Here’s what’s happening this week Inside The Garage:
- Pole-sitter Palou looks ahead to Indy 500
- INDYCAR’s policy change prioritizes safety
- A fiery incident in NASCAR
Indianapolis Motor Speedway (Speedway, Ind.) — Alex Palou doesn’t have any images in his motorhome right here on the speedway grounds that might remind him that he received the 2025 Indianapolis 500.
No huge photos of him lifting the Borg-Warner Trophy.
He would not want the reminders or the motivation. His picture is throughout this place because the defending winner. And as a four-time INDYCAR Series champion.
Alex Palou received the Indy 500 for the primary time in his profession in 2025.
He’s anticipated to vie for the win subsequent Sunday, and he did nothing to suppress these expectations as he won the pole in dramatic fashion, saving his finest laps for his closing run.
Palou stated the pole means one thing however not the whole lot.
“It isn’t as vital because it appears,” he informed me about an hour after profitable the pole on Sunday evening. “It is large that we received the pole, and it seems like a race win.
“However I feel even with out the pole there’s as excessive of possibilities. … Having an important view heading into Flip 1 on Sunday would not assure us something.”
Successful the five hundred final yr was the final huge INDYCAR trophy he had not earned, as he already had three INDYCAR titles. He added a fourth by the top of final season.
Now that he is received an Indy 500 trophy below his belt, does the Chip Ganassi Racing driver really feel much less strain?
Effectively, that is difficult.
“It is powerful to explain,” Palou stated. “I do not really feel extra strain, however I do not really feel much less strain than I’ve ever felt earlier than. I really feel like I am simply happier than earlier than. I feel perhaps I’ve a bit extra expertise, which does not actually imply a lot.
“However on the finish of the day, Chip pays us to win — and to win in the present day, not final yr. We have to do it another time.”
He additionally believes profitable in 2026 might be tougher than 2025.
Palou understands the significance of profitable now.
“The sector may be very, very tight,” Palou stated. “We have seen 10-15 automobiles which can be able to operating in visitors, relying on the session and with the ability to overtake. There’s very, very quick automobiles.
“I do not suppose we’ve the perfect. I do not suppose we’ve the dangerous one. We now have a very good race automobile.”
Palou’s life actually has modified since his win a yr in the past. He stated he received acknowledged in an airport in Houston, an space the place INDYCAR doesn’t race.
He took the Borg-Warner Trophy to his dwelling nation of Spain.
“It is so many [appearances] that it is solely concerning the 500, which is tremendous cool,” he informed me and different reporters final month. “I noticed after I received, it isn’t like [others] … It retains on rising. It is prefer it by no means stops.”
Palou hopes to get to do extra this yr.
However he does get one perk from profitable the pole. The nice view going into Flip 1.
Palou (L) notes that touring with the Borg-Warner Trophy has been “cool.”
“As a driver, you’re keen on that view. Not solely Flip 1, however beginning the race right here with all of the followers, you’ll be able to really feel the vitality going. However on prime of that, in case you are main, the sensation is the perfect ever,” Palou stated.
“I am unable to await Sunday to go on throttle to see if we will sustain with everyone, if we will keep up entrance all day and combat for the race on the finish.”
Most individuals don’t consider it’s an “if.” It’s a “when.”
And if Palou can win once more, he’ll cherish the win and stay up for images along with his 29-month-old daughter, Lucia. Final yr, among the most heartwarming images have been of his daughter showing to refuse to kiss the bricks.
These are the images Palou needs that perhaps might make his method into his motorhome sooner or later.
May Palou’s daughter get one other probability to kiss the bricks in 2026?
“These photos are the perfect factor that we’ve. We now have it everywhere in the home together with her kissing the bricks, or making an attempt to kiss the bricks.” Palou stated. “If we will ever get to do this once more to see the evolution of her but additionally to see our smiles and the way pleased we’re, that might be unimaginable.”
To The Rear: Tech Failures Upend 500 Lineup
Caio Collet (pictured) and Jack Harvey will begin on the rear within the Indy 500.
A.J. Foyt Racing’s Caio Collet (tenth) and Dreyer & Reinbold Racing’s Jack Harvey (twenty fourth) had their qualifying occasions disallowed and can begin the Indianapolis 500 within the thirty second (Collet) and thirty third (Harvey) spots. They each had unapproved {hardware} that mounted the Dallara-provided vitality administration system unit. In addition they will lose their spot in line for pit choice for the five hundred.
INDYCAR Modifications Coverage
INDYCAR has modified its coverage for throwing warning flags on street programs the place it has tried to chorus from throwing full-course cautions in the midst of a pit cycle.
Once they adopted that coverage on the Indianapolis Grand Prix earlier this month, it led to a harmful scenario with a stalled Alexander Rossi on the observe. He finally received out of his automobile, necessitating the full-course warning.
INDYCAR President Doug Boles met with the Unbiased Officiating Board they usually introduced a change in coverage a pair days later.
“Security needs to be a very powerful factor we do,” Boles informed me final week. “I struggled with the size of time there for that [full-course] yellow.”
In The Information
— The Indianapolis 500 is offered out of previous grandstand seats and infield tickets.
— The NASCAR Corridor of Fame vote is Tuesday, the place a panel will choose the three members of the 2027 class. There shall be two inductees chosen from the ten candidates on the fashionable period poll and one from the 5 candidates on the pioneer poll.
— Hyak Motorsports introduced that Ricky Stenhouse Jr. had signed a multiyear contract extension to stay with the group.
— INDYCAR has set the date for the Arlington Grand Prix subsequent yr — March 19-21.
Social Highlight
They Mentioned It
“There is not any different observe like this on our schedule.” — Denny Hamlin on Dover after profitable All-Star Race
