Empire State of Mind: Indy 500 champ Alex Palou having star moment in NYC

NEW YORK — Alex Palou went to throw out the first pitch at the New York Mets game Tuesday night and figured someone would recognize him and possibly heckle him.

Not for winning the Indianapolis 500 but for walking around in an Indiana Pacers jersey at the New York Knicks-Indiana Pacers playoff game Sunday night while still sporting the 500 winner’s wreath.

"There was one or two people that said I was at the Pacers game [a couple nights] before," said Palou, who, like most INDYCAR drivers, lives in Indianapolis. "And I was like, ‘Yeah.’

"But we won last night."

Palou even went to the NBA store on Wednesday and stood outside of it wearing a Tyrese Haliburton jersey to show his Pacers fandom. 

So it appears Palou was having fun during his two-day media tour in New York City and was really enjoying himself.

"I just get to a van and they take me to different studios, different places, different TV shows," Palou said Wednesday morning, as he stood on a balcony near the top of the Empire State Building.

"It's been amazing. It’s been overwhelming. So fun. But this [view] is amazing."

Palou couldn’t name all the media outlets he visited or the photos he took as he was shuttled from stop to stop, like the one he took in front of the NASDAQ building.

Amid the media stops, he has barely had any time to think about or talk to his team about the Detroit Grand Prix this weekend. He admits that, while he has gotten a little bit of sleep, he’s behind in race preparation.

"It's not the ideal scenario or preparation or conditions," Palou said. "But it's amazing. I'm trying to enjoy every single second of it.

"And I think it's a great opportunity to see how we can do with big challenges ahead."

Palou also gets plenty of questions about his