Alex Palou Still Has Chance At More INDYCAR History In 2025

Alex Palou has won the 2025 title but he can still chase some INDYCAR history.

Palou, who clinched his fourth title (and third consecutive) after the race earlier this month at Portland, can tie the series record for wins with 10.

To do it, he would have to win the last two races of the year at The Milwaukee Mile and Nashville Superspeedway.

Before this season, few would think he could win back-to-back races on ovals, considering he had never won on an oval. But after winning at the 2.5-mile Indianapolis Motor Speedway and the 0.894-mile Iowa Speedway, there is no counting out Palou at ovals.

Now let’s be clear, it would take an incredible effort to do it.

Palou, when asked after clinching the title at Portland, dismissed the idea of him tying the record:

"By numbers, yes [it’s possible]," Palou said. "But it's no. Realistically, no."

Here’s the thing: Palou has had an unrealistic season, winning eight of the first 15 events. So he has made the unrealistic, well, realistic in a way.

Last year, the series returned to Milwaukee (a 1.015-mile asphalt oval) for the first time since 2015. At the doubleheader weekend, Palou finished fifth and 19th. It also was the first year that Palou had raced at Nashville, a 1.33-mile concrete oval. He was 11th at that race, getting the result he needed to win the title.

Which drivers should have a good shot of winning this weekend?

First look at the winners last year — Pato O’Ward and Scott McLaughlin won at Milwaukee and Colton Herta won at Nashville (where O’Ward was second). McLaughlin led 165 of the 500 laps of the two Milwaukee races. 

Josef Newgarden was fast at both tracks last year but got caught up in accidents in both Milwaukee races and then finished third at Nashville. 

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