Alex Palou secures IndyCar championship with win at Grand Prix of Portland

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Chip Ganassi stopped Alex Palou before Sunday's race at Portland International Raceway and encouraged his driver to use the race to close out the IndyCar championship.

Palou told the boss he planned to do it with a walk-off win.

And he delivered.

Palou is now a two-time IndyCar champion with Ganassi following a dominant run Sunday that gave him his series-leading fifth win of the season.

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Sep 3, 2023; Portland, Oregon, USA; NTT Indy Car driver Alex Palou (10) celebrates after winning the the NTT INDYCAR Series at Portland International Raceway. (Soobum Im-USA TODAY Sports)

"He likes to win, he told me that. He told me before the race, I said ‘Let’s go wrap this up today,’ he looked at me and said, ‘I’m going to wrap it up with a win,'" Ganassi said. "I said ‘OK, great.’ He called his shot today."

Ganassi then at last addressed Palou's future with the team, which has been uncertain and at times contentious the last 14 months.

"Alex Palou is going to be in our car, I can tell you that, for sure," Ganassi said.

That wasn't so clear even last month, with Palou scheduled to join Arrow McLaren Racing in 2024 as an IndyCar driver. He already spent this year as McLaren's test and reserve driver in Formula One, but has had an apparent change of heart regarding his future.

"I am going to enjoy it as much as possible, the win from today, the championship," Palou said in declining to discuss the contractual fight between driver, McLaren and Ganassi.

McLaren has filed a lawsuit in the United Kingdom seeking at least $20 million in damages and to recoup money already advanced to Palou. McLaren