Image courtesy of Penske Entertainment
Will Power earned his first victory of the season and the first this year for Team Penske, while Alex Palou finished third to clinch his fourth NTT INDYCAR SERIES championship and third consecutive series title.
Differing tire strategies in the opening half of the 110-lap race led to an intense three-way battle between Will Power, second place Christian Lundgaard, and Alex Palou in the closing stages.
Power began from third off the starting grid, running the softer compound for his first two stints, and built a substantial 20-second lead over Palou by Lap 51. He then switched to slower primaries on Lap 61 which allowed Lundgaard, who started seventh on primaries after a grid penalty, and Palou, from fifth on primaries, to close in.
On Lap 74, Lundgaard closed the gap to Power to 1.1 seconds, as Palou tailed behind with a nine second gap. The final pit stops of the race between Lap 79 and 82 saw Lundgaard and Palou put on fresh alternates while Power fitted for a used set. Graham Rahal pitted from the lead on Lap 84, leaving the top three to battle to the finish. The fight was tough in the final laps, with Lundgaard applying constant pressure and Palou searching for an opening to move into second. Each driver’s tire wear and remaining Push-to-Pass time became critical factors in the battle to the finish.
Lapped traffic compressed the gap to under a second by Lap 96. Palou was able to briefly pass Lundgaard on Lap 97 but was quickly overtaken. A late off-track moment for Palou on Lap 107 gave Power crucial breathing room, ensuring he could manage the closing laps without competitor challenge. In the end, Power was able to hold onto the lead from Lundgaard by 1.5388 seconds.
Unfortunately, Pato O’Ward’s slim title hopes ended with an electrical issue on Lap 21, dropping him to P25. Palou’s finish secured the season championship, while Honda clinched the manufacturers’ title.
Only two more races remain of the season, beginning with the Snap-on Milwaukee Mile 250 on August 24th and finishing the championship with the Grand Prix of Nashville on August 31st.
