Alex Palou has experience in this championship position.
The two-time and defending NTT INDYCAR SERIES champion led Pato O’Ward by 35 points entering the 2021 season finale on the streets of Long Beach. He converted that lead to the first of two championship-winning seasons. Last year, he clinched the championship in the penultimate race of the season, at Portland International Raceway.
With one race remaining this season, Palou leads Team Penske driver Will Power by 33 points entering the Big Machine Music City Grand Prix Presented by Gainbridge on Sunday, Sept. 15 at Nashville Superspeedway.
“I’m pumped,” he said. “It’s not always that you get the chance to fight for the championship. I didn’t have the chance to fight in 2022. I’m happy knowing that we have a championship that we can win in Nashville.”
What makes this pursuit of becoming the first back-to-back series champion since the three-year reign Dario Franchitti rode from 2009-2011 different than the others could be seen as an advantage for the Spaniard.
Palou has a secret weapon to keep him in the right championship mindset – a baby.
Palou and his wife, Esther, welcomed the birth of their first child, Lucia, on Dec. 4. The new addition wasn’t born for his previous championship pursuits and can be the difference-maker mentally for Palou to secure his third title in four years all while driving the No. 10 Chip Ganassi Racing Honda.
“The baby is awesome and helps me with everything,” Palou said. “Just being more prepared as a person. It helps to have a baby to just look at how she smiles.”
Being the hunted can play games in a driver’s mind, especially with an added week to think about it.
Heading to an oval and winless in 26 circle-track starts, Palou is also riding an eight-race winless drought. His last victory came June 23 at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca, where he took and has kept the series points lead. That’s his only win in the last 12 races.
The family happiness for Palou is a welcome distraction during the off week in keeping his mind from drifting to the pressure of a championship pursuit.
Not that he’s against pressure. He embraces knowing the screws will be tightened arriving in Nashville next week in his pursuit of becoming the second-youngest three-time champion. Palou would trail only Sam Hornish Jr., who was 27-years old when he won his third title in 2006. Palou, born on April 1, 1997, is also 27 but a few months older than Hornish, who was born on July 2, 1979, when he won his third crown.
“I like the pressure,” Palou said. “I enjoy the chance of competition and having to do good. That’s why we’re here in this sport.”
Palou must finish ninth or better to secure his third championship. However, he doesn’t approach the season finale with any less aggression. Why change the approach that got him to this position?
Consistency brought him here.
Palou has 13 top-five finishes in 16 races this season, equaling the amount he had in his 17-race 2023 championship season. In the last 10 races, he finished runner-up three times - July 7 at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course, July 14 at Iowa Speedway and Aug. 25 at Portland International Raceway.
All Palou needs to do at Nashville is remain the driver he’s been since joining Chip Ganassi Racing in 2021. Palou has 54 top-nine finishes in 66 points-paying starts with CGR, including 30 of the last 33 instances.
Breaking away from the racing rigors with family time helps.