Alex Palou's Run Toward History Keeps Stretch Run Spicy
Eight isn't enough for Alex Palou, who has a chance to match – or perhaps break -- open-wheel racing's oldest record.
It was 61 years ago that A.J. Foyt won 10 races in the 1964 season, a mark equaled by Al Unser six years later. Since then, only Mario Andretti (nine wins in 1969) has been close to that lofty win total.
Five drivers finished a season with eight wins, which is where Palou's total stands. But he's a reasonable bet to add more. He has twice been to victory lane at Portland International Raceway, site of the BITNILE.com Grand Prix of Portland presented by askROI on Sunday, Aug. 10 (3 p.m. ET, FOX, FOX Sports app, INDYCAR Radio Network). The season's final two races are on ovals, and he won the most recent oval event July 13 at Iowa Speedway.
If anything, Palou has proven this year that he can win anywhere at any time. He is now on the short list of active drivers who have won on a superspeedway, a short oval, a road course and a street circuit. He absolutely could run the table this season, although it's been 19 years since a driver won four consecutive races (Sebastien Bourdais in 2006).
Palou's command of the standings is similarly impressive. He leads Arrow McLaren's Pato O'Ward by 121 points and nearly everyone else by 200 or more. A win by Palou in Portland will clinch the title, regardless of how O'Ward fares the rest of the way. O'Ward's only realistic path to the top is to win out, but he has never won two series races in succession, much less three.
A fourth series title will move Palou in lofty company. Foyt has the most season championships with seven. Scott Dixon has six. Palou would tie Andretti, Bourdais and Dario Franchitti with four. The only drivers with at least three consecutive titles are Bourdais (four in a row), Ted Horn (three) and Franchitti (three), but they'll need to make room for the latest to do so.
O'Ward might not overtake Palou, but he likely will finish a career-best second in the standings. He has a 77-point advantage on Dixon, who is aiming for his 16th top-three finish in 25 seasons. He has finished second three times, third on six occasions.
The Rookie of the Year battle is tight. Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing's Louis Foster, last year's INDY NXT by Firestone champion, leads PREMA Racing's Robert Shwartzman by four points. The award is nice to win but is not always a predictor of the future. In 2020, Palou finished 51 points behind Rinus VeeKay for the honor. In 1997, Franchitti finished behind Patrick Carpentier and Gualter Salles.
Like Palou, Will Power has two series wins at Portland, including last year when he finished 9.8267 seconds ahead of the Spaniard. Power could be driving for his future as he is in the final year of his contract with Team Penske, which has employed him since 2009.
Team Penske's Scott McLaughlin is the other former Portland winner expected to be in the 27-car field. Dixon has finished on the road course's podium three of the past four years.
The final two races of the year are on ovals. O'Ward and McLaughlin were the victors in last year's doubleheader at the Milwaukee Mile. Dixon (2009) and Power (2014) are also former winners at the track.
The season concludes at Nashville Superspeedway on Aug. 31. Herta won there last year with O'Ward finishing second; Dixon is a three-time winner (2006, 2007, 2008).
A lot will be decided this month, including seats for the 2026 season. But for now, it's Palou's world, and everyone else is just driving in it.
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