Peerless Palou Marches into May with Commanding Barber Victory
Alex Palou continued his unstoppable start to the 2025 NTT INDYCAR SERIES season, delivering a dominant drive to victory in the Children’s of Alabama Indy Grand Prix powered by AmFirst at Barber Motorsports Park.
From pole position to the checkered flag, Palou’s performance was nothing short of clinical. The Chip Ganassi Racing driver led 81 of 90 laps, cruising to a 16.0035-second win over Christian Lundgaard — the widest margin of victory in an INDYCAR race since Scott Dixon’s triumph at Gateway in 2023.
“It was a perfect day, a perfect weekend,” said Palou. “The car was amazing, super fast. I had a ton of fun. I was a bit lonely there, but I loved it.”
Perfect Execution
The Spaniard’s win at Barber marked the 14th victory of his INDYCAR career, and his third in just four races this season. It also came at the venue where he scored his first-ever series win back in 2021.
While Scott McLaughlin and others tried to keep pace in the early stages, Palou quickly pulled away. Within three laps, he had built a 1.1-second lead, and from there, the gap only widened — aided by the third straight caution-free race of the season, a rarity not seen since 1986.
Podium Finishers & Standout Performances
- 2nd: Christian Lundgaard (Arrow McLaren Chevrolet) – Capitalized on consistent pace and strategy to finish runner-up.
- 3rd: Scott McLaughlin (Team Penske) – The two-time Barber winner couldn’t mount a challenge but brought home solid points.
- 4th: Rinus VeeKay (Dale Coyne Racing) – A season-best for VeeKay and DCR, signaling their strongest campaign start since 2020.
- 5th: Will Power (Team Penske) – Continued his consistent run with a third straight top-six finish.
A Race Without Drama, but Not Without History
Despite the lack of on-track chaos, Palou’s drive was far from forgettable. He added to his growing legacy by becoming one of the youngest drivers in series history to surpass 1,000 career laps led, reaching the milestone in his 85th start — 14 races earlier than teammate Scott Dixon achieved the same feat.
With 63 seconds of Push-to-Pass still in hand at the finish (compared to just 15 for Lundgaard and 25 for McLaughlin), Palou’s dominance was as strategic as it was clinical.
Eyes Set on Indy
With the victory, Palou now leads the championship by 60 points heading into the most iconic month on the calendar — May at Indianapolis. He’ll aim to continue his hot streak at the Sonsio Grand Prix on May 10, and then chase the one prize still missing from his résumé: an Indy 500 victory on May 25.
“When the guy is on top of his game, all you can do is execute,” said McLaughlin. “But it’s a long season. We’ve just got to keep being there.”
Next Up:
May 10 – Sonsio Grand Prix at Indianapolis Motor Speedway Road Course
May 25 – 109th Running of the Indianapolis 500 presented by Gainbridge
written by Philipp Kraus / Media Credit: Penske Entertainment