The Register Citizen (Torrington, CT)
Palou becomes first Spaniard to win IndyCar championship
LONG BEACH, Calif. — Alex Palou raised the Spanish flag over his head and hugged every teammate he could find. The first championship trophy of his professional career at last in his hands, he planted his lips on the Astor Cup and savored a dream come true.
He spent two years racing in Japan, but it was IndyCar where he wanted to be and Palou simulated life as if he drove in America’s top openwheel racing series. He’s now an IndyCar champion — his first title since karting as a teen — and the first Spaniard to claim the crown in series history.
Palou finished fourth in an easy Sunday drive at the Grand Prix of Long Beach to cap a smooth and steady second season in IndyCar.
“There were moments where I was just feeling like I was living my dream, and now I’m doing it,” Palou said after the race. “Oh yeah, 100% dream completed. Let’s get another one now.”
Colton Herta won the race — Long Beach is considered his home track — for his second consecutive win and third of the season. Josef Newgarden finished second and Scott Dixon, the sixtime and reigning champion, finished third before turning the IndyCar crown over to Chip Ganassi Racing teammate Palou.
The 24-year-old had never before seen Long Beach before he arrived this weekend — the historic course was canceled last year in the pandemic — but his consistency since winning the season-opener in his first race driving for Ganassi had him in solid position. His 35-point lead meant a finish of 11th or better would win him the title, and once challenger Pato O’Ward was knocked out with a mechanical problem, Palou just needed to make it to the finish.
It capped a remarkable run in which Palou earned his break a year ago with Dale Coyne Racing then manifested his childhood dream to race for a championship by introducing himself to Ganassi at the Indianapolis 500. He moved into Ganassi’s No. 10 this year, won three races, finished second in the Indy 500 and led the standings 12 of 16 weeks.
“Chip told me when I joined that I had to win a championship, so that’s not too much pressure,” Palou joked. “He likes winners. If you are not one, you are in trouble.”
After climbing his way through the European ranks, Palou raced two years in Japan but had not won a title since competing in go-karts as a teenager in Spain.
“His apprentice program into racing most recently was in Japan, so I think he brings a lot of that Japanese mentality to the team, which a lot of us find refreshing,“Ganassi said. “He brought a certain fortitude that you see in that part of the world. And you know, he didn’t turn a wheel wrong all year.”
Palou has now joined an exclusive club of all-stars in Ganassi’s elite “I like winners” club. The title was the 14th in American openwheel racing for Ganassi among six drivers and came 25 years after Jimmy Vasser gave the organization its first championship.