Nine-time winner and Chip Ganassi superstar Alex Palou refers to the track at Indianapolis Motor Speedway as his second home after spending an extended time there between the regular NTT Series season. Palou recently competed in the GT3 category for Lonestar Racing in the Intercontinental GT Challenge at the AMG Mercedes EVO. The Indianapolis 8-hour endurance race was from October 4 to 6.
The race was an eventful experience for the Ganassi top contender after experiencing hiccups alongside famed German AMG-Mercedes performance drivers Luca Stolz and Fabian Schiller. Mechanical issues were the main component with their shared Mercedes EVO, which slowed things down during the race. However, the team still placed 13 overall, which is impressive considering the setback, but what’s next for Palou?
Where Does Alex Palou Go From Here
Since spending his offseason from IndyCar behind the wheel of a GT3 Sportscar for the first time since 2019, everyone’s mind is on whether he’ll consider returning to the GT3 Class. Alex Palou mentioned earlier this month that he was interested in jumping behind the wheel of a stock car for the NASCAR franchise at some point, but only when time permits.
Despite qualifying second on October 4 in the Mercedes AMG Evo, Alex Palou is more interested in his stint with Chip Ganassi Racing in the NTT IndyCar Series. He’ll continue bringing the team to new heights, which became apparent when he participated in an 11-car lineup for a Firestone tire test at Indianapolis Motor Speedway on October 10.
Palou was the fastest at 224. 342 mph out of the lineup, which included drivers from various IndyCar teams like Ryan Hunter-Reay. He also used the tire test to improve how his car handles traffic in preparation for the “Greatest Spectacle” in racing, the Indy 500.
Why He Feels Fulfilled With Extra Indy Time
IndyCar and excelling in his career in the NTT Series by topping his already nine wins, 24 podiums, and 50 starts, all with Ganassi, are what Alex Palou plans to focus on from now until the start of the season in March. As much time as a driver can get, practicing at Indianapolis Motor Speedway is crucial to success on similar oval tracks like the Milwaukee Mile.
Palou tries to take as much as possible from the time he gets on the track, even though he feels the testing times don’t matter much because so much time is spent at the track already. However, he does feel that it’s beneficial to be able to review the track during the offseason, especially since ovals are where he needs the most work. Alex Palou has 54 road and street course starts and 11 wins but has yet to secure a single oval win at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, even though he’s had 27 starts in the Indy 500. His oval qualifications have been similar, placing him in 10th or lower for five out of the six races, but he hopes to improve this, and testing at Indy is the best way to do that.
“We struggled this year (on ovals) in 2024, so we just need better qualifying, better race pace,” said Alex Palou. “It’s important. It’s (the Indianapolis 500) the biggest race.” We get a lot of testing here, actually, so it doesn’t really make a huge difference to get one more day. But it always helps, and especially now having a good, long offseason, it helps us just to review everything.”
Final Thoughts
Aside from having recently built a home in the city he spends so much time in, Alex Palou remains fully devoted to Indianapolis and the time he’s spent there with Chip Ganassi Racing. He’s been on the fence about possibly getting behind the wheel for the NASCAR franchise. He also recently completed the Indianapolis 8-Hour Endurance Race in the GT3 Category, which has raised speculation that he may be eyeing a comeback in that racing category, but that’s not in the cards, at least not for the foreseeable future.
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