Alex Palou is on fire this season and no one has an extinguisher

Bruce Martin
Special to FOXSports.com

INDIANAPOLIS — In a city full of institutions, two of the most famous in the capital city of Indiana are the Indianapolis Motor Speedway and a venerable establishment downtown — St. Elmo Steakhouse. The Indianapolis Motor Speedway opened in 1909 and held the first Indianapolis 500 in 1911. St. Elmo Steakhouse opened in 1902 and has become famous for its tongue-burning, sinus-clearing shrimp cocktail, made with fresh horseradish and its thick, juicy steaks.

So, to continue that theme, Saturday’s Sonsio Grand Prix on the Indianapolis Motor Speedway road course is the appetizer — or in this case — the St. Elmo’s shrimp cocktail. It whets the palate for the feast that follows on May 25, the 109th Indianapolis 500.

Saturday’s 12th running of the Sonsio Grand Prix was as predictable as the fiery burn from the first bite of the shrimp cocktail, as Alex Palou of Chip Ganassi Racing won it for the third year in a row.

It was also his fourth victory in the first five races of the 2025 NTT IndyCar Series season. Palou has won three NTT IndyCar Series championships in four seasons, including the last two in a row. He enters the 109th Indianapolis 500 with a 97-point lead over Kyle Kirkwood of Andretti Global in the battle for the championship.

Palou’s latest victory was a spicy affair. He started on the pole but lost the lead in Turn 1 when Graham Rahal of Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing passed him on the outside.

Rahal would lead 49 laps in the 85-lap race, but Palou was sizing him up like a 90-day, dry-aged ribeye, ready to devour the juicy piece of meat.

It finally happened on Lap 58, when Palou’s No. 10 DHL Honda went side by side with Rahal’s No. 15 Honda through the infield portion of