Alex Palou just put a stranglehold on the INDYCAR championship, big time. His win at Portland on Sunday wasn’t just another victory, it crushed the hopes of his rivals and sent his points lead soaring. The Chip Ganassi driver, chasing his fourth straight and fifth overall title, led 60 of the final 80 laps, leaving no doubt he was there to dominate. He pushed his lead from 83 points over David Malukas to a massive 110 points over Kyle Kirkwood and 118 over Malukas. With only five races left in the 2026 season, this move is a serious statement.
Palou Is Making Lives “Hell” and He’s Not Letting Up
Kirkwood summed it up perfectly after the race, saying Palou’s team is “doing everything right” but “they’re making our lives hell.” He knows what it would take for them to *not* close out this championship: “an immense amount of misfortune.” Palou knew this Portland race was pivotal, especially with two new tracks coming up at Markham, Ontario, and Washington, D.C. A win gives you 10 more points than second place, and Palou grabbed every single one he could.
He’s feeling good, but he’s not letting up. “I’m more comfortable than when we came here,” Palou said in his post-race news conference. “This was one of those weekends where we wanted to do good. We want to do good every single weekend. But we don’t know what’s going to happen at Markham. New track for everyone, new track for me. We don’t know what’s going to happen at D.C. There’s still a lot of points to play. It was important to maximize.” That’s the mindset of a champion, always pushing to maximize everything.
Rivals Salvage What They Can Amidst Palou’s Run
While Palou was extending his lead, other drivers were fighting their own battles. Kirkwood, for example, finished fifth and was actually pretty happy about it, especially compared to his 20th place finish last year at Portland when he had no issues. This time around, he had to deal with a tire going down, an earlier than planned pit stop, and a couple of hiccups in pit lane. To still salvage a fifth place? That’s resilience. “I’m not happy to see Palou win. I don’t think anybody is except for himself and his crew,” Kirkwood told me, but he’ll take that fifth.
Then there was Will Power. Talk about a tough break. He didn’t hear his team call him to pit for his final stop, so he went a lap later than intended. On that extra lap, he lost crucial time trying to pass a lapped car, Sting Ray Robb. Power said he “just didn’t hear [the team instructions] clear enough” and then “absolutely got held up massively.” Both Power and Felix Rosenqvist complained about lapped cars, but admitted it wasn’t what handed Palou the win. Palou earned this one.
With Markham, Ontario, and Washington, D.C., up next on the schedule, it’s all about who can adapt fastest to new challenges. Palou is going to be eyeing those maximum points to seal this title.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Fox Sports.
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