Pole-sitter Palou races to Detroit Grand Prix win: 'Very tough today' – The Detroit News

Detroit – It might have looked easy, but Alex Palou, a four-time IndyCar series champion, said winning the Chevrolet Detroit Grand Prix for the second time in four years was hardly a cakewalk.
Palou, who started from the pole for Chip Ganassi Racing, used an early pit strategy and led 71 laps for his third street course victory of the season. He held off a charge from last year’s race winner, Kyle Kirkwood, driving for Andretti Global, who was 3.0584 behind. Graham Rahal, who drives for Rahal Letterman Lanigan, was third in Sunday’s race after starting 12th. It was his third podium finish of the season.
“Tough, very tough today,” said Palou, who leads the IndyCar series standings with a 62-point cushion. “It didn’t really feel like we were leading that much. I knew we’re leading, but man, that was a lot of work. It was not an easy day at all. There’s races that are just straightforward, but today was plenty of action, struggling a lot on restarts and didn’t know if we were going to make it with Kyle.”
Palou took the lead in the 100-lap race for good on Lap 69 when Kirkwood pitted from the lead. Palou made his final pit stop at the end of Lap 63 and switched from the faster tires to the primary, harder tire that was more durable. There were seven lead changes and 173 total passes during the race on the notoriously bumpy, tight track.
Kirkwood said he used up his tires too much and could not pass Palou, but he was close. On Lap 79 it appeared he might have a chance to make a move on Palou for the lead but Santino Ferrucci’s car stalled in Turn 4 to bring out the Kirkwood pulled to within two car lengths of Palou on Lap 79. He appeared to be ready to pounce for the lead when Ferrucci’s car slowed in Turn 4 to cause the race’s fifth full-course yellow on Lap 80.
“It was a good race,” said Kirkwood, now second in series points. “I wish we had another opportunity to pass Palou, I think the yellows (cautions) hindered that. Overall, good day. Can’t be very upset with starting sixth and finishing second. We did all the right things. Pit stops were great, strategy was great. I don’t know really know what we could have done better.”
Rahal said the strategy for his team was banking on cautions.
“As much as you want everything to go smooth, this is a race you’re often predicting issues,” Rahal said. “We knew the last stop we wanted to be on the early side of the window no matter what and bank on yellows – bank on that Honda fuel mileage No. 1 but No. 2 on a yellow, and both came through for us today.”
This was the fourth time the Grand Prix has been held on the 1.7-mile, nine-turn downtown street circuit since moving from Belle Isle. Palou won the 2023 race when the Detroit Grand Prix returned downtown. Palou, who has won the pole in the last three races, including last week’s Indianapolis 500, has four wins this season, including three on street circuits where he has struggled last season.
Rahal referred to Palou being in a “league of his own” right now in IndyCar racing.
“It’s frustrating in some ways, but you’ve gotta respect it,” Rahal said of Palou’s dominance in the sport. “It’s impressive. It’s not like today he blew anybody’s doors off, but he does everything extremely well. The pit stops are extremely good, the strategy is always on par, and it’s hard to beat people who operate like that. When you start up front, it’s easier to do, but they obviously made the right pit decision to pit about the same time I did on the early side of the window, and it played out for them as well. They just do everything to a very high level, and you’ve got to respect that tremendously.”
Palou said the team struggles but admits things are clicking right now.
“I feel super comfortable with what I’m capable of doing with the car,” Palou said. “The car responds to me, talks to me the way I want. I have an amazing group around me so whenever I struggle with the car, they can fix it for me. I did a couple mistakes on track (today) on the first stint, and the team alone, they put me from fourth to first and that was a strategy call, and you need all the crew to execute and give you a great pit stop.
“For sure, we have a great package. I don’t know how long that’s going to last. You never know when it’s gonna end. You need so much for you to go right to win. You can see it’s very tough to win races. I wish we were in a league of our own, but we struggle a lot. We have to work so much to be here.”
achengelis@detroitnews.com
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