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Jeffrey Hrunka - INDYCAR Contributor Penske Entertainment/Joe Skibinski Monterey, CA -It’s rare that Alex Palou has a bad day at the racetrack. It's even more surprising when it's at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca, a circuit where he has found so much success in the past. A difficult adjustment to a four-stop strategy saw Palou fall through the pack in Sunday's Mission Foods Grand Prix of Monterey. Fortunately, he was able to rally back for an eighth-place finish. “It's toug

Jeffrey Hrunka - INDYCAR Contributor Penske Entertainment/Travis Hinkle Monterey, CA - A drawn-out drought comes to an end for Scott McLaughlin in the Mission Foods Grand Prix of Monterey. After two years, McLaughlin finds victory lane with Team Penske holding off a charging Kyle Kirkwood, who takes second-place honors in the championship standings at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca on Sunday afternoon. “A culmination of some hard work,” McLaughlin, driver of the No.3 Team Pe

JEFFREY HRUNKA - INDYCAR CONTRIBUTOR Casey Shepherd (Motorsports Today, 2026) Kyle Kirkwood is in pursuit of his first championship, only sitting second in the NTT INDYCAR SERIES standings entering the Freedom 250 Grand Prix of Washington, D.C. race weekend. The kicker is that he is over 100 points behind championship leader Alex Palou, who is poised to take his fifth championship in the last six years. Still, confidence to close that gap this weekend is at an all-time high.

Jeffrey Hrunka - INDYCAR Contributor Casey Shepherd (Motorsports Today, 2026) Hype, crowd fare and driver approval couldn’t get the first practice session of the Ontario Honda Dealers Indy at Markham off the ground, as several delays due to track repairs meant on-track activity was shifted to Saturday. “Yeah, I think there are a day behind,” Will Power, driver of the No.26 Andretti Global Honda, said. Race teams arrived at the track on Friday morning to find barriers being mo

Jeffrey Hrunka - INDYCAR Contributor Riley Ogle (Motorsports Today, 2026) Alex Palou continued to extend his championship lead with a dominant victory in the OnlyBulls Grand Prix of Portland at Portland International Raceway on Sunday evening. The Spaniard out-strategized the field with an early overcut en route to his sixth victory this season. “Having Alex and his talent, like there's nothing that replaces that,” No.10 Chip Ganassi Racing Race Strategist Barry Wanser said.

Jeffrey Hrunka - INDYCAR Contributor Casey Shepherd (Motorsports Today, 2026) The right strategy at the right time. After running outside the podium places for the first half of the Borchetta Bourbon Music City Grand Prix, Alex Palou caught a caution to assume the lead and led 97 laps en route to his first career victory at Nashville Superspeedway. “I'm so happy. I knew we had a great car. It's one of those tracks that we've been struggling in the past. I know last year we w

Jeffrey Hrunka - INDYCAR Contributor Riley Ogle (Motorsports Today, 2026) Alex Palou continued to dominate on the timing sheets, earning his fourth straight NTT INDYCAR SERIES pole position. He outpaced championship adversaries David Maulkas and Kyle Kirkwood, who line up second and third for the Bommarito Automotive Group 500. Even with the pole, Palou remained hesitant on his pace for the Bommarito 500. Yet, it was his increased preparation and focus around the track that m

Jeffrey Hrunka - INDYCAR Contributor Casey Shepherd (Motorsports Today, 2026) Street courses are always a wildcard on the NTT INDYCAR SERIES schedule, as heavy braking zones and tight-knit racing are a recipe for trouble. This could not be truer in Sunday afternoon’s edition of the Chevrolet Detroit Grand Prix, as Palou stayed ahead of the chaos between cautions for his fourth victory of the season. "It was not an easy day at all. It was not like a straight -- there's races w

EDDIE KALEGI - STAFF WRITER Alex Palou celebrates his third win of 2026, and his first career victory at Long Beach. (Photo Credit: Penske Entertainment, April 19, 2026) Sunday’s Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach had no shortage of drama, particularly on pit road and hours after the race. An underrated driver from an underrated team dominated qualifying and much of the proceedings, but INDYCAR’s star remained inevitable. Here are four takeaways from what we saw in round 5 of the

Jeffrey Hrunka - INDYCAR Contributor Casey Shepherd (Motorsports Today, 2026) Alex Palou put on a dominant performance around Barber Motorsports Park for the Children’s of Alabama Indy Grand Prix, leading 79 laps en route to his second win of the season on Sunday. His perfect day was cemented by a significant gain in the point standings, as his 21st victory vaulted Palou two points behind championship leader Kyle Kirkwood. "I'm glad the 13th pole didn't affect the result. Th

Jeffrey Hrunka - INDYCAR Contributor Marvin Hernandez Jr. (Motorsports Today, 2026) Alex Palou remained untouchable on the Streets of St. Petersburg, leading 59 laps en route to his 20th career victory. After taking the lead by overcutting the field during the first set of green-flag pit stops, the Spaniard pulled out a 12.4-second lead on the rest of the field, the largest winning margin in Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg history. "I was sad last year that the season

Staff Writer - Jeffrey Hrunka Photo Credit: Penske Entertainment/James Black Three Race Wins, four podiums and a pole continue to put an...

Jeffrey Hrunka - Staff Writer Photo Credit: Penske Entertainment/Chris Owens One Word. Untouchable. Alex Palou led the field to green and...

Jeffrey Hrunka - Staff Writer Photo Credit: Penske Entertainment/Joe Skibinski (Aspects of the race may been left out due to technical...

Jeffrey Hrunka - Staff Writer Marvin Hernandez Jr. After a lap-one wreck split the field on strategy, Alex Palou played his cards right...