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 type on them.
Over the past 17 oval races relationship 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 energetic 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, presently second within the championship standings at 49 factors again (411-362).
Alex Palou, Chip Ganassi Racing Honda
Picture by: Josh Tons / Motorsport Images
Though everybody nonetheless mathematically within the title battle 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 relationship 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 workforce’s consideration is strictly on the upcoming spherical on the 1.25-mile St. Louis oval, previously referred to as Gateway, on 17 August and “it’s how we have to take it”.
Nevertheless, 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 mentioned. “I wouldn’t say that’s made on objective; it’s extra prefer it doesn’t favor us.
“It was the identical method when the season began, it’s not prefer it modified. Everyone knew lets say that at first, it favored us a bit of bit as a result of we knew we went to some observe that we had actually good outcomes and principally wins previously.
“Now, we’re going to locations the workforce has not received previously; I’ve to say Gateway, Scott received there final yr, however we weren’t super-fast. He did Scott Dixon issues; saving gasoline, tires, did one cease after which he received. However on pure tempo, we weren’t amazingly ok to win, in order that doesn’t assist us.
“We’re solely having one highway course left, which is Portland. We received there final yr, so we’re actually good there and looking out ahead to that one. However yeah, I might a lot want 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 feel if we are able to pull this off, it will likely be fairly superb.”
Alex Palou, Chip Ganassi Racing Honda
Picture by: Phillip Abbott / Motorsport Images
A check 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 latest working at Nashville.
The mix 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, depart loads of wildcards on the desk for Palou to beat.
“We wish to try to be as fast as potential getting up to the mark at Gateway,” he mentioned. “Attempt to get as many factors as potential 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 by way of a repeated type 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
Picture by: Geoffrey M. Miller / Motorsport Images
“It was a bit irritating for everyone: drivers, followers,” he mentioned. “Once I additionally heard from the Gateway check this previous week wasn’t nice and what I heard from Nashville wasn’t nice, both. So, I’m not trying ahead to going there and having a race the place it’s principally dictated by your qualifying pace.
“Yeah, you may get fortunate with a yellow and immediately do like Energy in Iowa the place he goes from like nineteenth to first, however there’s just one automobile and you must pray for a yellow on the proper time.
“Yeah, what I’m not trying ahead to this final stretch shouldn’t be being allowed to race and never having the ability to make strikes in the course of the race. Hopefully, I’m unsuitable. Hopefully, we study from the testing and Iowa, however I feel it’s not simple.
“I do know all people is making an attempt arduous; IndyCar is making an attempt arduous. Everyone needs this to work, however that’s the one factor that I’m probably not trying ahead to.
“It’s not the truth that I’ve by no means received on an oval, it’s extra the very fact of like, ‘Man, I feel I’m getting there however I would like the prospect at an oval to race.’ I feel we did amazingly at Indy, we may overtake, all people may 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’re second, simply maintain your place and we might be high quality.’ Hopefully, Gateway shouldn’t be that method.”
Alex Palou, Chip Ganassi Racing Honda
Picture by: Geoffrey M. Miller / Motorsport Images
However what if Palou scored his first oval win in a race that was much like Iowa?
“We would have liked 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 acquired it. Like, ‘Oh, that was a vital race. Oh my God, I can’t consider it!’ Yeah, okay. I received, 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, severely, attending to that time, it wouldn’t really feel the very same,” he mentioned. “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 mentioned it was not enjoyable. There was just one person who may very well 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 would like that competitors.
“We wish that making it arduous as a result of somebody is pushing you or perhaps it’s simple however since you had a lot benefit as a result of your workforce gave you an incredible automobile and also you have been on hearth that day, however you received. You need the flexibility to battle.
“Yeah, it wouldn’t really feel the identical, however I might take it. Each single time I might take a boring win daily, if I may.”
