Bruce Martin
Especially to Foxsports.com
Indianapolis-With the transformation of May in the Indianapolis rapid cars racing from the 2.439-mile road to the historical oval, which is 2.5 miles long, there is one certain thing.
What happened in the Indycar series to this point does not give any driver or team as the practice begins on Tuesday in the next 109 running for Indianapolis 500.
This includes Alex PaloWho has He won four of the first five races in Indycar in 2025Including Saturday Grand Prix in the IMS Road Course.
Certainly, Palou has a large batch of momentum, but the generations talent Spain He never won the Indycar race on the oval. All his 15 victories were in street and road cycles.
“Today’s race is what I call the Indycar race for the normal season,” three times dew The 500 winner and champion of the Indycar series told Dario Franchitti, who is now a member of Chip Ganassi Racing Management, Fox Sports after the Grand Prix on Saturday.
“Within two weeks, it’s Indianapolis 500, Super Bowl.”
It is two weeks of pressure, according to Farshiti.
“It is an animal different from the rest of the season.” “You have to go out and you have to earn each through training, then qualify and race itself. Everything is preparing for you to compete to win and you have to compete and implement on the race day.”
Palou on the quick track to the “Goat” status of the current generation of Indycar drivers, but it has no face on the Borg-Warner Cup that honors every winner in Indianapolis 500.
Drivers competing for the 33 -driver field on May 25, Indianapolis 500 (Back et on FoxWe realize this. There are 34 drivers competing for 33 starting jobs, which means that one driver will not perform the field during Indy 500 qualifications next week.
Palou has a great progress in the Indycar 2025 series (97 points in second place), but Indianapolis 500 is the only race over the Indycar championship.
Winning the championship gives the driver and fame the team for this season.
Winning with Indianapolis 500 drivers and a vocal team over the ages.
“Yes, it’s the greatest race,” Aro McLaren star Pato Outward Tell Fox SPORTS. “I have finished the wall before, and I also finished winning almost.
“Oh, yes, Indie 500 is his monster.”
Will Power’s Team Penske has since 2005 and Indiapolis 500 since 2008. It won the Indycar Championship in 2014 and 2022.
Power won an Indy 500 victory in 17 previous attempts, which is his only victory in 2018.
Penske’s legend believes that Palou 97 points on Kyle Kirkwood from Andretti Global and 98 points on Arrow McLaren’s Christian Lundgaard definitely puts it in a great site for the tournament, but nothing of this is in Indie 500.
“I think if you win it, you will not feel bad towards the only man who wins all the races, but there is also a championship,” Power told Fox SPORTS. “But, yes, 500, a man.
“Winning this thing is great. It is just.”
Follow the power: “It is very difficult to win, it is very difficult to put yourself in its position.
“It will be interesting. I think it will be a very competitive year, which really does not matter.
“Pato knows. In the past few races, it was dead for victory. It was very close. It is all about the decision. If Pato does not pass (Joseph New VegdinOn that directly, does he win it? It is difficult to say. This is difficult in this race. “
The Authority was referring to the battle of the late role last year between Outward and Team Penske from Josef Newgarden.
In the last lap of the race, Newgarden passed the rotation 1, but when the two fought for victory in the lower back, Newgarden closed and made the victory of the race out of Owward in the 3rd round.
Outward then said that he had to take this step in the 1st, but he also created the opportunity for Nigerden to make the race pass is entering the 3rd round.
In the last lap of Indianapolis 500, each step, every decision, each pass is enlarged, dissected and analyzed.
For those who do not win, they think about those decisions for a full year.
Certainly, the huge start of Palu for 2025 gives him a large batch of momentum heading to the opening day on Tuesday for 109th Indianapolis 500. But Indy 500 is the first oval race for the season.
The best completion of Palou on the oval at 105th Indianapolis 500 on May 30, 2021. He finished second to Helio Castronfis By only 0.495 per second.
Castroneves has become the fourth winner of Indianapolis 500 on that day, where he joined the AJ Foyt, Al Unser and Rick Meers as the only drivers who win four Indie 500.
Palou started the 2025 season with successive victories in the Grand Prix in Saint Petersburg on March 2 and Thermal Indy Grand Prix on March 23. He finished second to Kirkwood in Motorsports Grand Motors in the Grand Prix race in the Grand Prix for the Grand Prix in May Motion.
Power said of Palo: “I said to him, O man, I was a long time, and in this field at this time, it is surprising to see something like that.” “It is really.
“It is only very difficult to win a race in Indycar now. So, to go to five, four wins and seconds among five races, and this is impressive. It is something we will look at.
“As much as we want to overcome, I have an estimate of people who are very good in their craft, and he is a very good blogger and good in his profession. He is one of the best.”
But Power caution, as the amazing start does not give Palu an advantage in Indianapolis 500.
In fact, the favorite in Indi is often left in disappointment.
“500, yes. This will be a completely different story,” said Power. “I will be shocked if he dominates it. I think it will be, but also many other people.
“This will be something if it continues and won that. This will be one of the greatest motorsport moments that I saw in my career, I think.”
Post -race interviews Indicar: Alex Palao and Pato Outward
Palo has a strong arsenal in the Ganasi Chibas race, including the best car car, No. 10 DHL Honda, Paris and Wandar as a strategist for sweat, an incredible crew, depth of knowledge from the former driver and CGR Franchiti advisor.
“Alex drives his car now beautifully,” said Franchiti. “He is an artist behind the steering wheel. Enjoy watching it. It is very smooth and finds ways to find the performance behind the wheel.
“It is great to be part of it.”
Bruce Martin is a veteran motorcycle writer and a contributor to FoxSports.coM. Follow it on X in @Brucemartin_500.
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