Today’s question: Alex Palou won his third NTT INDYCAR SERIES title in the last four seasons in 2024. Where does that accomplishment rank him among all-time greats in series history?

Curt Cavin: The first thing that needs to be said is that eras in this sport are nearly impossible to compare. The argument for Palou rests with a field that is as strong at the top as any group in history. Palou not only has had to beat teammate Scott Dixon, a six-time series champion, he took the best shots of three Team Penske drivers who have a combined four series titles and 82 race wins along with the strong efforts of rising stars at Arrow McLaren and Andretti Global. Palou’s 2023 season ranks high among the all-time great performances, but his lack of an Indianapolis 500 victory in this four-year stretch is why I can’t put him ahead of Dario Franchitti, whose four titles in five years between 2007 and 2011 included Indy wins with two different teams.

Eric Smith: Palou is a generational talent and earned the right to be in the all-time greatest INDYCAR SERIES drivers conversation. I don’t want to flash too much recency bias, but in arguably the most competitive era, Palou has left little doubt in his path to three championships. The 33 points Will Power trailed Palou by entering this year’s season finale was the closest any driver had been to the Spaniard coming to the final race since 2021. He not only wins, but his consistency is impeccable with 80.5 percent of his starts resulting in a top-10 finish and 61.1 percent in a the top five. Like Curt, my hold on making him a G.O.A.T. is a lack of an oval victory, with all 11 of his wins being on road or street courses. He has been competitive on circle tracks, but nine of the other 11 drivers with three or more championships have an Indianapolis 500 victory. Among those nine, three are members of the Four-Win Club. Joining the prestigious club isn’t the end-all-be-all for me, but a ”500” win is. Five of the remaining six drivers have just one “500” victory, so if Palou can find Memorial Day weekend success, he lands on Mount Rushmore. He’s just not there yet …

Paul Kelly: Palou is a legend, no doubt. He’s just the 13th driver to win at least three titles and just the seventh to win three in four years in a sport that has been around for more than 100 years. He could retire tomorrow and be a Hall of Famer. But INDYCAR’s most unique distinction among other global open-wheel series is its diversity, racing on road and street courses and ovals. Palou has no oval victories, although he’s still one of the best in the series at the discipline. It’s a matter of when, not if. I’m also not one of those people who thinks an NFL quarterback must win a Super Bowl to cement their legend. Do we really think Trent Dilfer was better than Jim Kelly or Dan Marino? But winning the “500” would immediately elevate Palou into a different pantheon. Another fact that works against Palou right now is his youth. He’s only 27 and only has raced in the series for five seasons. He hasn’t racked up the career win totals of fellow three-time champions like Rick Mears, Bobby Rahal and Al Unser. But now that it appears Palou’s dalliance with Formula One is over and he has found a long-term home in the INDYCAR SERIES, the sky is the proverbial limit. I think Palou has every chance to double his current championship haul, if not more. Then this conversation will look very different.