ELKHART LAKE – The more Alex Palou does in the NTT IndyCar Series, the less surprising each accomplishment is to some degree.
In qualifying Saturday, June 20, for the XPEL Grand Prix at Road America, Palou won his fifth straight pole.
Is that a nice streak? You bet. That hadn’t been done since 1998 and matches the fourth-longest streak of all time.
Was it a surprise? If only because Palou was a tick off in the morning practice, maybe, but ultimately not really.
Palou improved in qualifying in 2025, but with his sixth pole of the season he already has matched his career high and will have eight more events to pile up some more.
The 29-year-old four-time series champion has a chance to tidy up another line on his résumé Sunday, when he could break out of a tie with Mario Andretti, Michael Andretti and Emerson Fittipaldi to become Road America’s all-time Indy-car victory leader.
That trio each won three in the CART era, which began in 1985. Palou has been on the top step of the Road America podium in 2021, ’23 and ’25.
“It’s very cool to hear that, especially those names,” Palou said. “All the names that you said are huge legends in the sport. But at the end of the day, it doesn’t really change much.
“It’s super cool, obviously, and I would love to have that on our CV when I retire. But it’s hard. It’s hard to get. So hopefully we can get it. I’m sure if we get it someone else in 10 years or five or six will get us as well.”
The Spaniard lapped the rolling 4.014-mile course in 1 minute 43.6615 seconds in his Chip Ganassi Racing Honda in the final round of qualifying.
David Malukas of Team Penske jumped to second with his lap of 1:43.9542, giving Chevrolet the other front-row spot.
Meyer Shank Racing Honda teammates Marcus Armstrong and Felix Rosenqvist comprise the second row. Marcus Ericsson of Andretti Global and Scott McLaughlin, one of Malukas’ Penske teammates, will share the third row.
While Palou chases his fifth victory of the season and 25th of his career, Malukas will again pursue his first.
Malukas’ most notable near-miss came last month when Rosenqvist got past him in the closest finish to the Indianapolis 500. He has been on the podium on a short oval (third at Phoenix), a road course (second in the Indianapolis Grand Prix) and a large oval (second in the 500) but insisted he’s not pressing.
“If the situation’s there, then great, we can go and get that win,” Malukas said. “At the end of the day it’s trying to get points, trying to have a good race. You don’t want to make stupid mistakes or a stupid move to be like, I need to get this win so bad.
“I know the time will come. If this race is going to be the one, we’ll go for it. If the situation doesn’t arise, you have to keep the mind calm and collected, get what we can.”
Only one of the 11 IndyCar Series races at Road America have been won by teams other than Ganassi or Penske.
The 55-lap XPEL Grand Prix is set for the green flag about 1:27 p.m. Sunday. Fox television coverage begins at 1.
Is a pole-sitter due for a Road America IndyCar victory?
Palou will start from the pole for the first time in eight races at Road America.
Nine of the 11 IndyCar races at Road America have been won from top-five starting spots, but only two winners have started on the pole, the most recent being Josef Newgarden in 2018.
Including the 25 events of the CART and Champ Car eras, only one has been won by a driver starting worse than 10th, 2004 by Alex Tagliani.
This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Alex Palou eyes Road America record after fifth straight IndyCar pole
Reporting by Dave Kallmann, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel / Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Dave Kallmann, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel | USA TODAY Network
