Palou could clinch series title, $1 million bonus with win in Illinois
Chip Ganassi Racing’s Alex Palou has a chance to either lock up move closer to clinching the 2023 NTT INDYCAR SERIES championship this weekend in the Bommarito Automotive Group 500 at World Wide Technology Raceway in Illinois.
A win would do the latter – and also provide quite a bonus for Palou, Ganassi and The American Legion.
With wins already on both street and road courses this season, Palou would clinch a $1 million bonus with an oval win through the PeopleReady Force for Good Challenge. As his chose charity, The American Legion would receive $500,000 of that.
“We have the opportunity to win the PeopleReady Force for Good $1 million dollar challenge,” said Palou, who will again drive the No. 10 American Legion Honda featuring Be the One messaging. “It will be tough, but getting the win would be amazing for The American Legion and would help save veteran lives. It would also be my first win on an oval and could perhaps clinch the championship, as well.”
Palou currently holds a 101-point lead over CGR teammate Scott Dixon with just three races remaining. Palou has yet to finish outside of the top 10 this year and has four wins and eight podium finishes in 2023. A series championship would be his second since 2021.
“We're focused on continuing the form that we've had so far, as the No. 10 team has had two podiums on ovals this year with Texas and Iowa,” Palou said. “I saw that this is the only track on the calendar where we haven't had a podium, so this will be a good opportunity ahead of us."
Chip Ganassi Racing teammate Marcus Ericsson currently sits in sixth in the series standings on the strength of 12 top-10 finishes. The No. 8 Huski Ice Spritz Honda also carries American Legion branding.
"Last oval on the year and I am really looking forward to it,” Ericsson said. “We had a strong car and a strong performance at Gateway last year even though the result in the end wasn't as good as I think we deserved. We qualified on the front row and overall, I have good memories at the track. I really enjoy driving it and it's a fun atmosphere with plenty of fans."
In the INDY NXT Series, CGR developmental driver Kyffin Simpson is coming off a fifth-place finish in the INDY NXT by Firestone Grand Prix and is in ninth in the points standings. He also will carry American Legion branding.
The 260-lap Bommarito Automotive Group 500 will be played out on a 1.25-mile oval that has various degrees on banking in each corner.
This weekend’s broadcast schedule:
· Saturday – NTT INDYCAR SERIES practice, 11 a.m.-noon; NTT INDYCAR SERIES qualifications, 2-3 p.m. INDY NXT race, 3:25-4:40 p.m.; NTT INDYCAR SERIES final practice, 5-6:45 p.m. (all Peacock)
· Sunday – Bommarito Automotive Group 500, 3:30-6 p.m. (NBC and Peacock)
Bommarito Automotive Group 500 Notes (via INDYCAR):
· There have been seven winners in 14 NTT INDYCAR SERIES races in the 2023 season. Marcus Ericsson (Streets of St. Petersburg), Josef Newgarden (Texas Motor Speedway, Indianapolis 500, Iowa Speedway-1, Iowa Speedway-2 ), Kyle Kirkwood (Streets of Long Beach, Streets of Nashville), Scott McLaughlin (Barber Motorsports Park), Alex Palou (Indianapolis Motor Speedway Road Course-1, Streets of Detroit, Road America, Mid-Ohio), Christian Lundgaard (Streets of Toronto) and Scott Dixon (Indianapolis Motor Speedway Road Course-2).
· The Bommarito Automotive Group 500 presented by Axalta and Valvoline will be the 15th INDYCAR SERIES race at World Wide Technology Raceway. Josef Newgarden won his third consecutive race (and fourth overall) at WWTR in 2022. Paul Tracy won the first INDYCAR SERIES race at WWTR in 1997. Newgarden, Scott Dixon (2020 Race 1) Takuma Sato (2019), Will Power (2018) and Helio Castroneves (2003) are the former winners entered in this year’s race. The Bommarito Automotive Group 500 presented by Axalta and Valvoline will be the fifth and final oval race of the 2023 NTT INDYCAR SERIES schedule. The previous oval races were won by Josef Newgarden (Texas Motor Speedway, Indianapolis 500, Iowa Speedway-1, Iowa-Speedway-2). The last driver to “sweep” the oval portion of a schedule was Sebastien Bourdais, who won the only oval scheduled in 2006 (Milwaukee).
· The Bommarito Automotive Group 500 presented by Axalta and Valvoline will mark the first time that Firestone’s alternate tire will be used on an oval track in a race. Like on road and street courses, the Firestone Firehawk alternate tires will be constructed of a softer compound allowing for more grip but quicker tire wear. Teams will be required to start the race on primary tires, and alternate tires will not be allowed to be used in qualifying. Teams must use one set of primary and one set of new (sticker) alternate tires for at least two laps in the race.
· Alex Palou has a chance to complete the PeopleReady Force for Good Challenge and win its $1,000,000 bonus - half of which will be donated to his chosen charity - The American Legion - if he wins at World Wide Technology Raceway. Palou has won on a street course and a road course, and needs an oval victory to complete the challenge.
· Three drivers have won at World Wide Technology Raceway from the pole – Juan Pablo Montoya (2000), Gil de Ferran (2002) and Helio Castroneves (2003).
· Team Penske has won eight times at World Wide Technology Raceway. Penske’s winning drivers are Paul Tracy (1997), Gil de Ferran (2002), Helio Castroneves (2003), Josef Newgarden (2017, 2020-Race 2, 2021, 2022) and Will Power (2018). Chip Ganassi Racing has three wins at Gateway with Alex Zanardi (1998), Juan Pablo Montoya (2000) and Scott Dixon (2020-Race 1).
· Twenty-four drivers have competed in past INDYCAR SERIES races at World Wide Technology Raceway. Scott Dixon has eight starts, most among the entered drivers. Rookies Agustin Canapino, Linus Lundqvist, Benjamin Pedersen and Sting Ray Robb will make their first start at WWTR. Sixteen entered drivers have led laps at the track (Josef Newgarden 484, Will Power 329, Helio Castroneves 271, Scott Dixon 251, Takuma Sato 167, Pato O’Ward 141, Colton Herta 121, Scott McLaughlin 12, David Malukas 4, Felix Rosenqvist 4, Alexander Rossi 4, Marcus Ericsson 3, Romain Grosjean 2, Graham Rahal 2 and Conor Daly 1).