Alex Palou Tag

By David Morgan, Associate Editor INDIANAPOLIS – Is this finally Graham Rahal’s weekend? The driver of the No. 15 Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing Honda has certainly made positive strides in that direction to start off the Gallagher Grand Prix weekend on the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Road Course as he finished the first practice session of the day at the top of the board. Rahal’s lap of one minute, 9.842 seconds was enough to allow him to take the fast time during the 90-minute session, just ahead of Arrow McLaren driver FelixRead More

By David Morgan, Associate Editor NASHVILLE – There’s something about Kyle Kirkwood and winning on street courses in 2023. For the second time this season, the newest member of the Andretti Autosport stable was cool, calm, and collected under pressure as he put on a masterclass in Nashville to win the Big Machine Music City Grand Prix. After starting eighth, Kirkwood cycled to the lead a couple of different times as pit stop strategy played out, but once he cycled back to the top spot on lap 54, it was hisRead More

By David Morgan, Associate Editor NASHVILLE – Scott McLaughlin will have the best seat in the house when the green flag waves on Sunday’s Big Machine Music City Grand Prix after scoring his second straight pole in Nashville. Emulating the “Thirsty 3’s to the Moon!” moniker that his No. 3 Team Penske has embraced this season, it was almost as if the New Zealander had strapped the RS-25 rocket engine on display in the fan zone to his Chevrolet as he blasted around the 11-turn, 2.1-mile street course in one minute,Read More

By David Morgan, Associate Editor NASHVILLE – As if the Nashville street course wasn’t challenging enough on its own, Mother Nature decided to up the ante for NTT IndyCar Series practice on Saturday morning, throwing rain and a wet track into the mix. The second practice of the Big Machine Music City Grand Prix weekend was originally scheduled for 11:40 am ET and a planned hour-long session. However, with the rain causing standing water at certain points around the 11-turn, 2.1-mile course, the session was eventually shortened to just a half-hourRead More

By David Morgan, Associate Editor NASHVILLE – The NTT IndyCar Series is going into its third season racing in the Music City and while the focus is on this weekend’s running of the Big Machine Music City Grand Prix, all eyes will be on the series in 2024 when this race makes a big move downtown. With the impending construction of a new stadium for the Tennessee Titans, the current 11-turn, 2.1-mile course will not be able to be used starting next season. Instead of making some minor changes as aRead More

By David Morgan, Associate Editor NASHVILLE – Will Power struck the first blow of the Big Machine Music City Grand Prix weekend by leading Friday’s opening practice session. The driver of the No. 12 Team Penske Chevrolet jumped to the top of the board with a lap of one minute, 16.4042 seconds to finish the session just ahead of current NTT IndyCar Series points leader Alex Palou.  good start. Certainly had good cars here last year. Just the race is a very different story to being quick in practice and qualifying.Read More

By David Morgan, Associate Editor NEWTON, Iowa – Sometimes the best offense is a good defense. Heading into the weekend at Iowa Speedway, current NTT IndyCar Series points leader Alex Palou knew it was going to be one of his vulnerabilities in being able to win a second championship. Though he carried a daunting 117-point lead over teammate Scott Dixon into the duel 250-lap races, ovals have not been his forte and lurking in the weeds was the master of the Iowa oval – Josef Newgarden. Palou knew he would haveRead More

By David Morgan, Associate Editor NEWTON, Iowa – Break out the brooms. For the second day in a row, Team Penske pilot Josef Newgarden dominated at Iowa Speedway to make a clean sweep of the HyVee INDYCAR Weekend and score his sixth career win at the 0.894-mile oval. After banking a win on Saturday, Newgarden picked right up where he left off on Sunday, powering his way forward from a seventh-place start to take over the lead with a bold two-for-one pass on teammates Will Power and Scott McLaughlin on LapRead More

By David Morgan, Associate Editor NEWTON, Iowa – Josef Newgarden is inevitable. After falling short in qualifying earlier in the day, the driver of the No. 2 Team Penske Chevrolet bided his time in the early going of Saturday’s Hy-Vee Homefront 250 at Iowa Speedway before taking over the lead just prior to the halfway mark and never looking back en route to his fifth win at the track. Newgarden rolled off from third place behind teammates Will Power and Scott McLaughlin, who looked to be the class of the fieldRead More

By David Morgan, Associate Editor NEWTON, Iowa – Team Penske is back at it again. Coming into the Hy-Vee INDYCAR Weekend at Iowa Speedway, it was expected that Team Penske would be the team to beat and they lived up to those expectations in qualifying as teammates Will Power and Scott McLaughlin locked out the front row for both races on the 0.894-mile oval. As the leader in all-time pole positions, Power only added to his legacy with his 69th and 70th career poles, respectively. With his double pole grab onRead More