Alex Palou’s Impeccable Long-Run Speed Secures Victory

Alex Palou continued his successful run, securing his third straight win in the Sonsio Grand Prix. Starting the race on pole, Palou led 26 laps and demonstrated impressive consistency, managing his tires and race strategy masterfully. Despite Graham Rahal’s early dominance leading 49 laps, Palou sealed the victory by making a decisive pass on Lap 58.

Those cars (Chip Ganassi Racing) are in a league of their own. The grip that they have, the ability to follow so close compared to everybody else, I just don’t know. I am genuinely proud. I don’t think I locked up once. I don’t think I put a wheel wrong. I defended as best I could. They’re in a different stratosphere of grip. We tried our best. The Honda was quick today.
Graham Rahal

Palou’s superior long-run speed, coupled with a strategic mistake on Rahal’s final pit stop, sealed the win for the No. 10 DHL Chip Ganassi Racing Honda. This victory extends Palou’s lead at the top of the NTT INDYCAR SERIES standings.

Kyle Kirkwood Regains Second Place in standings

Kyle Kirkwood showcased his resilience and racecraft, charging from 21st to 8th in the No. 27 PreFab Honda for Andretti Global. This result helped him regain second place in the championship, 97 points behind Palou. Kirkwood believes he can maintain this position heading into the upcoming races at the Indianapolis 500, Chevrolet Detroit Grand Prix, and Bommarito Automotive Group 500, where he expects strong performances.

It’s almost disappointing to be second and this far behind. Good day today from the weekend we had. We didn’t get warmup, so we were trying to win the race blind, especially with tire strategy. We just didn’t really know, but we played our cards right. We had a really good race, and I think we got mostly everything out of it.
Kyle Kirkwood

Josef Newgarden’s Focus Shifts to Indianapolis 500

Two-time series champion Josef Newgarden recovered from an early mechanical issue to finish 12th in the Sonsio Grand Prix. Starting at the back after a pre-race problem, Newgarden climbed back into contention but acknowledged the challenging nature of making progress on a field that went green virtually the entire race. With the Indianapolis 500 approaching, Newgarden aims to secure his third consecutive win at the iconic event.

Rookie Robert Shwartzman Displays Gritty Performance

Despite minimal track time before the race and starting last, rookie Robert Shwartzman displayed remarkable adaptability and resilience. Overcoming overheating issues, incorrect gear ratios, and limited experience on the Indianapolis Motor Speedway road course, Shwartzman rallied to finish 18th. His performance speaks to his raw talent and learning curve, as he navigated the challenges with poise.

Odds and Ends

• The eventual season champion has finished on the podium in the last five Sonsio Grand Prix races, with Palou, Pato O’Ward, and Will Power continuing the trend.
• Pato O’Ward extended his strong record at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, finishing runner-up for the second year in a row at the Sonsio Grand Prix.
• Will Power tied Michael Andretti for seventh all-time in top-five finishes with 139.
• Scott Dixon equaled Mario Andretti’s record of 407 career starts.
• Rinus VeeKay was the Hard Charger of the race, climbing 15 positions.