LONG BEACH, Calif. — In only his second season in the NTT IndyCar Series, Alex Palou of Spain is already a champion.
What lies ahead for the 24-year-old driver at Chip Ganassi Racing may be an even brighter future.
When he drove to victory in his first race for CGR in the season-opening Honda Indy Grand Prix of Alabama on April 18, Palou joined Michael Andretti and the late Dan Wheldon as drivers to win in their first race for Chip Ganassi Racing.
Drivers such as Scott Dixon, Juan Pablo Montoya, Alex Zanardi, Dario Franchitti, Tony Kanaan and other racing greats did not win in their first race with the Ganassi team.
The champion finished with three wins, eight podiums and one pole.
He is the first NTT IndyCar Series champion from Spain. He is also the first driver under 25 years old to win the championship since Scott Dixon in 2003 and the seventh youngest IndyCar champion in history.
This is Chip Ganassi Racing’s 14th NTT IndyCar Series Championship.
“He’s done the job clearly,” said two-time IndyCar Series champion Josef Newgarden of Team Penske, who finished second in the standings by 38 points. “He’s been solid all year. He’s been well within the fight. I said earlier in the year I think from the young crop of drivers he looks the most complete. Maybe that’s just because he has a couple more years on a lot of the other younger guys.
“He’s definitely been very complete all year. Seems to be very Dixon-esque in a lot of ways. Scott has been sort of the measure over the last couple decades of how you be a champion. Alex seems to embody that pretty well.
“He could have a very good run over the course of his career. We don’t know. We’ll see. I’m sure he’ll have a lot of time to stick around and see what he can do.”
When Palou joined Chip Ganassi Racing during the offseason, six-time series champion Dixon was the leader of a team that also included a 45-year-old rookie with seven NASCAR Cup Series championships, Jimmie Johnson. Marcus Ericsson of Sweden started in 97 Formula 1 races earlier in his career and became a two-time winner in IndyCar this season.
Palou gives the four-driver lineup a second IndyCar champion.
“It’s great for the team,” Dixon said of Palou. “Obviously, it has raised the bar, but I think it’s raised the bar for all of us this year to keep pushing.
“It definitely feels like kind of the 2009 through sort of ’12, ’13 period with Dario Franchitti which is great. I’m excited for team morale. That’s the big thing. Obviously when you get beat, when it’s not just the drivers but the crews as well, it pushes everybody a lot harder,’ Dixon added. “Hopefully, we can come out of the gate very strong.
“I’m super proud of what the 10 car (Palou) has done. Super proud of Alex. Man, he’s done a tremendous job this year.”
Palou also returned the No. 10 car at Chip Ganassi Racing to glory. Franchitti won three of his four NTT IndyCar Series championships in the No. 10 and other great drivers such as the late Dan Wheldon and Tony Kanaan won races in the No. 10.
Palou’s championship is the first for the No. 10 car at CGR since Franchitti won the last of his four IndyCar championships in 2011.
“It’s as big as it gets,” team owner Chip Ganassi said. “Just to see this young man come along, it’s been a few dry years in the 10 car. I go back to think of Dario and Dan Wheldon in the 10, all the successes they had.
“Unfortunately for one reason or another, we haven’t found that right combination for a few years. You have to work just as hard. Sometimes you’re probably working harder than the guys on the 10 car and the 8 and the 48. They have to work harder sometimes than the champion.
“I’m really, really happy for the team. Championships are won by a lot of hard work, by a lot of people making a lot of sacrifices that aren’t obvious to the naked eye or get lost and they never get the press or the coverage of the late nights over the winter in Indianapolis, cold and dark and blowing snow,” Ganassi continued. “Guys are in there toiling away on their computers or on their cars, making them just a little better, getting ready for the start of the season or getting ready for the Indianapolis 500. That’s where the championships are won.
“There’s a whole slew of people back in Indianapolis that I’m sure right now have a big smile on their face. They’re in our race shop, family members that aren’t able to be here with their spouses, boyfriends, or girlfriends. It’ a pleasure to represent those people. So that’s what makes this championship special.”
As Ganassi basked in the glory of his 14th championship as a team owner, he was pressed to compare Palou to any of the other drivers he has had in his career.
“He’s a lot like Dixon,” Ganassi said after hemming and hawing for a few moments. “Not a lot of baggage. Just focuses. A lot like, yeah, Dixon.
“I like everything about him as a driver. I’ll follow Dixon’s words right now and say he’s pretty complete as is.”
There’s a popular slogan in racing involving Ganassi — “Chip likes winners.”
Chip likes “champions” even more and Palou has added his name to that incredible list that also includes Jimmy Vasser, Alex Zanardi, Juan Pablo Montoya, Dixon and Dario Franchitti.