'He peaked on race day': How Alex Palou put oval issue to rest on grandest stage of all

INDIANAPOLIS — Alex Palou sat in the Indianapolis Motor Speedway pagoda after last season and mentioned the one thing that was crazy about his career.

"Absolutely, it's been crazy that we haven't won on an oval yet," he said.

He had to wait eight months to race again on an oval. And you know what’s crazy? His first oval win came on the sport’s biggest stage Sunday as he captured the 109th running of the Indianapolis 500.

Alex Palou readies to kiss the bricks following his first career Indy 500 victory. (Photo by Brandon Badraoui/Lumen via Getty Images)

He doused that previous 0-for-26 record on ovals with a swig of milk and the swagger of the three-time series champion that he is.

"It just makes it extra special," Palou said. "I would have been as happy as I am right now [with a previous oval win]. ... I've only won one oval race and it's been at the speedway."

The 28-year-old Chip Ganassi Racing driver continued his incredible winning ways as he has won five of the first six races.

His year of INDYCAR dominance should have ended Sunday. While Palou had earned strong finishes on ovals over the last couple of years, several other drivers seemed more proficient at Indy and wheeled cars just as strong as Palou in practice in the weeks leading up to the race.

But this time, Palou made the pass over a driver who should have remained ahead. Marcus Ericsson, a former Formula 1 driver who won the 2022 Indianapolis 500 while driving as a teammate to Palou at Ganassi, got caught up in lapped traffic for just a moment, opening the door for Palou to pounce.

The one thing a driver can’t do with Palou on road courses is leave that door open a crack. And now apparently ovals.

Moments after the race, Ericsson said he already started