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In other words, same story, different day and different race – this time it was Sunday’s Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach – but once again the same old end result.

Palou has now won three of this season’s first five races and 22 of his last 89 career IndyCar starts (and a mind-boggling 47 podium finishes in that same period). That means Palou has an outstanding .250 IndyCar career winning percentage to date and an even better .530 podium average.

He’s also the defending Indianapolis 500 champion, as well as having won the last three IndyCar season championships and four of the last five.

But at this point, who’s really counting?

Actually, is there really any point left to keep counting with the way the guy in the No. 10 Honda has been absolutely so dominant and is showing no signs of slowing down?

Many sportsbooks are making him even money at best to win each time he climbs behind the wheel – or worse, some sportsbooks are even making him “chalk” (which means odds are below even money, so that even if Palou wins, bettors who drop bucks on him would still not recoup the amount of their original bet — like betting $20 to wind up winning just $10 in return — thus winding up losing money).

And here’s the scariest fact of all about Palou: he hasn’t even reached his prime as a driver yet. He isn’t even 30 years old, having just turned 29 on April 1.

Do the math – and you may need a calculator to help – but if he continues at his incredible current pace, by the time Palou turns 40, he’ll have racked up something like close to 60 wins and 12 or 13 IndyCar championships.

As I watched the ultra-talented Spaniard meticulously work his way to the front of the field in Sunday’s race – and then held on to win once again in almost easy-peasy like fashion – my mind asked the same question it’s asked probably at least 15 times already:

How in the heck does he keep winning and make it look sooooooo easy almost every single time?

Then it finally hit me, and I’m now convinced I may be the only person in the world to have finally broken the code to Palou’s success:

It’s AI, otherwise known as Artificial Intelligence – or some may call it “Alex Intelligence”.

Nobody, and I mean nobody, can be THAT good as Palou has been without some artificial help.

That HAS to be the only logical way there is to explain the Palou Code of IndyCar success, because no one has found any other rhyme or reason how he keeps winning and looks so nonchalant in doing so.

Sure, there’s no question that he’s extremely talented, perhaps the most talented IndyCar driver since AJ Foyt and Mario Andretti, but his superhuman and supernatural ability is getting more and more suspect with each win. Well, maybe suspect at least in the minds of every other IndyCar driver and team except for his boss, Chip Ganassi, and Palou’s teammates, Scott Dixon and Kyffin Simpson.

They know who and what they have in Palou and are glad he’s on their side rather than as an opposing rival – although every time Palou wins, that’s also a win that deprives Dixon and Simpson from reaching victory lane themselves.

Let’s face it, Palou makes winning look easy. So much so that it’s no longer big news when Palou wins a race – but rather it’s big news when he DOESN’T win.

That’s where the AI aspect comes into play. It HAS to be the only plausible answer.

The more I watch him, the more I’m convinced that Palou isn’t a human being but rather is an AI-powered robot or drone. All Ganassi has to do is whisper in Palou’s ear to go win another race, and the AI-powered Palou responds and delivers like a good robot or drone does.

Frankly, while I mean this in the most complimentary way possible – and not as a criticism per se – but I’m tired of Palou winning so much, and I’m sure I’m not the only one that feels that way.

And if Sunday’s win, along with his earlier season triumphs at St. Petersburg, Florida and Birmingham, Alabama, are any indication of what Palou is going to continue to do in this season’s 13 remaining races, IndyCar might as well just call off the rest of the season and award Palou his fifth championship now and save everyone else a lot of heartache, frustration, trouble and expense.

Here’s another reason why I think AI is powering Palou: he grew up never aspiring to be an IndyCar driver. He wanted to make it in Formula One. But with so few open rides in the world’s largest and most competitive open-wheel racing series, Palou took the next best route by finding his way to the second-largest and second-most competitive open-wheel series, IndyCar.

Even when McLaren Racing tried to steal him from Ganassi a few years back for an anticipated F1 ride, prompting several major lawsuits, monetary settlements and Palou ultimately sticking with the Chipster, Palou appears to have put F1 in his rearview mirror – at least for now.

That, or perhaps he made a deal with the AI devil to keep dominating IndyCar until there’s nothing left to win or dominate and is forced to move to F1 or NASCAR to once again have a real challenge.

But all I know is that now, as IndyCar continues to steal fans away from NASCAR and has finally begun to approach its most popular reign in 30 years since the split with the Indy Racing League in 1996, the last thing the sport and the sanctioning body needs is to take steps backward if fans of every other driver other than Palou just throw up their hands, give up cheering for their favorite driver, and lose interest in the sport because Palou is just so dominant and remains that way.

Don’t believe me? Did you already forget how Jimmie Johnson’s five consecutive championships from 2006-2010 and his overall record-tying seven NASCAR Cup titles turned countless fans away from the sport, never to return as a result?

I don’t know, maybe someone like McLaren’s Zak Brown or Gene Haas or Michael Andretti or Michael Jordan could get together to start a GoFundMe account to raise money to steal Palou away for an F1 team – or maybe even a NASCAR team – to take him off IndyCar’s hands.

It may be the only way outside of AI platforms such as ChatGPT, Google Gemini, Claude, Microsoft CoPilot and Grok that we can finally keep Palou from continuing his incredible winning ways.

The post OPINION: We’ve Finally Broken the Code to Alex Palou’s IndyCar Success! appeared first on EssentiallySports.

Alex Palou aims for NASCAR entry in 2026

It is clear that IndyCar and NASCAR have a set plan for the 2026 season. With multiple double-header weekends, they are aiming to provide more racing action to the fans. Palou’s rival, Pato O’Ward, didn’t appreciate the idea a few days back, as he felt like IndyCar doesn’t get the limelight it deserves when clubbed together with NASCAR.

“Already tired of IndyCar being like the support race. We are always the sideshow. It’s great for the fans, but not for us,” he said.

However, after Kevin Harvick and Will Buxton doubled down on the argument on why they are better, O’Ward later tweeted sarcastically, “I stand corrected, i’m so happy to be here with NASCAR this weekend.”

But the popular opinion is positive, and like Palou, many others are supporting this move. “Hope we have more of these,” said the Phoenix winner Josef Newgarden recently.

On the topic of NASCAR and IndyCar racing together on weekends, Palou says, “If I knew they (NASCAR) were racing with us this weekend, I would have done it. But in my opinion I would have to do a road course first.”

Palou is yet to take part in any stock car racing. However, he has considerable experience in driving outside the open-wheel discipline. Using his time with other racing series as a foundation, Palou wants to drive in NASCAR. And just like other drivers, he wants to test his skills out on a road course first.

Even though both IndyCar and NASCAR run ovals, drivers from different disciplines generally like to race on road courses to have a fighting chance against the other veterans in the sport. But Palou is not the only driver from his discipline to think of trying out NASCAR.

Earlier, IndyCar veterans Dario Franchitti and James Hinchcliffe took advantage of the NASCAR Truck Series and IndyCar doubleheader by trying their luck in the race. Hinchcliffe even posted a top 10 finish, looking forward to more racing in NASCAR.

While Palou regrets not taking part in NASCAR this weekend, Phoenix has left him sour with a massive points deficit.

Alex Palou gets crashed out of Phoenix

With a victory at St. Pete, it was clear that Alex Palou is very serious about the 2026 season. It already looked like the Chip Ganassi Racing driver was ahead of the competition. Starting at the Phoenix oval in P10, Palou was looking stable and fast enough for the weekend. As the race progressed, he would slot himself into P3, running behind David Malukas and Josef Newgarden.

Unfortunately, his runaway performance came to a brutal halt when he made a grave misjudgment and drove into Rinus VeeKay. While VeeKay was trying to make a move on Palou as he took the top lane, Palou closed the door on him suddenly, causing him to make contact with his car.

And with that, the infallible Alex Palou was out of the race in a wreck. “I haven’t been able to see it,” Palou said, noting a replay. “I just, I don’t know if I just squeezed someone or someone was trying to get there. Yeah, I mean, I don’t know. I didn’t think there was anybody there.

“I need to see if there was really that space or not, but yeah, it’s unfortunate that we ended up in the wall so early and not even trying, but it’s racing.” Not only that, his actions also left VeeKay fuming about potential suspension damage.

It’s unfortunate, but Alex Palou did not become a four-time champion for nothing. He should bounce back soon and definitely make up the points deficit from Phoenix. And who knows, maybe he might also do it with a subsequent top-10 finish in a NASCAR race that weekend.

The post IndyCar Champion Teases NASCAR Debut Days After Rival Driver’s Backhanded Comments appeared first on EssentiallySports.

So when Graham said last weekend in St. Petersburg, Florida, that he’d like to see racing series like NASCAR, IndyCar, NHRA, and other genres of four- and two-wheeled racing do more sharing of events on the same weekend and in the same (or nearby) tracks, it definitely caught my attention.

We saw it happen last weekend when IndyCar shared its season-opening weekend with the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series on the temporary street course in St. Pete. And we’ll see it on an even larger scale this weekend at Phoenix Raceway when IndyCar serves as the undercard Saturday to Sunday’s NASCAR Cup main event.

Admittedly, it’s not a new concept, but crossover weekends remain a relatively rare event, although we have seen other occasional crossover events over the years at places like Indianapolis Motor Speedway and others.

Which is why what the younger Rahal pitched is something that hopefully will not only continue but become a regular routine among different series. I’m not saying to have crossover events every single weekend, but if we have, say, three or four events per year, it will be a win-win for not only the respective series that host the races, but even more importantly, for race fans in general.

For if there’s one thing I’ve learned in over 40 years of covering auto racing, be it NASCAR fans, IndyCar fans, NHRA fans, motorcycle racing and even sprint car and dirt track fans, may consider those respective series their favorites, it’s also extremely likely that they invariably follow some of the other forms of racing as well. In other words, most NASCAR fans likely enjoy IndyCar or NHRA as well, or IndyCar fans like NASCAR or Formula One, etc.

It would be quaint to say crossover weekends mean getting two significantly different race events for the price of one, although the reality is that if you are attending both Phoenix races this weekend, you’ll wind up paying for two different tickets.

Why crossover events would be beneficial to each series, teams and fans

Still, in my opinion, crossover events – and more of them – are the way for racing to go in the future. With so much competition for a fan’s entertainment dollar, it makes sense that sanctioning bodies work together in ways that will benefit both series. If a true race fan wants to see two different series on the same two-day weekend, it will be an experience that will leave them talking for weeks, if not months, to come, how they enjoyed both races and the excitement and action both races brought forth.

There are more than enough race tracks and overall racing facilities that can accommodate different series on the same weekend, even if it means perhaps having a NASCAR and IndyCar race at one track or NASCAR and/or IndyCar and drag racing across the street, like places such as Bristol Motor Speedway and Bristol Dragway (aka “Thunder Valley”) or Chicagoland Speedway and Route 66 Raceway.

Heck, you can split up sites in Indianapolis and have NASCAR and/or IndyCar racing on the most famous racetrack in the world, Indianapolis Motor Speedway, and then go about 10 miles west to watch NHRA or sprint cars race at Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park.

Admittedly, the logistics of running two major events in the same place or nearby means greater expenditures in promoting and actually operating those events than if only one race were held, as we are used to in most cases. But duplication of logistics at the same facility is inherently cheaper than having individual races at different times of the year at the same place.

Crossover weekends would mean more bang for the fan’s buck

I’ve talked with countless fans over the years and one of the top things they talk about is how they would love to attend more races each year – including races of different series – but it’s obviously a costly proposition, particularly for those who have to travel long distances or pay $300 or more per night for hotel rooms (which often come with three- or four-night minimums).

But, when you consider places that have several different types of racing facilities in close proximity to each other such as Bristol, Chicagoland, Charlotte, Las Vegas and others, think about the hundreds – if not thousands – of dollars race fans would save if they were able to see two different series race in as many days.

Hypothetically, if those race fans wanted to see, say, a NASCAR and IndyCar event on the same weekend at the same place, rather than at different times or months for separate events, think of all the money they’d save on hotels, airfare, rental cars, etc.

With that being the case, I can almost guarantee that every series that would be part of a crossover event on the same weekend and in the same general location would see a marked increase in attendance as well as popularity. And there’s another bonus: what if, say, a diehard NASCAR fan has never seen an IndyCar or NHRA drag race in person, then they finally get that chance and wind up enjoying themselves? Suddenly, IndyCar or NHRA has acquired another brand new fan.

Or if it’s for a family vacation, think of how much more economical it would be for Mom and Dad to afford – perhaps even cheaper than taking the whole brood to places like Disney World or Universal Studios. According to a July 2025 story in Budget Guide, a family of four can expect to spend $6,000 or more for a week for tickets, accommodations, and meals.

Whereas taking the fam to two races on a weekend would likely run $1,500 to maybe $3,000 for three or four days.

I’m fully behind Rahal’s idea, and I think other fans would be, too. Imagine the opportunity to see Alex Palou or Scott Dixon or even Rahal himself win on one day and then come back to watch Joey Logano or Kyle Larson or Ryan Blaney take the checkered flag as well the next day.

The post Why We Should See the Trend Toward More Crossover Racing Events appeared first on EssentiallySports.

Alex Palou knows a NASCAR jump won’t be easy

“I don’t think it would be that quick, but, yeah, maybe someday, hopefully we can find out and be as competitive as he is. I think I would struggle a lot. Like, I think the way the cars are, like how they handle, how they race, I think I would struggle.”

Alex Palou’s intrigue with NASCAR isn’t new, but this time, his curiosity came with a dose of honesty. When asked whether he could adapt to a Cup car as quickly as Kyle Larson adapted to an IndyCar, Palou didn’t sugarcoat it.

Truth is, he’s been flirting with the idea for a while. After winning the 2025 Indianapolis 500, Palou openly admitted he would “absolutely” be interested in testing a NASCAR ride. And maybe even running a road-course race someday. His comments on Kevin Harvick’s Happy Hour only fueled speculation that he’s eventually going to take the leap.

But even Palou knows it wouldn’t be a walk in the park. NASCAR Cup cars are a completely different beast. They’re heavy, they’re loud, they move air like a brick wall, and the racing is relentlessly physical.

Braking zones stretch out, tire management becomes a war of patience, and the drafting game is unlike anything in open-wheel racing. For someone at the top of their game, that’s a massive reset.

And here’s where things get even more interesting: Palou races for Chip Ganassi Racing, a team that has used Honda engines exclusively in the NTT INDYCAR SERIES since 2017. Combine that with NASCAR’s ongoing manufacturer talks with Honda being the hottest rumored name, and the storyline practically writes itself.

Palou heads into the 2026 IndyCar season chasing yet another title after winning three straight championships through 2025 (four overall). If Honda joins the Cup Series, the question won’t be if Palou tests a stock car. It’ll be when.

Honda’s renewed IndyCar commitment

IndyCar’s newly announced multi-year deal with Chevrolet and Honda marks one of the most significant manufacturer shifts the series has seen in decades, and it may directly influence Honda’s parallel interest in NASCAR. The agreement doesn’t officially kick in until 2027, but 2028 will usher in an entirely new era: each manufacturer will own one charter, aligning with the debut of IndyCar’s next-gen chassis and engine package.

According to Doug Boles, the talks leading to this deal began about a year ago, shortly after he stepped in to oversee IndyCar operations.

At that time, he said, “We really didn’t know where the negotiations were going to go,” as the series was still navigating its new FOX TV deal and broader strategic direction. But discussions quickly centered around value. Not only competitive value, but long-term commercial value, manufacturers could justify in boardrooms.

Boles explained that while winning is important, Chevrolet and Honda needed tangible business justification beyond racing pride. With both spending tens of millions annually, the charter stake became that anchor serving as a guaranteed, appreciating asset tied to the series’ growth. This move was also critical in preventing Honda from walking away after its current deal expires in 2026.

The manufacturer had been openly frustrated in recent years, especially following the 2024 push-to-pass scandal and the 2025 rear attenuator penalties involving Team Penske. The creation of IndyCar’s Independent Officiating Board helped, but Honda emphasized its decision wasn’t based on any single factor.

Still, Honda made one thing crystal clear: staying in IndyCar does not shut the door on NASCAR. As Honda Racing Corporation USA president David Salters noted, “Joining IndyCar doesn’t preclude us from other things… We evaluate all series continuously.”

With both manufacturers locked in through at least 2030 (and each barred from selling their charters until then), IndyCar’s structure is stabilizing. But with field capacity capped at 27 entries, expansion becomes trickier, especially for non-charter teams like PREMA, whose 2026 status remains uncertain.

For NASCAR, though? This only strengthens the possibility that Honda’s long-running “advanced discussions” are headed toward a debut. And maybe, just maybe, a certain IndyCar megastar will follow.

The post Global Motorsport Legend Fuels NASCAR Debut Rumors as Honda Advances Cup Series Talks appeared first on EssentiallySports.

UK court delivers costly blow in Palou–McLaren contract dispute

McLaren Racing and Arrow McLaren were awarded more than $12 million in damages after the UK Commercial Court ruled in their favor against IndyCar star Alex Palou, marking the first major judgment in a legal battle that has dragged on for nearly two-and-a-half years.

Justice Picken’s ruling broke down the damages across multiple fronts, including $1.31 million in driver salary, $6.33 million tied to losses from McLaren’s deal with NTT, $500,000 related to Arrow McLaren’s agreement with General Motors, at least $2 million in additional sponsorship losses, and $2.05 million in lost performance-based revenue.

The dispute traces back to October 2022, when Palou signed a contract with McLaren following his first IndyCar championship in 2021. At the time, Palou was already entangled in a separate legal fight with Chip Ganassi Racing, which exercised a team option to retain him for 2023. That earlier conflict ended in mediation, clearing the way for Palou to sign a multi-year McLaren deal scheduled to begin in 2024.

.@McLarenF1 says that it has been awarded over $12M for the Alex Palou lawsuit.

Palou says considering options: “I’m disappointed that any damages have been awarded to McLaren. They have not suffered any loss because of what they have gained from the driver who replaced me.” pic.twitter.com/o6K1Ztz4Uo

— Adam Stern (@A_S12) January 23, 2026

However, in August 2023, amid a dominant stretch that saw him win four races in five events, Palou reversed course and chose to stay with Ganassi. He has consistently maintained that the decision was influenced by uncertainty over a potential Formula 1 opportunity with McLaren, a claim the team has firmly rejected, arguing no such promise was ever made.

McLaren had initially pursued damages exceeding $30 million, later narrowing the figure to roughly $20 million before trial. A significant portion of the claim centered on NTT Data. They were a longtime Ganassi sponsor that shifted to Arrow McLaren under the expectation of reuniting with Palou. However, they have announced their departure after 2026, triggering substantial financial fallout.

What McLaren, Palou, and Ganassi said after the ruling

In the immediate aftermath of the UK Commercial Court’s decision, both sides moved quickly to frame the outcome on their own terms. In a statement provided to IndyStar, McLaren Racing confirmed it will pursue interest on the awarded damages and seek reimbursement for its legal expenses. This means the case may not be fully closed from a financial standpoint. It has long been understood that Palou has been backed by Chip Ganassi Racing throughout the legal process.

“This is an entirely appropriate result for McLaren Racing,” McLaren Racing CEO Zak Brown said following the ruling. “As the ruling shows, we clearly demonstrated that we fulfilled every single contractual obligation towards Alex and fully honored what had been agreed. We thank the court for recognizing the very significant commercial impact and disruption our business suffered as a result of Alex’s breach of contract with the team.”

Palou, however, focused on what he viewed as an important limitation in the court’s findings. While the judge awarded McLaren more than $12 million, the court declined to uphold McLaren’s Formula 1–related claims, which had once been valued at roughly $15 million. Palou pointed to that distinction as evidence that some of the team’s assertions did not hold up under scrutiny.

“It’s disappointing that so much time and cost was spent fighting these claims, some of which the Court found had no value, simply because I chose not to drive for McLaren after I learned they wouldn’t be able to give me an F1 drive,” Palou said in a statement.

Chip Ganassi, meanwhile, kept his response brief but unequivocal, stating: “Alex has our full support, now and always.”

From here, the ruling closes one chapter of a saga that has hovered over Palou’s career for nearly three years, even as it opens questions about appeals, final costs, and long-term fallout. For McLaren, it affirms the value of contract enforcement at the top level of motorsport. For Palou, it represents a costly but finite consequence as he continues to build his legacy on track, largely unchanged by the courtroom battle.

The post Roger Penske’s Champion Driver Loses $12M Overnight as Lawsuit Faces Big Setback in Court appeared first on EssentiallySports.

A touch of diversity and thrill

“I loved it as a fan, but as a driver and a team coming down to one race, it’s very tough, whether it be 3 races or 4 – that could be something to be tweaked. ‘Cause I watched the last race. You watch the last 5-6 races religiously, wanting to know what happened as the storyline. So I can see both sides of it,” Shane van Gisbergen said on Episode 312 of Dinner with Racers. He added his 4-word conclusion: “I wouldn’t be here if it weren’t for the playoffs. It created the opportunity, so don’t take it away too much, please, Steve.”

Steve O’Donnell, NASCAR president, has repeatedly hinted at a revised playoff format for 2026. Although the exact details are still unclear, there are a few theories. It could return to the chase format. Or it could be a structure where a final round of three races, instead of one, decides who the champion is. But in a world of a full-points playoff format, Shane van Gisbergen may not have sprung to glory in the sport. As one race victory – the Chicago Street Race in 2023 – established his journey in the sport.

Also, the older format saw champions like Dale Earnhardt and Richard Petty getting crowned long before the season was over. That added a dull factor to the season finale. In IndyCar, when Alex Palou clinched the title two races before the finale, the race at Portland was hugely anticlimactic.

But in a world of playoffs, more drivers are in the spotlight in the second half of the season, and the possibility of them winning the championship is elevated a little. More teams are in the conversation, and their sponsors get a little more TV airtime. They have something to race for beyond the purse and the trophy on that given day. Shane van Gisbergen and Trackhouse were among the ones benefiting from this.

Hence, our favorite Kiwi driver has a request to keep a portion of the playoff system. However, he is happy to do away with a peculiar aspect.

Shane van Gisbergen is annoyed every week

“Probably the thing that does p— me, is when they do ‘Gentlemen, start your engines,’ and only half the field starts the engines and turns them off, saving fuel,” Shane van Gisbergen said. “They start the engines, and it’s 2-3 minutes till the pace car goes. So they should do 30 seconds before the pace car goes. They make it a rule that you have to leave the engine running. It sounds awesome when the cars are running, but then everyone just turns them off. At a superspeedway, probably 4 cars start up, ’cause nobody starts their engines as they’re saving fuel.”

In 2022, the introduction of the Next-Gen car has befuddled drivers’ race strategies. Contrary to having a clear aim of going full throttle as the race starts, drivers need to use half throttle or less to save fuel. That is because the Next-Gen car provides fewer chances of passing, especially on superspeedways. This drastically declines the quality of the racing and affects fans’ enjoyment as well. And Shane van Gisbergen does not get to experience the full package of stock car racing.

NASCAR’s Kiwi racer does not have an issue with the playoffs. However, we can only wait and see what happens.

The post SVG Defends NASCAR’s Current Playoff Format With Bold 4-Word Confession appeared first on EssentiallySports.

That’s the belief of many, including Mike Hull, Managing Director for Chip Ganassi Racing. Hull has been one of the top CGR officials who has guided Palou to four championships and 19 wins in his five seasons with the organization – including a career-high eight wins (just under half of the 17-race season) en route to his fourth IndyCar crown in 2025.

In addition, Palou’s teammate, six-time IndyCar champ Scott Dixon, won a ninth race for CGR last season, moving one step closer to AJ Foyt’s record of 67 career IndyCar wins (the 45-year-old Dixon now has 59 wins).

Palou has etched his name into IndyCar record books with his uncanny ability to win both races and championships, as well as capturing the first of what likely will be several Indianapolis 500 victories, as he did this past season. After spending his first full IndyCar season with Dale Coyne Racing as a rookie in 2020 (winless, finished 16th), Palou exploded into a force of nature in the open-wheel series when he joined Ganassi the following season.

Since then, the now 28-year-old Palou has been virtually unstoppable. Not including his 14-race rookie campaign with Coyne, Palou has 19 wins, 44 podiums and 12 poles in 84 races with CGR. That means he’s won in nearly every 4.5 starts and earned a podium finish in just under every two starts.

And he’s back for more wins, podiums, and titles for 2026.

When Hull and team owner Chip Ganassi lured the young Spaniard away after his rookie IndyCar season, he was the latest CGR-great in waiting, so to speak, joining a number of former drivers for the team over the years that also went on to greatness for the Ganassi organization.

“First of all, I would say that people probably really didn’t understand who Alex Zanardi was,” Hull said Thursday during the final day of the sixth-annual Epartrade Race Industry Week. “They probably didn’t understand who Jimmy Vasser was. They didn’t understand who Juan Montoya was. They didn’t understand who Scott Dixon was. They didn’t understand who Alex Palou was or now has become.

“When he came to us, what separated him immediately was the fact that he has such a positive attitude and an attitude that racing is about recovery on the next lap. That’s what racing is about, how the athlete immediately erases in their mind what just happened – whether it’s good or bad – because they have to do the next lap, they have to do the next corner, they have to do the next pit stop.

“If it’s a test day, you have to fully continue on down the road and not think about what you just did. If it’s qualifying, if you were blocked by somebody … it’s immediately mentally being able to be re-upped. That’s who Alex Palou is. Now you combine that with his instincts and his ability, and you match that up then with a team that operates in the same hemisphere, then you see what Alex Palou can do.”

With the exception of the contentious legal battle that pitted Ganassi vs. Palou in 2022 when the latter signed a contract to race in Formula One the following season while still under contract with Ganassi for 2023 (the battle was eventually settled out of court in Ganassi’s favor), Palou has remained loyal to CGR and has gone on to win the last three IndyCar titles in a row.

Hull: (Palou) represents all of us (at CGR)

“He represents all of us,” Hull said of Palou. “That’s how we work at Chip Ganassi Racing, and he represents all the people that came before him that drove race cars at Chip Ganassi Racing. And I would hope kids that are currently in karting that are 10, 11, 12, 13, 14 years old, understand that if they do all of those things at a formative age, they can be where he is today.”

That’s a pretty strong statement, but Hull firmly believes Palou is the perfect example of how an aspiring driver with talent, who proves himself and surrounds himself with a great team and top-level equipment, will eventually achieve greatness as a result. And even with four championships already, Hull believes Palou is just getting warmed up.

“Yes, I think he’s at the front end of something extraordinary,” Hull said. “And as Chip says, if a meteor doesn’t fall out of the sky and hits him, that can happen. Everything though has to continue to line up and the most important thing for all of us (and) the most important thing for Alex Palou is to work on today, and not worry about going back and polishing all those trophies but worry about the space for the next one.

“That’s really the key to success for any athlete or any successful business, or for all of us in our personal lives, really. As long as he does that and we do our job, the sky’s the limit.”

While IndyCar obviously will not cancel the 2026 schedule and immediately award Palou his fifth championship as a foregone conclusion, in a sense, and given what he’s done thus far, would anyone really and truly want to bet against him?

The post Good News For Chip Ganassi Racing, But Bad News for the Rest of IndyCar in 2026: Alex Palou Primed for Fifth Championship appeared first on EssentiallySports.

As the nation barrels toward July 4, 2026, the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence, the timing for an American-themed celebration could hardly be more perfect. That sense of national pride is exactly what the team at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, working with sponsor Gainbridge, is leaning into.

Indy 500 goes full red, white and blue

On May 26, 2025, Indianapolis Motor Speedway rolled out the official logo for the 110th Running of the Indy 500, and for the first time ever, it’s dressed head-to-toe in the colors of Old Glory.

The shield in the middle looks straight out of the Great Seal of the United States, the stripes running beside the “500” echo the American flag while still nodding to the famous wing-and-wheel emblem, and the four stars salute the four founders who built the place back in 1909.

This isn’t just a cool new sticker. The 2026 race falls right in the middle of America’s Semiquincentennial, the fancy word for the 250th birthday of the country. While towns everywhere are planning parades and fireworks, Indy is doing what it does best: throwing a massive party at 230 miles an hour. The red-white-blue logo is a promise that the Greatest Spectacle in Racing is going to double as one of the biggest birthday bashes on the calendar.

The story of the 110th Running

Here’s why the 2026 #Indy500 presented by @GainbridgeSport logo is red, white and blue! pic.twitter.com/aOaSLOu8oc

— Indianapolis Motor Speedway (@IMS) November 29, 2025

Memorial Day weekend already has a tradition of honoring the military, and the new design ties that respect right into the bigger celebration of everything the flag stands for. Come May 24, 2026, the yard of bricks won’t just be about speed; it’ll be about stripes, stars, and 250 years of American grit. It’s the kind of thing that gives you goosebumps before the engines even fire.

While the Speedway looks ahead to 2026, the guy who won the 2025 race is still soaking in what he just accomplished. Alex Palou, the four-time INDYCAR champ from Spain, finally got his hands on the Borg-Warner Trophy and watched sculptor Will Behrends unveil his sterling-silver face, the 112th one to be added since 1936.

Palou sees his face on the Borg-Warner Trophy

Palou stood there grinning and said exactly what every winner feels.

“This is one of those days that I knew I wanted to be part of at some point in my career… finally to be here and to get to see the trophy for the first time, it’s amazing.”

He talked about how his likeness will sit on that trophy forever, no matter if he races one more year or fifty.

“Whatever the history of INDYCAR is going to be, it’s always going to be there… I want to get that face again on that trophy.”

Behrends, who’s been carving winners since 1990, took hundreds of photos, built a life-size clay model when Palou visited his North Carolina studio, then shrunk it down, cast it in wax, turned it into silver, polished it, and stuck it on the trophy for good. One Spaniard who drank the milk in 2025 now has his spot next to legends from all over the world.

From a brand-new patriotic logo that’ll wave over the 250th birthday of the nation to a brand-new face on the most famous trophy in American motorsport, Indianapolis Motor Speedway keeps finding ways to remind everyone why this place feels like home, no matter where you’re from.

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Let’s give you some context. Toyota and Indianapolis have a history. Back in 2003, Toyota stormed into the Indianapolis 500 with their sleek, high-tech 3.5 L V8s built by Toyota Racing Development. Powering legends like Target Chip Ganassi Racing and Penske Racing, Toyota didn’t just compete; they won, with Gil de Ferran taking the checkered flag. That very year, the Japanese manufacturer made history by grabbing the IRL Engine Manufacturer’s Championship, proving they could go toe-to-toe with the best. But like all great thrillers, the story took a twist.

By 2005, Penske and Ganassi switched to Honda engines, and Toyota quietly pulled back, shifting its firepower to NASCAR. And as Toyota never looked back, Christopher Bell has taken back his excitement to run the Indy 500 as something more important lies ahead of him. Speaking on Corey LaJoie’s Stacking Pennies podcast, he said, “Well, I mean, I don’t think I have interest in running the Indy 500, and I had it before he did it. Uh, you know, for sure. But, you know, at this point in my career, like I’m definitely not willing to do anything to take away from that weekend in the Cup on the Cup side. And you know, I think it would be unfair for me to, you know, entertain the idea while I’m at this point in my career.”

With four wins, including a dramatic victory in the Round of 16 at Bristol Motor Speedway, the No. 20 driver has demonstrated his capability to thrive under pressure. He displayed consistent performance throughout the season with 10 top fives, 16 top tens, and 1 pole through 29 races, while leading 239 laps. As the playoffs progress, Christopher Bell’s momentum, combined with the strength of Joe Gibbs Racing backed by Toyota, suggests that he is well-equipped to challenge for the title. However, the Indy 500 dream, which has now taken a back seat, can come up again in a few years, according to the 30-year-old.

Christopher Bell admitted, “You know, maybe years down the road, if it gets to the point to where I am a multi-time Cup champion and um, you know, a Coke 600 title is like, okay, well, I can sacrifice a little bit here to go do it. But I’m not there right now. And I want to make sure that, you know, I focus on my day job and hopefully, one day I’ll get to run the Indy 500, but it’s not in the near future.”

It is clear that Bell has his eyes set on NASCAR first, but his performance at Charlotte last year, claiming the Coke 600 win, and his hope to be a multi-time Cup champion have definitely been noted. Could this potentially lead to a Double Duty for Bell, or is that a stretch? Only time will tell if he aims to follow in his rival, Kyle Larson‘s, footsteps. It is impossible not to mention Kyle Laron’s name in the same breath as the Double Duty. Attempting the Double twice is no easy feat, and the No. 5 Hendrick Motorsports driver knows it all too well.

This year, racing both the Indy 500 and the Coca-Cola 600 on the same day ended in disappointment. At the Indy 500, he crashed out on lap 91, finishing 24th after a spin in turn 2. Later that evening, Larson was involved in a multi-car incident on lap 246 of the Coca-Cola 600, resulting in a 37th-place finish and his second consecutive year of failing to complete both races. Most would want to believe that things don’t look too bad for him on the Cup side. However, even though he punched his ticket into the playoffs this year, his championship hopes are under fire. 

The Indy 500 hasn’t seen Toyotas roar since 2005, but the whispers never stopped. Talks about a potential 2027 engine formula comeback and the dream of seeing Toyota back at Indy runs alive, crackling with the same kind of tension and excitement that makes the Brickyard one of motorsport’s ultimate stages. But on the other hand, it is explicit that Bell’s focus lies on the Cup Series for now.

Christopher Bell turns Bristol win into playoff firepower heading into Loudon

Christopher Bell left Bristol with a grin and a rocket under him. That late-race pass earns him the first playoff elimination, lighting a fire under Joe Gibbs Racing heading to New Hampshire for the Mobil 1 301. Loudon has been Bell’s playground: two of the last three Cup races won, a 2017 Truck Series win, and a recent Xfinity victory all show he knows how to get it done there. Heading into this weekend, he is the defending winner in all three national series at the track, and everyone knows it.

Bell has his eyes set on something bigger as the Cup Garage heads to New Hampshire, and he admits, “I think we’re every bit as capable as any of the other 12 out there. It’s a good racetrack for us as a group, and we know what it takes to be good there, and it seems like our cars are really good. I’m looking forward to the challenge ahead. It’s just that all the Toyotas are super-fast right now. But we’ve got a long way to go to get to Phoenix, and it’s going to be a hard road, and everybody knows that.” 

Momentum is on Christopher Bell’s side, and with Joe Gibbs Racing firing on all cylinders, the Mobil 1 301 is shaping up to be a proving ground. Every lap at New Hampshire could either cement his playoff run or remind everyone just how brutal the Round of 12 can be. The real question is, can Christopher Bell survive this?

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