5 days ago
Chip Ganassi Drivers Pull Off Major Fuel Save En Route to Sixth Alex Palou Victory in 2025
While Chip Ganassi driver Scott Dixon was unable to pull off a ___ fuel save, with the attempt to pit for the final time with 18 laps to go, the effort helped lead to a win for his teammate Alex Palou.
Palou pitted with 16 laps to go and was able to complete the cooldown lap after the race as several drivers that pitted at the same time stalled after crossing the finish line. Knowing that Dixon, even if he's an all-time great when it comes to saving fuel, would need to splash and go on the final lap, CGR was able to utilize Dixon's position in the lead. Palou drafted behind Dixon in the closing stint to save fuel and keep his buffer over Alexandar Rossi, who pitted on the same lap as Dixon.
When Rossi went to the pits with three laps to go, Felix Rosenqvist, who seemed to be on the winning strategy until CGR pulled off the fuel save, moved to third.
Rosenqvist grabbed his first podium with Meyer Shank and was just two seconds away from his second career win, the first one came at Road America in 2020 with CGR.
Santino Ferrucci completed the podium, his first podium since he was DQ'd from third at the Streets of Detroit earlier this month.
With Palou's sixth win on the season, the streak of just two winners in 2025 continues with Kyle Kirkwood taking Long Beach, Detroit, and Nashville. This is the first time since 1980 that two drivers have swept the first nine races of a season. Johnny Ruthersford and Bobby Unser's streak was broken that year in the tenth race when Michael Andretti won the Gould Grand Prix at Michigan International Speedway.
Kirkwood narrowly missed the podium, finishing a second behind Ferrucci. With their three-place difference, Palou extended his championship to 90 points, and Kirkwood jumped to second in the points, ahead of McLaren's Pato O'Ward.
While the race came down to three fuel strategies, those were set up through multiple early cautions, including David Malukas and Jacob Abel tangling on lap one. Malukas would rebound for a top ten finish in seventh behind Kryffn Simpson and Marcus Armstrong.
Sting Ray Robb, Robert Shwartzman and Josef Newgarden all DNF'd. Newgarden's out was his third DNF of the year.
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