If Alex Palou goes to efficiently defend his IndyCar Collection championship, he might want to overcome the gauntlet of 4 oval races over the ultimate 5 rounds.
And whereas not one of the 27-year-old Spaniard’s 11 profession wins have come on ovals, he has constructed up a robust run of kind on them.
Over the past 17 oval races courting again to the 2021 season, the Chip Ganassi Racing driver has amassed seven top-fives and 14 top-10s; each marks have him ranked within the high 5 amongst lively drivers, with the latter statistic pairs him alongside team-mate and six-time IndyCar champion Scott Dixon for second, one lower than the 15 held by Arrow McLaren’s Pato O’Ward.
Consistency will undoubtedly be the largest key, with Palou’s common end a 7.75 on ovals the previous 4 seasons, a quantity higher than the 11.05 carried by Team Penske’s Will Power, at the moment second within the championship standings at 49 factors again (411-362).
Alex Palou, Chip Ganassi Racing Honda
Photograph by: Josh Tons / Motorsport Images
Though everybody nonetheless mathematically within the title struggle nonetheless has Palou’s consideration, undoubtedly on the high are Penske’s trio of Josef Newgarden, Scott McLaughlin and Energy. The group have mixed to win 10 of the 13 oval occasions courting again to 2022, with seven – together with the final two Indianapolis 500s – claimed by Newgarden.
Palou, who’s making an attempt to win his third IndyCar title in 4 years, spent Thursday morning at CGR’s store earlier than sitting down completely with Motorsport.com, sharing the staff’s consideration is strictly on the upcoming spherical on the 1.25-mile St. Louis oval, previously often called Gateway, on 17 August and “it’s how we have to take it”.
Nonetheless, he indulged when pressed over ideas on the remaining races this season, together with two tracks within the Milwaukee Mile and season finale at Nashville Superspeedway that he has by no means raced earlier than.
“There is no such thing as a doubt it doesn’t favor us,” Palou stated. “I wouldn’t say that’s made on objective; it’s extra prefer it doesn’t favor us.
“It was the identical approach when the season began, it’s not prefer it modified. All people knew let’s imagine that initially, it favored us a little bit bit as a result of we knew we went to some observe that we had actually good outcomes and largely wins up to now.
“Now, we’re going to locations the staff has not gained up to now; I’ve to say Gateway, Scott gained there final yr, however we weren’t super-fast. He did Scott Dixon issues; saving gas, tires, did one cease after which he gained. However on pure tempo, we weren’t amazingly ok to win, in order that doesn’t assist us.
“We’re solely having one street course left, which is Portland. We gained there final yr, so we’re actually good there and searching ahead to that one. However yeah, I’d a lot choose if there have been just one or two ovals there’s a little bit greater than that and yeah, it favors them [Team Penske] nevertheless it’s okay.
“It’s the sport. I believe if we will pull this off, will probably be fairly superb.”
Alex Palou, Chip Ganassi Racing Honda
Photograph by: Phillip Abbott / Motorsport Images
A take a look at at Milwaukee left Palou feeling assured along with his Honda-powered No. 10 entry and the one-mile oval, however didn’t take part within the current working at Nashville.
The mixture of a scarcity of expertise on the final two tracks, blended with Penske’s oval prowess, together with continued learnings of the mid-season introduction of the brand new hybrid unit, go away loads of wildcards on the desk for Palou to beat.
“We need to try to be as fast as attainable getting on top of things at Gateway,” he stated. “Try to get as many factors as attainable there as a result of then we go to Portland back-to-back, after which Milwaukee back-to-back.
“There’s so many factors within the span of three weeks.”
Palou is cautious, although, of getting to push via a repeated model of racing to final month’s double-header at Iowa Speedway, which noticed zero on-track passes for the lead and solely 195 passes for place over the five hundred mixed laps.
Alex Palou, Chip Ganassi Racing Honda
Photograph by: Geoffrey M. Miller / Motorsport Images
“It was a bit irritating for everyone: drivers, followers,” he stated. “After I additionally heard from the Gateway take a look at this previous week wasn’t nice and what I heard from Nashville wasn’t nice, both. So, I’m not wanting ahead to going there and having a race the place it’s largely dictated by your qualifying pace.
“Yeah, you may get fortunate with a yellow and all of a sudden do like Energy in Iowa the place he goes from like nineteenth to first, however there’s just one automobile and you want to pray for a yellow on the proper time.
“Yeah, what I’m not wanting ahead to this final stretch is just not being allowed to race and never having the ability to make strikes throughout the race. Hopefully, I’m fallacious. Hopefully, we be taught from the testing and Iowa, however I believe it’s not straightforward.
“I do know all people is making an attempt laborious; IndyCar is making an attempt laborious. All people desires this to work, however that’s the one factor that I’m probably not wanting ahead to.
“It’s not the truth that I’ve by no means gained on an oval, it’s extra the very fact of like, ‘Man, I believe I’m getting there however I want the possibility at an oval to race.’ I believe we did amazingly at Indy, we might overtake, all people might overtake.
“We made some strikes beginning out. I don’t bear in mind the place we began, like 14th or fifteenth, and made it as much as P5. That was enjoyable, however Iowa was not enjoyable. I used to be beginning up entrance and I used to be missing that feeling of racing and having the ability to make strikes or defend. It was extra of, ‘Okay, you might be second, simply maintain your place and we will likely be fantastic.’ Hopefully, Gateway is just not that approach.”
Alex Palou, Chip Ganassi Racing Honda
Photograph by: Geoffrey M. Miller / Motorsport Images
However what if Palou scored his first oval win in a race that was just like Iowa?
“We wanted to win,” he quipped. “I don’t care even when we do just one lap, who cares? Yeah, it was probably the most boring win however yeah, I received it. Like, ‘Oh, that was a vital race. Oh my God, I can not consider it!’ Yeah, okay. I gained, so I don’t care. I’ve the trophy, the factors and I’ve the grins, clearly.”
Then Palou supplied a extra considerate response…
“Now, critically, attending to that time, it wouldn’t really feel the very same,” he stated. “We wouldn’t be like, ‘Oh my God, I used to be holding off Dixon, Newgarden or Energy’ and I ended up profitable or I did an overtake for the win on the surface of Flip 1 and Flip 2 at Gateway.
“It’s not the identical as what we noticed in Iowa; I completed second within the second race and I stated it was not enjoyable. There was just one person who might be happier than me and that was Energy, and he was not even tremendous excited, both, as a result of they didn’t really feel… we wish that competitors.
“We would like that making it laborious as a result of somebody is pushing you or perhaps it’s straightforward however since you had a lot benefit as a result of your staff gave you an incredible automobile and also you have been on fireplace that day, however you gained. You need the flexibility to struggle.
“Yeah, it wouldn’t really feel the identical, however I’d take it. Each single time I’d take a boring win daily, if I might.”
