05/20/26 02:15:00
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05/20 14:14 CDT Alex Palou's continued IndyCar domination draws more boss as he
chases a 2nd straight Indy 500 crown
Alex Palou's continued IndyCar domination draws more boss as he chases a 2nd
straight Indy 500 crown
By MICHAEL MAROT
AP Sports Writer
INDIANAPOLIS (AP) --- Alex Palou senses a change among IndyCar fans these days.
Instead of hearing the warm, roaring cheers like other great IndyCar champions
and popular personalities, Palou has started hearing a different chorus from
the crowd, boos. No, it's not an overwhelming sentiment, yet, but the Spaniard
got a first-hand glimpse of what could lie ahead during the parade lap of this
month's Indianapolis Grand Prix.
Of course, the four-time series champion understands why it's happening ---
fans are weary of seeing him reach victory lane race after race --- even though
Palou isn't tired of winning.
"It was the first time I heard the boos like from multiple sections and I was
like, 'All right,'" he said during practice for the sold-out Indianapolis 500.
"I think till now, it's been very friendly and now it's getting like more
toward boos. But I think it's good, you need to have that. We're getting booed
for being successful and for doing the right thing."
The quick transition from champion to villain is nothing new in sports.
Dynasty teams or even top athletes such as Tom Brady, LeBron James, Jeff Gordon
or Jimmie Johnson have all experienced --- and embraced --- the boos reserved
for only the best of the best. Right now, Palou certainly fits the definition.
But in the relatively friendly confines of IndyCar racing, he's a rarity.
Palou has won three straight series titles and holds a 27-point lead in this
year's standings thanks to three win in the season's first six races. He owns
11 wins in IndyCar's last 23 events, and just when it appeared Palou's success
may finally be waning with an unlucky decision relegating him to fifth place in
the Indianapolis GP, Palou's pole-winning qualifying run has made him the
betting favorite to win the 500 again.
For Palou, it's a strange place to be. Here, in Indianapolis, he's a big hit on
the defending winner's appearance circuit and many fans clamor for photos with
the 2025 Indy champ. At the same time, many others want to see someone else win
if only to add some intrigue to the championship chase.
Yet in many ways, it appears Palou can do no wrong.
Despite drawing a late spot in the qualifying line on a hot, windy Pole Day and
nearly missing the 12-car pole shootout on his first four-lap attempt, Palou
somehow surprised himself by delivering on the bold pre-qualifying prediction
of Chip Ganassi Racing managing director Mike Hull by putting his car at the
front of Indy's first row. Palou's teammates, six-time series champ Scott Dixon
and 21-year-old Kyffin Simpson, couldn't pull that off.
Dixon, the 2008 Indy winner, is starting 10th. Simpson qualified seventh, the
inside of Row 3 and now they, like everyone else are find themselves chasing
Palou.
"It's something I'm absolutely, like, ?How is he doing that week in, week
out?'" 2018 Indy champ Will Power said recently. "Well, it's one, he's
qualifying well. Two is he executes in the race and three is the pit stops, you
know, top notch, there's no mistakes in there. And he's fast. So that's what it
takes when you're driving out there."
Just how dominant has Palou been lately?
He has two top-five finishes to his three wins this year, bringing his
three-year totals to 14 victories and an additional 17 top fives in 41 races.
His remarkable run of success is even more surprising because he's doing it in
a spec series that is supposed to be relatively even.
Palou didn't reach this place by happenstance.
"They (the three drivers' teams) work so well together," Hull said. "They help
each other. We're able to map the racetrack pretty quickly as well as
collectively. That's been a big deal for us. That's always what our culture has
emphasized."
Hull's comment may explain why Palou and Dixon have combined to win seven of
the last 11 series crowns for Ganassi.
But it doesn't explain why Palou is so far ahead of teammates such as Dixon,
who has spent 5 1/2 seasons pursuing a record-tying seventh series title only
to watch Palou take the crown four times. Only A.J. Foyt has more all-time
series championships than Dixon.
Palou has a difficult time explaining the secret of his success, too.
"I just try to prepare as much as I can before going out on the track," he
said. "Then you have a list of things you need to do as a driver, like hitting
references or just following the workload the engineer and mechanic have and
that keeps you focused."
In Palou's case, it's all about being first in practice, qualifying or on race
day.
He's less concerned with what fans think though he certainly reveled in the
warm, post-qualifying celebration fans gave him after winning the pole with a
four-lap average of 232.248 mph. Or whether he'll hear more cheers --- or jeers
--- on Sunday if he becomes the seventh driver in race history to win
back-to-back 500s.
"You need to win again. Obviously, that's what they pay us to do as drivers,"
Palou said. "We all need to be fighting for wins and winning things. Getting
the first (500 win) is probably the toughest or the thing you chase the most,
so I feel a little bit of a relief there. But I still want to win more."
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