Palou extends IndyCar championship lead to 110 points after Portland victory
With five races remaining, Alex Palou’s sixth win of the season leaves him 110 points clear, while rivals Kyle Kirkwood and Christian Lundgaard climb the power rankings.
Reigning champion Alex Palou has extended his lead in the IndyCar championship standings to 110 points following his sixth victory of the season at the Portland International Raceway. The result cements his position at the summit of the grid as the series enters the final stretch of the campaign, with five races remaining.
Palou’s dominance was underscored by the mathematical reality that he could secure the title with an average performance in the remaining events. However, the competition for the remaining podium spots and championship positions remains fierce, with several drivers demonstrating improved form in the Pacific Northwest.
Kyle Kirkwood and Christian Lundgaard have both moved up in the latest power rankings compiled by Fox Sports. Kirkwood finished fifth at Portland after qualifying 19th, a significant improvement on his 20th-place finish at the same circuit a year ago. Despite the strong result, he noted that he lost ground to Palou in the championship race.
Lundgaard’s recovery drive was particularly notable, as he started 25th after a hybrid issue in qualifying and worked his way to a ninth-place finish. His performance, described as strong despite the late grid position, was sufficient to elevate his standing in the rankings.
Other contenders showed mixed results as the series prepares to head to the new Ontario stop in Markham, Canada, which replaces the Toronto race on the schedule. Pato O’Ward finished third, marking his fourth top-10 finish in his last five starts, while Scott McLaughlin recovered from a 13th-place qualifying start to finish seventh.
Felix Rosenqvist secured his first podium of the season since the Indianapolis 500, winning the pole position and finishing second at Portland. Josef Newgarden also salvaged a solid day, starting 14th and finishing eighth, while Rinus VeeKay claimed a fourth-place finish for the third time in six races.
The field also saw Callum Ilott finish 12th after receiving a six-spot grid penalty for exceeding engine limits, and Romain Grosjean continuing his rebound season with a sixth-place finish. With the schedule shifting to Markham, the focus now turns to whether any driver can mount a sustained challenge against Palou’s commanding lead.
