There were moments I thought I wouldn’t be able to get around Marcus (Ericsson), but we got it done!”

Palou started the race sixth on the outside of Row 2. Known as “the surgeon” among those in the IndyCar ranks, he surgically kept himself in the running all race long on the heels of a brilliant strategy call by his Chip Ganassi Racing team led by crew chief Barry Wanser.

The win makes Palou only the third driver ever to win both the Indianapolis 500 and the Sonsio Grand Prix in the same month. Only Will Power and Simon Pagenaud before him have equalled that effort.

Palou battled Marcus Ericsson and David Malukas in the closing laps.

Entering the final round of pit stops, fuel strategy became the main concern for the drivers in contention to win. With 50 laps left to go, Ryan Hunter-Reay actually found himself in the best spot to win with an alternate strategy, but a stall during his final pit stop cost he and his team a second Indianapolis 500.

This misfortune open the door for David Malukas, who was the de facto leader with 40 laps left in the race. He cycled in front of Palou who had less fuel and older tires. But, on another alternate strategy, Marcus Ericsson was able to pull off an overcut of both Malukas and Palou

Ericsson appeared to be primed for a second Indianapolis 500 victory. However, caught up in lapped traffic in front of him, Palou was able to keep Ericsson within reach and at the same time, save the necessary fuel he needed to save.

With 14 laps left, Palou pounced while taking advantage of a miscue by Ericsson into Turn One. That would be the race winning move as Palou held off charge after charge from Ericsson to take the win.

“That is the best milk I’ve ever tasted,” Palou said in Victory Lane. “It’s the best thing ever, and to have my daughter here with me, it’s an amazing feeling.”

The victory is Chip Ganassi’s sixth as a team owner, which ties his team with Andretti Autosport (Global) for second all-time for team wins in the Indianapolis 500.

Palou now has a 115-point lead in the NTT IndyCar championship standings, a lead that is nearly insurmountable. In fact, Palou could sit out the next two races of the season if he wanted to and still have the championship lead afterward.

The series will head to Detroit in a couple weeks.

Picture Perfect! Alex Palou Wins Indianapolis 500!  was originally published on wibc.com