Five-time IndyCar Series champion Alex Palou strapped himself into an Indy NXT car for the very first time on Friday, and if you thought “rookie” meant he’d take it easy, you don’t know Palou. The dude, despite having zero prior experience in the machinery, absolutely smoked a 22-car field at the annual Chris Griffis Memorial Test on the Indianapolis Motor Speedway road course, posting the fastest lap of the day.
Rookie Status, Champ Results
Seriously, Palou was driving the #11 Chip Ganassi Racing entry on a pretty overcast, chilly day in Central Indiana, and he put down a scorching 1 minute, 14.5050 seconds around that 2.439-mile, 14-turn layout. He even admitted it felt “strange” to be a rookie, like it’s a completely different animal than IndyCar. And he was genuinely surprised to be first! “I didn’t expect to be first,” he said. That’s a five-time champion saying that after topping a test he had no business topping. Wild, right? He knows these cars are tough and these kids are fast, but what an absolute legend to just show up and drop that kind of time.
The Kids He Beat
He wasn’t just up against nobodies, either. Tymek Kucharczyk, who had a killer rookie campaign finishing third in the championship and snagging two wins this past season (including one right there on that IMS road course on May 9 and the season finale on Sept 6!), came in second at 1m14.8209s. Max Taylor, who ended up fourth last season in the championship, rounded out the top three with a 1m14.8453s lap. Then there was Max Garcia, who’s already the second-youngest winner in Indy NXT history, pulling a 1m14.9443s. Jack Beeton wasn’t far behind at 1m14.9577s. These are serious talents, and Palou just walked in and reset the standard. Incredible.
Learning and Looking Ahead
Palou said Chip Ganassi Racing just floated the idea of an Indy NXT test during the 2026 season and he didn’t even hesitate. The guy just loves driving “any kind of car” and he made it clear you learn so much, even from a test. He’s not looking to race in the series, but a test day? “100 percent.” He was also keeping a close eye on his teammate Alessandro de Tullio, who absolutely killed it in his rookie season with two wins and eight poles. De Tullio was also testing with Chip Ganassi Racing for the first time, finishing sixth quickest at 1m15.0009s. Palou called him an “incredible reference” on the team, saying he’d been “following him a lot.” The 22 cars in total racked up 1,573 laps, so it was a busy day for everyone out there.
It was just a test, but man, what a statement from a driver of Palou’s caliber. It shows his passion for the craft and reminds everyone why he’s a five-time champ. It’ll be interesting to see if any of these rising stars can carry this momentum into next season, especially with Kucharczyk and Taylor putting down such strong laps. What a way to wrap up a Friday on the track.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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