Alex Palou wins his first-ever Indianapolis 500 over Marcus Ericsson

A three-time champion. 16 career wins. There wasn’t much else for Alex Palou to do in this sport. Winning the Indianapolis 500 gives him his first oval win and his first win in this historic event. Through the first six races of the season, Palou has five wins, which ties his career-best for a single season.

Palou may very well win 10+ races of the 17-race season. No one would bat an eye. There is no one getting in his way of completing what might be the most dominant season in IndyCar history.

Alex Palou led 14 laps today. He didn’t dominate. Then again, he didn’t have to. Drivers like Scott McLaughlin, Josef Newgarden, Ryan Hunter-Reay, and many others had issues today. Pit road was a dangerous place to be for many drivers and pit crew members.

Palou outlasted them all and made his move late when it mattered most with 14 laps to go. While he tried, Ericsson couldn’t respond.

Alex Palou keeps a steady hand, wins Indy 500

This Indianapolis 500 was defined by chaos. Scott McLaughlin was out of the race before the green flag fell. Then, Marco Andretti was out of the race on the first green flag lap in the first turn.

All day long, for 500 miles, there were issues on the track. Even on the last lap, Nolan Siegel brought out the caution flag as he wrecked into the wall. No word on his condition yet.

Kyle Larson was one of the victims of Indy today. Early on, it was about his timeline. Then, he put himself in a tough spot, got loose, and spun out. Though that likely saved him from having to park his car during the race, leaving, and heading to Charlotte to make the Coca-Cola 600 on time. The Double eludes Larson for another year.

Josef Newgarden attempted to make his way from P33 to P1. His run was cut short by a fuel pump issue. Then his hopes of a three-peat were dashed. Pit crew members were hit on pit road, and one of them was on fire at one point today. The cool temperature of the track led to many mistakes from many drivers.

The one big name that seemed to stay out of the headlines all day was Alex Palou. He was patient and careful, as he normally is. When the time came to make a move, Palou knew he had the car to do it.

Palou once again executed, and he walks away with the biggest win of his life. Now that he has a win on an oval, the Indianapolis 500, there is no doubt that Palou is one of the greatest to ever race in IndyCar. So, he has 11 more races to cap off this dominant season. First up, Detroit.