ELKHART LAKE – Three-time series champion Alex Palou tiptoed round Road America for 15 long laps to win the NTT IndyCar Series XPEL Grand Prix on a steamy afternoon June 22.
Felix Rosenqvist finished second .8529 seconds back with Santino Ferrucci third.
With the temperature over 90 degrees and drivers stretching their fuel, many skipped a cool-down lap and quickly grabbed water, or in the case of Ferrucci a beer tossed by a fan.
“It was a crazy, crazy race,” Palou said in his Fox Sports interview. “At one moment I thought we were losing a ton of positions and then we were making them. It was a tough race for everybody.”
Who is Alex Palou, IndyCar winner at Road America?
A 28-year-old Spaniard, Palou burst onto the IndyCar scene in 2021, when he scored three victories – including Road America – and earned his first title for Chip Ganassi Racing.
The victory was his third at Road America, sixth in nine races this season, including the 109th Indianapolis 500 in May, and 17th of his career. He also won at Road America in 2023.
How did Alex Palou win the XPEL Grand Prix at Road America?
A caution-heavy start facilitated multiple strategies over 55 laps on the 4.014-mile circuit.
Scott McLaughlin took the lead from pole-sitter Louis Foster on an early restart. Alternative pit strategy put Scott Dixon in front three times for a race-high 27 laps. Dixon tried to stretch his final tank of fuel 17 laps but had to pit with two to go.
Are there other drivers who’ve won multiple IndyCar races at Road America?
Palou joined Mario Andretti (1983, 1984, 1987) and Michael Andretti (1990, 1991, 1996) from the CART era atop the track’s all-time Indy-car winners list.
Three drivers have won twice in the IndyCar era: Will Power (2016, 2024), Dixon (2017, 2020), Josef Newgarden (2018, 2022).
When does IndyCar race next?
After a week off, the NTT IndyCar Series is back on a road course, the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course in Lexington, the 10th race on the 17-race schedule. Pato O’Ward is the defending winner.
What races are still ahead for Road America in 2025?
Road America does not get a weekend off. The Cheese Capital Cup, featuring the Trans Am and TA2 muscle cars, runs June 27-29.
The biggest remaining weekend on the RA schedule is the IMSA sports car weekend July 31 to Aug. 2. IMSA has grown to rival IndyCar as the track’s most popular weekend.
When does IndyCar race in Wisconsin again?
Although no 2026 date has been set, Road America and IndyCar did agree to a multiyear extension that was announced on race day in 2024.
IndyCar will run its second-last race of the 2025 season at the Milwaukee Mile on Aug. 24. The series returned to track at State Fair Park in West Allis in 2024, when O’Ward and Scott McLaughlin split a doubleheader.
This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Alex Palou tiptoes to the finish for a third IndyCar victory at Elkhart Lake’s Road America
Reporting by Dave Kallmann, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel / Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
