Palou recovers in Portland for 3rd win and Indycar lead
PORTLAND, Ore. – Alex Palou recovered from first-lap trouble at Portland International Raceway to win for the third time this season and reclaim the Indycar points lead. The victory put the Spaniard back on top of the standings for the ninth time in 14 races this season. The second-year Indycar driver had lost a 42-point lead in back-to-back races and came to Portland down 10 points to Pato O’ward. Although O’ward led 28 laps, he couldn’t put a complete race together and the Ganassi drivers slowly picked their way back into contention. Palou had returned to the lead and was out front for a pair of restarts in the final 20 laps, holding off Alexander Rossi both times to preserve the victory. The 24-year-old moved back atop the standings and takes a 25point lead over O’ward into next week’s road course race at Laguna Seca in California. The season then concludes Sept. 26 on the streets of Long Beach, marking three tracks where Palou has never raced to close the season and his first championship. Rossi finished a season-best second for his first podium of the season and was followed by Dixon, who despite finishing third lost ground in his bid for his seventh Indycar title. Jack Harvey finished fourth, and two-time series champion Josef Newgarden rallied from his 18th-place starting position to a fifth-place finish. He’s fourth in the standings, 34 points behind Palou.